This Missouri General Store is One of the State's Most Treasured Time Capsules

Long before grocery store chains, general stores were the heart of Americans' retail lives, especially in smaller communities where they served as a town center.

Dozens of these old-fashioned general stores are still in operation today. While many of them have had to adapt to the changing times and convert to tourist and gift shops, they still retain much of their original heritage.

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In Missouri, there's one general store that's been around since 1909. The Old Village Mercantile can be found on Main Ave in the small village of Caledonia.

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Caledonia is filled with Scottish history and its Main street was built in the mid-1800s. Today, the town remains relatively untouched by time with 33 homes and businesses listed on the national register.

At one point, Caledonia was home to four general stores, a cheese factory, and a stagecoach inn used during the Civil War as a hospital for the Union Army.

The Old Village Mercantile was the only business to survive through time intact with all of its original features making it one of the state's most treasured time capsules.

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An experience for the whole family, the general store aims to transport visitors back to a simpler time and contains many nostalgic details that include homemade ice cream, an antique gallery, Amish-made fudge, and 600 varieties of old-fashioned penny candy.

Though the surrounding historic district has many preserved homes and other buildings, the Old Village Mercantile is the most authentically preserved business still remaining from the village's nearly two-century-long history.

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To learn more about the Old Village Mercantile, be sure to check out its official site here where you can read more about its history, see upcoming events, and view its services.