Williams General Store celebrates 121 years

WILLIAMS, Ore.– Businesses come and go but for one local grocery store – some things have barely changed.

The Williams General Store has provided for the small town for 121 years now. While ownership has changed over the years, the structure has stood the test of time and continues to bring the community together.

The current owners, Tom and Heather Glass, purchased the store nearly two years ago and have been enjoying their historical venture ever since.

“It’s been an adventure,” said Mr. Glass. “Learning a lot, it’s like coming home in some ways and in other ways, it’s been completely new. It’s been very exciting though, the response has been fantastic. We’ve had a lot of fun.”

Besides some structural repairs, the owners say the building has remained the same since it first opened in 1897.

While the world around this small town continues to expand and speed up, for the Glass’ and the store, it’s better to forge a different path.

“For the most part, it’s fun to see how much you can put into a little store and how much people are surprised by the amount of products we have,” said Mr. Glass. “The beauty of simplicity.”

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Skip to content