Red Nickles' Store

As I sit here writing about the tearing down of Red Nickells' store, I can’t help but feel a sense of almost overwhelming sadness. The demise of an old building is a fact of life as we know it. So what's the difference?

Red's store sat right across from the entrance to Camp Greenbrier and I wonder what memories are still in the minds of the once young impressionable lads, who frequented Camp Greenbrier every summer. I always thought it was a great location, people coming from three directions would have to go by it. I always knew of Red’s store, but never went in there much until we moved to maple avenue, a couple of blocks away, when I was 14. I was in there a lot after that. The building was an old place, probably before Red put his store there. It had a certain charm. It was not only a grocery store, but sort of a general store. I even bought a fishing reel there once. But it was Red who was the real attraction. He was a man who was always in high spirits. Always had a smile for everyone, and the kids just loved him. I think he really enjoyed having them in the store. Even my kids, when they were young and would visit Nana, the first thing out of their mouths was, “Can we go to Reds?” This could be some of the reason for sadness.

Another, is saying goodbye to something that was permanent in our lives, if not in our minds. It’s also saying goodbye to an entrepreneurial institution of a smaller scale that keeps this country moving along. First Red, and now his store. The passing of these things are certainly good reasons for sadness. But it is also sad to come to the conclusion, that Alderson is not the Alderson we once knew.