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Three Generations of Storekeepers

This album introduces the storekeepers who ran the Mitchell / Hosking store in Oyster Pond. One family; three generations; 84 years. This album presents a snapshot of their lives through the few photographs and stories that have remained behind.

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Florence (Henry) Mitchell
1882
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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Sometime in the early 1870s, a young woman, Florence Henry (b. 1853), came to Oyster Pond to teach school. She was probably one of the first schoolteachers at Oyster Pond's newly built two-room schoolhouse.

The village of Oyster Pond was just beginning to prosper from the inland lumber industry, and the local fishing and trading enterprises working out of Jeddore Harbour.

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Florence (Henry) Mitchell and John Duncan Mitchell
1882
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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At the age of 22, Florence married a local lumberman, John Duncan Mitchell (b. 1847). Two year later, she gave birth to a girl, Roxanna Ethel Mitchell. Four years after that, she bore a son, William Mose Ogle Mitchell. In 1885, at the age of 32, she became a widow. Her daughter Roxie was eight years old and her son Willie was four.

Little is know about the death of John Duncan Mitchell or of the circumstances his wife faced after his death. As John Duncan was a labourer, it is unlikely that he left enough to provide for Florence and her young family. Why she decided to open a store is not known. A store probably already existed in the area, but Florence must have seen an opportunity, and seized it. In 1891, at the age of 38, she opened a store in the family home.

Three years later she hired local carpenter F.H. Stoddard to construct a two storey store known as both "Flowie Dunc's" or as "Mrs. J.D.'s." (Since Oyster Pond was populated by a number of Mitchell's, and several John Mitchell's, John Duncan Mitchell was known as John Dunc. Therefore, his wife wa known as Mrs. J.D. or more affectionately, Mrs. Flowie Dunc.)

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Business correspondence: letter from James F. Anderson to Mrs. J.D. Mitchell
22 January 1891
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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Records from the late 1800s and early 1900s are the only evidence of Mrs. J.D. Mitchell's activities after her husband's death. Early records show that she had goods brought by schooner from Halifax to Jeddore Harbour. She had an arrangement with James Anderson (who lived in Halifax, relationship unknown) to procure goods on her behalf and ship them to Oyster Pond. ''Several letters from James Anderson to Mrs. J.D. suggest that he was enthusiastic about obtaining goods for her. From the records, it appears that after establishing relationships with her suppliers, she no longer needed the services of Mr. Anderson. Account books from the early years also show that Mrs. J.D. went by schooner to Halifax to conduct business in person.

There is a story recounted of her "jumping" from one schooner to another while at sea, because the second vessel was taking a more direct route home.

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Stationery of Florence (Henry) Mitchell, the first owner of the store
1905
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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This is the only known document showing Mrs. Flowie Dunc's business letterhead. While all business correspondence is addressed to Mrs. J.D. Mitchell, her stationery uses the initial of her first name.

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Roxanna Ethel Mitchell (daughter of Florence (Henry) Mitchell
1897
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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Florence's daughter, Roxanna Ethel Mitchell (b. 1877, d.1941) was known as Roxie. She married Frederick William Hosking (b.1874, d.1931) on September 30, 1903. Before marrying Frederick she worked as a dry goods clerk in Halifax. She probably returned to the village during the First World War while her husband served overseas, and remained there afterwards, living with her brother in the family home next to the store.

Roxie Hosking was involved a little bit in the store and ice cream parlour during the 1920s, but slowly became crippled and confined to her home. Her husband Frederick, who was often away working in the United States, died in 1931 in the United States. His death was unexpected, and was the result of an infection that developed after he injured himself playing cricket.

In this 2004 interview, long time resident, Mr. Mitchell, recalls Roxie Hosking as a generous woman who was kind to the local children if she happened to be tending the store. Mr. Mitchell lived between the two stores in Oyster Pond (P.H. Weary and W.M.O. Mitchell), so if he was sent to the store he could choose which one he wanted to go to.

"Probably if I was picking out in those days, I would go to Garth's because Garth's mother was so good natured. She'd give you three or four candies while you were there. The other one wouldn't. So, if as a kid I was go to a store, I would probably go there. Because she was very generous. If you bought a penny's worth of candy, she'd fill your bag. But now Willie O wouldn't. He was the opposite way. When the store would happen to be open at night, a lot of the older people went there just to get together. And I can recall them going to Willie O's 'cause they used to go there to play checkers in those days. Open at night at least twice a week, maybe three times a week, I think."

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William 'Willie O' Mose Ogle Mitchell, son of Florence (Henry) Mitchell
1897
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia

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Florence's second child, William Mose Ogle Mitchell (b.1881, d.1949) was known locally as "Willie O" to distinguish him from other William Mitchells in the community. He was certainly more involved in his mother's business than his sister, and appears to have had business stationary in his name as early as 1903, when he was 22 years old.

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Stationery of William 'Willie O' Mose Ogle Mitchell
9 September 1903
Oyster Pond, Nova Scotia