McLaren's Depot Store

​

 Information from an interview with Mary Gemmill.

​

What is now part of Snow Road Station was once called McLaren's Depot. The lumberman, Peter McLaren, built a small log store with a post office and a residence on what is now the east end of Snow Road. He also built large warehouses, stables and a blacksmith shop. His blacksmith was James Cameron, father of Walter Cameron, the famous blacksmith and woodcarver of Fallbrook.

 

In 1887, the Canada lumber company bought all of the McLaren interests and Peter McLaren moved to his home in Perth, Nevis Cottage. He became a Senator in 1890. The Canada Lumber Company built a larger store next to the warehouses and a house next to the store for the use of their Superintendent and Paymaster. Some prices from their time were: eggs - .10 per dozen, high laced shoes - 1.50, coal oil - .25 a gallon, chewing tobacco - .10 per plug and green tea - .25 per pound. The post office that was in the original log building was closed in 1914, when it amalgamated with the Snow Road Station post office at Geddes' Store in the C.P.R station. It remained there until John Geddes retired; then moved back to McLaren's Depot Store in January 1949. The post office kept the name of Snow Road Station and remains so today.

  

In 1895, the Canada lumber company sold the McLaren's Depot complex to Bill and Jim Richard, brothers from Massachusetts, who continued to run the store. They built a large stone house farther down the road that is still there today. They operated the store until they left for western Canada about 1900. The house was bought by David Gemmill in 1909 when he obtained the rest of this property. Eventually, all the buildings disappeared except the larger store, the home beside it and one old storehouse that became a garage.

 

The store was then operated by W.J. Clement until Jan. 1914. Between 1914 and 1917, it was operated by Nettie Richard and her brother, Albert, and on Sept. 17, 1917, it was rented to Adam McGonegal. After him, there were a few short-time residents, John Gordon, George Gemmill (who bought the store from the Richard estate in 1936). There were several long vacancies.

  

In 1942, John A. Geddes bought the store from George Gemmill, but kept it vacant as he was operating the store at the other end of the village in the railway station. On Oct. 1, 1948, John sold all the stock in his own store, plus the depot store, to Max and Dorothy Millar. They ran the store for 25 years and owned it when the post office came back there. They sold to Gerry and Phyllis Saylor of Pennsylvania April 1, 1973. While Saylors had the store, they opened a restaurant in the side addition of the store. They called it the "Doo-Drop Inn". They offered breakfast, lunch and dinners. The restaurant only ran for a short time and then they closed it. They gave up the store business in Mar. 1978.

 

In 1986, the building was purchased by Dale and Mary Gemmill, who converted it back to a store and offered most everything people would need, including groceries, gas, dry goods, hardware, licences, fishing equipment, etc. After ten years in business, they had a party at their store to celebrate their success. There was music, dancing and refreshments outside in the yard. They ran the store until October 31, 2010, at which time they closed and the mail boxes were installed at the Snow Road Community Hall. In 2011, they held an auction sale and the store was torn down in March 2013.

 

When Gerry and Phyllis Saylor gave up the business in 1978, Phyllis continued as postmistress until she resigned in 1986 and the post office closed. Then rural delivery started from McDonalds Corners and was sorted into the green boxes outside the store. In Oct. 1987, an auxiliary post office was opened in Gemmill's store, with mail once again being brought in via Sharbot Lake and sorted into the green boxes outside.

​