Rick Houser
When I look back on all those years I spent on the farm I talk about the days when the fields were green or the sun was hot and cloudless and how the days seemed to never end. For the most part that is very true but it wasn’t all the time, as the best of times could never be called that if it weren’t for the worst of times. As the fall moved on to shorter and shorter days and the thermometer moved lower the conditions for a farmer to work outside continued to deteriorate until just going outside on most days became the chore itself.

Before old man winter got us in his grip my dad would take Ben, our hired hand, Wilbur and myself to a unique place at the edge of Felicity. Between Felicity, Bethel and even Moscow most every need that would come into play during a year was in one of their stores.

However there was a store owned by Ed Brannock that he established around 1947 and had built out of concrete block about 40’ by 80’ in size. Ed came upon an idea that seemed to not only be a success for him but a need for the community. So Ed Brannock founded Ed’s supply and Army surplus store. With that title little, if nothing, could be missed in his items for sale.

Dad and I always needed to look for the items and clothing to help us deal with the hard Ohio winters. We would get coveralls, long underwear, insulated socks and heavy duty gloves for use in and around the barns. Most importantly we needed a strong pair of four or five buckle arctic boots! These items were a must on a farm for sure. Let me try to explain a little here. In the winter months during all the rains, freezes, snows and livestock walking over the ground around a barn or the area where feeding took place daily, the livestock would churn the earth into a wet, sloppy and hard to work in mess. So it was a must to have on a good pair of boots that slid over your work shoes to save them from being pulled off your feet or just ruined from contact with all that goo. Sometimes not even that would save you as the deeper the slop got the more suction and a fella could and has easily found his self standing on one foot without a shoe and in a truly real mess.

So getting a good pair of boots was a must and Dad found that Ed sold the best arctic boots at the lowest prices around. Now there was a deal impossible to pass up. I loved going with Dad to the outlet, as when we pulled up we were greeted by a large airplane tire that had the business sign in it. This was huge and unique to me and I didn’t recall any other business with such a catchy way of announcing their presence. Once inside the store Mr. Brannock would come up to us and made us feel so at home in his place of business.

After that he then went into prolonged conversation with my dad since they both had known each other much longer than I could have ever imagined. Dad would ask what he had new in the store and Ed would tell Dad he didn’t really have time to hear it all, and I think he was correct in that statement. He would go to the B&O railroad and bid on what was called damaged freight. For example, say a case of five pound bags of sugar had one bag rip, it was deemed unfit to sell retail. Folks like Mr. Brannock would bid on the case and if he got it he tossed the torn bag and put the others on a shelf for sale. Just think what all was transported on the rail road in those days. Along with frequent stops at the Army surplus building where he was able to purchase a variety of items that were unique or unheard of getting their hands on way out in the country.

So when a person went shopping at the outlet the variety was endless. I know that when Dad would become stumped on a hose, a chemical or something else, he would get in his truck and go see if Ed had what he was looking for. Most times he did! Still though our fall visit was probably the visit that the store made the most off of Dad and Dad and the group he brought with him became the best equipped men on the farms in the area that fall. I know Dad would gather us together after we had shopped a while and ask if there was anything else we could think of that we must have. I know that at this time I always had more needs than Ben or Wilbur but hey, he had asked. As best as I can recall today I never got those extras. I know that when we were preparing to leave Mr. Brannock would continue his smile and tell my dad that if there was anything he found he needed not to hesitate to come back and he would take care of him personally. Dad would answer that that was the only way Ed knew how to treat people. We always ended shopping there with a smile.

Rare was it to find a business of this kind in such a rural place as Felicity but it was there and it thrived quite well cause other than good service and low prices how nice was it where you could find almost anything and the uncommon and not have to drive to Cincinnati. Thinking back. Mr. Brannock was banking on that.

Rick Houser grew up near Moscow in Clermont County and loves to share stories about his youth and other topics. He may be reached at houser734@yahoo.com.