EXTENT: 2.75 linear ft. (4 containers)

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Organized into nine series:
I. Mail order catalogs; II. Advertising; III. Clippings; IV. Typescripts; V. Printed ephemera; VI. Postcards; VII. Photographs; VIII. Framed illustrations and photographs; and IX. Souvenir keepsakes.

HISTORY: Retail store in Concord, Mass., specializing primarily in casual clothing, particularly in women’s sportswear and coordinates.  Merchandise also included penny candy, jams, and gifts.  Opened on Monument Street in 1941 by F.H. Trumbull, who had begun business in retail clothing in 1938.  The store’s Monument Street building was erected in 1780 on Main Street by Elnathan Jones, later moved to what eventually became the location of the Town House (where it was used as a store by Thoreau’s father John, among others), and moved again to its present site.  Branches of the Country Store were opened in various locations, including Edgartown (1941), Nantucket (1949), and Sarasota, Florida (1951).  Store conducted extensive mail order business, its first catalog prepared for the 1942-1943 Christmas season.  In 1946, the store was incorporated and Trumbull’s daughter Mary P. Locke and her husband William became involved.  The Lockes eventually took over the business.  In 1982, the store was acquired by C.M.L. of Acton, (owner of a number of retail stores) and in 1987 was converted to an outlet of the Nature Company.

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  Collection of miscellaneous materials, [1938?]-1987, relating to the Country Store of Concord, accumulated by Frank and Miriam Trumbull and by William and Mary Locke.  Includes: mail order catalogs, 1976-1981; material relating to advertising (primarily correspondence from Patrick Nugent & Company of Boston, accompanied by proofs of advertisements), 1977-1979; clippings, [1941]-1987; typescripts of publicity materials, etc.; printed ephemera (fliers, merchandise tag, business cards, “Memory Book,” order form, etc.), [1938?]-1981; postcards (of Concord headquarters and of branch stores); photographs and illustrations; and souvenir keepsakes with Country Store motifs (tile, mugs, Staffordshire plates, cloth calendar, placemat, cardboard box, and canvas tote bag), 1947-[ca. 1980].

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Most of the gift by Joan Trumbull, circa 1992. Later items presented by Helen Locke Cook.

NOTES/COMMENTS: Clippings photocopied for patron use, accessioned March 7, 1995 (AMC 004).

PROCESSED BY: Leslie Perrin Wilson; finding aid prepared 09/24/95.  Prepared for the Internet by Peter K. Steinberg, 12/17/2005. Updated July 27, 2019
 

CONTAINER LIST

 

SERIES I. MAIL ORDER CATALOGS, 1958, 1976-1981:
Box 1, Folder 1:
Mail order catalogs

SERIES II. MATERIAL RELATING TO  ADVERTISING, 1979-1979:
Box 1, Folder 2:
Material relating to advertising, 1977-1979 (including correspondence from Patrick Nugent & Company)
                        

SERIES III. CLIPPINGS, [1941]-1987:
Box 1, Folder 3:
Photocopies, for patron use

Box 1, Folder 4:
Originals, for staff use only

SERIES IV. TYPESCRIPTS:
Box 1, Folder 5:
Typescripts (publicity)

SERIES V. PRINTED EPHEMERA, [1938?]-1981:
Box 1, Folder 6:
Printed ephemera (fliers, merchandise tag, business cards, “Memory Book,” order form, etc.), [1938?]-1981

SERIES VI. POSTCARDS:
Box 1, Folder 7:
Postcards

SERIES VII. PHOTOGRAPHS:
Box 1, Folder 8:
Photographs

SERIES VIII. FRAMED ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: Box 2:
Five items

SERIES IX. SOUVENIR KEEPSAKES, 1947-[ca. 1980]:
Box 3:
1 tile (1947)
2 mugs (1948)
2 Staffordshire plates (1949)
1 cloth calendar (1958)
1 paper placemat
1 cardboard box with printed lid

Box 4:
1 canvas tote bag ([198-?])

c2005-c2012 Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Curator of the William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.

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Mounted 21st December 2005. Revised June 2019.