Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/685

STORES, MILL, ETC. 559 people of Providence, with homes in Harrington. Our lighter taxes en- courage and invite wealth and its possessors to the town, and the annual increase of valuation is due not to the profits of agriculture as aforetime, but to the gains from business and professional occupations, carried on, in, and from Providence as the centre of activities. Horticulture and Floriculture. Horticulture and floriculture engages the attention of the people to a commemorable degree. The culture of pinks and other hot-house flowers is now an established business in the town, and the Maxfield Brothers, at Barrington Centre, and Walter S. Nichols, at Hampden Meadows, have shown their taste and enterprise in this business, and have met with good financial results. Kelley's Mill. A tide mill for grinding grain was owned and run by John Kelley, at Kelley's Bridge, as late as 1870. This was the only water power ever util- ized in_the town. Stores. Stores. One of the first grocery stores in town stood near the Samuel Low house, near Maxfield's Corners at Barrington Centre. Bowen's Tavern, as we have alreadv noticed, had a variety store as a part of its outfit, and the proprietor sold everything the people used, from a knitting needle to a glass of grog. Captain James Bowen carried on the grocery business in a building that stood near the east end of the Barrington Bridge. At one time he had a license from the town to sell liquors and gunpowder. A variety store was opened by Mr. Colby, in a small building near the residence of Benson Bean, about 184S, and was continued for some years after by Mr. Joseph Bean and his son Benson. The Barrington P. O. was kept in the same building for many years. About the year 1856, a store was opened in the brick building known as Nayatt Hall, near the Nayatt Station, and has been continued to the pres- ent time. Noel Mathewson, George K. Viall, William Winslow, William B. Viall, and Mr. Revnolds have been among the proprietors of this store. The Nayatt P. O. has always been kept in this store. A grocery and variety store was opened at Barrington Centre, by Mr. Higgins, in the sixties, and is now kept by the Martin Brothers, of Barrington stock. Mr. Leonard S. Bosworth established a branch of his coal and lumber business, originally and still carried on at the Ferry, at Barrington Centre. He also built a building for residence and store, which is now occupied by his son, Mr. Leonard P. Bosworth. The son is now at the head of the several departments of trade, established and suc- cessfully conducted by his father. Grocery stores were established by Jonathan Allen and William AUin, at Drownviile, about twenty years ago, and are still supported.