Lake Clear General Store
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 21, 2002
Former owners retell history of the Lake Clear General Store
DEBORAH J. DONALDSON, Enterprise Correspondent
…Back in 1950, Archie Blanchard bought the property where the store is. He then went to the White Pine Road and took down a two-stall garage and rebuilt it on the property that he had bought. This building was turned into a snack bar/fast food establishment, having such food as chicken in the basket, etc. Archie Blanchard and his mother, Margaret K. Bean, were in business together. They named the store Bean & Blanchard Grocery/as they were then starting to sell groceries. In 1955, they started selling beer, so they took grill out and continued with the groceries.
In 1956, they added a four room house onto the back side of the store. Bean & Blanchard Grocery continued until the closing in 1966. In August 1968, Bob and Gail Metz purchased the store. They renamed the store Bob's Gas & Grocery. Bob says they started out with $200 in inventory. Their first day of sales was $27. Now remember this was in 1968.
The store was open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. summer and winter, possibly closing a little earlier in the winter. Bob, Gail and daughter Barbara lived in the two bedroom apartment at the back of the store until 1972, when they moved in a mobile home next to the store. I think the apartment was too crowded when Jack, the German shepard dog, came along.
Like all new owners, Bob and Gail did some improvements to the building, They squared up the building, making more storage space and more space in the store. In 1972, Bob partitioned off a section of the store and made it in the Lake Clear Post Office which was run by Jane Falvey until 1976. The post office then moved into a trailer at the Junction.
As Bob kept increasing the size of the store, he kept increasing his inventory. As Bob says, "You grow or go."
After many long days and hours working in the store, Bob and Gail sold the store in 1981 to Linda Kerr. Linda renamed the store Lake Clear General Store. She kept the store open seven days a week. She had renovations done to the inside, changing the layout. She lived in the mobile home next to the store.
In 1984, Linda sold to Jack and Joanne Smith, who renamed the store 3-J. I was unable to talk to them about what they did to the store.
Around 1986, Ed Rabideau leased the store from the Smiths. He renamed the store Rabideau Grocery and was open seven days a week. Ed ran the store until 1988.
Harry and Pam Schwejzer next purchased the store in 1988. Again we have a name change, KBJ's Country Store was named for their three children, Kristina, Bobby and Jason. Harry rebuilt the inside of the store including new windows, plumbing, coolers, freezers, refrigerator, etc. Open seven days a week, Harry said that he enjoyed seeing all the people that he hadn't seen in several years.
Even though the mobile home was next to the store, Harry and Pam purchased the house across and up from the store that Harry had been raised in.
Around: 1993, the next owners purchased the store, Phil and Beckie Dobie. Like all new owners, they changed the name to Lake Clear General Store and were opened Seven days a week. They did many renovations to the inside. Beckie had daily lunch specials. They added a soft ice cream machine so that Lake Clear would have soft ice cream all year-round.
The mobile home disappeared and in its place, a beautiful home was put up at the side behind the Store.
In June of 2000, Dan and Michelle Martin were the next owners. They kept the same name. Along with their children Meghan, Jillian and Kendra, they moved into the house behind the store.
In April 2001, there were more renovations to the inside of the store, A redo-over again. Still open seven days a week, Michelle has daily breakfast and lunch specials. In March of 2002, they put in pizza ovens. Eventually, they will be having fried foods. The soft ice cream machine is still working to keep all soft ice cream lovers happy. They have just added an outside patio seating area. So from 1950, Bean and Blanchard Grocery to 2002 Lake Clear General Store looks like the store has come full circle. Still providing good food, groceries and gas for your vehicles. What more could Lake Clear ask for?
A very special thank you goes to: Archie Blanchard, Bob and Gail Metz, Linda Kerr, Ed Rabideau, Harry Schweizer, Michelle Martin. Also to George Carley and Cherry Carter. I couldn't have done it without you all.
