Echoes From The Attic and Poems, VETERAN STOREKEEPER, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Don Johnson, Feb. 2001
Typed by Belford Carver
Written by by Edna F. Campbell
Copyrighted by Edna F. Campbell
With special thanks to her family for permission to use her works.

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TURNS BACK ON NEW THINGS

TIME STANDS STILL FOR VETERAN STOREKEEPER

"Keeping up with the Joneses", was not the motto of Jackson L. Bahm, a veteran 
grocer, whose seed and grocery store located in the heart of the city of Hammond, 
with customs and setting the same as the opening day in 1919.  Bahm, who received 
an inspiration for operating a grocery and see store from his early years of 
clerking in pioneer stores in Hammond, since 1905, clung to old-fashioned country 
store-keeping.

He started his business as a fancy grocery at 109 North Cate Street in 1919.  The 
building which was originally an old warehouse for an adjoining store, has been 
his market site through the years.  Although all of the stores around him 
installed new fixtures and modern methods in store operations, Bahm went merrily 
on his way, content with the manner of old.

In the grocery building with a floor space of 30 by 118 feet he spent the span of 
his working years, behind the same counter and for the most part doing all of his 
own work.  In recent years he added several employees to the force.  During the 
1930 depression years, he took a drastic step by dropping all credit customers and 
opening the store on a strict cash sale only.

Bahm recalls the early days of operation when he would go to New Orleans by train 
to purchase his merchandise and have it shipped to Hammond by rail.  He has in his 
possession an original freight bill and invoice received on his first day's opening 
at the store.  Scattered at random about the store space are items of varied and 
wide use.  He has catered to several generations of area families.

Among the items are old time coffee mills and grinders for his customers who still 
prefer parching and grinding their own coffee blends.  For these preferred 
customers he keeps a supply of green coffee.

Wash boards, tin stoves, coal oil, oil lamps and other outmoded pieces hang here 
and there among the clutteration of harnesses, saddles, rakes, mops, brooms, dog 
chains and stake out chains for horses and cattle.  Placed along the aisles where 
no one but Bahm knows where-are plow tools, harrows, roofing, barbed wire and 
nails.  Racked in prominence are the various seeds, for seeds have been the 
drawing card for numerous customers through generations.  Staples in groceries, 
vegetables, milk and meat are added to his collection of wares.

This groceryman, who says he is a school dropout, philosophizes on the reasoning 
of most people of today.  He has said that people have more today than they have 
ever had, yet they are not satisfied.  He is content with what he has amassed, 
and thinks his country is the finest and his home town the greatest.

(From ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC, III, 1968, by Edna Campbell)

(4 pictures with this article)
(Note: Jackson Lewis  "Jack" Bahm died 2/18/1977 and is buried in Rose Memorial 
Park cemetery in Hammond. The current owner of the building is John Wong and is 
occupied by the office of Charter Pipeline.  From the courtyard on the north side, 
some of the early advertising is still visible on the wall of the old general 
store.  BEC 1/2001) 

(See also Part VII "Old Store Passes on to New Hands" and VIII "Always Fought for 
City" for other articles on Jack Bahm's store.)