In 1914, Thomas Palmerston Hetherington was a travelling farm equipment salesman. He became involved in the Hotel business from 1905 -1914 in Alberta. He managed the Strassburg Hotel from 1905-1911, and the Last Mountain Hotel from 1911-1914, before divesting his business interests and returning home to Codys, New Brunswick, and going into business with his brother Dr. Judson Hetherington and Dr. William B. Wallace in what would become "The Hetherington Brothers" Store. Thomas Hetherington invested $3000.00 in the store. The deal was consummated in 1915. The first Hetherington Brothers Store was built by George Milton Thorne in 1910 and operated by George Thorne & De Orlon Perry. De Orlon's daughter, Carrie Alice Perry, was born in the store's apartment on Thursday, February 2, 1911. George Thorne's daughter, Susanna "Susie" Thorne, was also born over the store's apartment the previous year on Friday, December 23, 1910.
Most of the summer freight for the store came on the steamer Majestic. If containers were not theft proof, there were usually losses of oranges or candy. Chocolate bars were just coming on the market in the area. Cars were uncommon in Codys at the time. Dr. Judson Hetherington owned a Packard and not long after his acquisition of the Packard, his daughters, Katherine and Virginia Hetherington would share a Ford Model T. By 1918, Irwin Thompson sold gasoline in Codys and Albert Akerley would make the trip from the Narrows to purchase three gallons of gas at a time. Codys was an up-an-coming place and people from the Narrows would often make the trip to Codys to buy gasoline. James "Jim" Gamblin, Dr. Gilbert Hetherington's son-in-law, also owned a Model T and often taxied for Dr. Gilbert Hetherington to visit his patients. Gilbert Hetherington's main stand-by was a covered carriage in summer and a sleigh in winter, both drawn by his black horse named "Glen." Gilbert Hetherington was a medical doctor and practiced first in Saint John, New Brunswick, then later in Boston, Massachusetts, and finally at Coles Island, New Brunswick. The first Hetherington Brothers Store was destroyed by fire in April, 1921. It was a miracle that no lives were lost and that no one was living in the store at that time, except for Thomas Hetherington who narrowly escaped in the fire, and the only thing he managed to save was a big trunk which he threw down the outside stairs of the store. Thomas immediately set up another store in the building built by Isaac Newton Thorne father down the hill from where the first Hetherington Brothers Store was located. Eliza Jane (Farquharson) (Schroeder) Perry owned the upper storey, while the store below was used for storage, and after the 1921 fire this would become the Hetherington Brothers "new store." Eliza was George Milton Thorne's mother-in-law. In the next several years, Cedric Connell owned and operated Connell's Store from this location with his first wife Mary L. Somerville Connell. He delivered mail for many years. Their principle residence was above the store. Through the years this house has changed many hands. This historic home is owned by Ms. Heather McAlpine who operates Crafted Images Pottery from the premises in the lower portion of this building. Photos: Hetherington, Michael. A Collection of Memories and Short Stories, by Arthur Palmerston Hetherington, Sr. 2018. Email. July 20, 2020.. Text Citations: Hetherington. (2018), para. 1-5. pp. 13, 17, 25, 29, 31. Comments are closed.
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