W.G. Granniss Company (Litchfield, Conn.)

General store founded by George S. Elmore and C.M. Ganung in 1880 under name of Ganung and Elmore; in 1882 renamed Granniss and Elmore when Ganung's interest was sold to Weston G. Granniss; in 1907 reorganized as W.G. Granniss Company; sold in 1940 and later converted to a self-service grocery.

From the description of Granniss and Elmore records, 1880-1947. (University of Connecticut). WorldCat record id: 28415879

Ganung and Elmore, general merchandise and grocery firm of Litchfield, Connecticut, was founded by George S. Elmore (1856-1904) and C.M. Ganung in 1880 with stock purchased from a bankrupt company. In 1882, Mr. Ganung sold his interest in the store to Westen G. Granniss (1855-1940) of Litchfield, Connecticut, and the store was renamed Granniss and Elmore . The firm dealt in general merchandise such as groceries, dry goods, dishes, crockery, carpets, window shades, screens, linoleum, and wallpaper. The firm's motto was “Everything guaranteed as represented.”

In 1888, Granniss and Elmore 's wooden structures were destroyed in a fire that ravaged most of the Litchfield business section. The two partners, determined to prevent such a disaster from reoccurring, constructed a new two story brick building. For its time, it was considered the most modern store in Litchfield. In addition to the standard fixtures found in a general store, such as a potbellied stove and cracker barrels, the new building was heated by a furnace, had large plate glass display windows, varnished woodwork, a fleet of delivery wagons, and both telephone and telegraph service. In 1897, the partners pioneered the use of electricity in Litchfield County by installing an electrical dynamo in the basement which provided power to light forty electric lights in the store. The years from 1882 to 1918 were the store's most profitable, as sales climbed from $33,000 to $64,000.

By 1907, the store was renamed the W.G. Granniss Company . After George S. Elmore died in 1914, W.G. Granniss took on two new partners, Frank Perkins and William Butler . Both were paid a salary plus a share of the profits. In 1919, due to increased competition from grocery chain stores and a resulting decline in profits, Granniss sold his interest in the grocery business to a partnership composed of Jules Chapin and Ernest Birk . Mr. Granniss held onto the dry goods store, but increasingly devoted himself to local politics and other business interests in the area. In 1925, Chapin sold out his interest to Birk, and the store was renamed Birk and Company .

During the 1920s, the store fared badly from competition in Litchfield as well as nearby Torrington, which was easily accessible by car. The store's fortunes sank even more rapidly during the depression years. From 1919 to 1940, the grocery store's yearly sales plummeted from $24,000 to $4,900. When Mr. Granniss died in 1940, Ernest Birk bought out the interests in the dry goods store and purchased the building as well. Shortly after World War II, the business was converted into a self-service food store known as Superior Foods .

From the guide to the Granniss and Elmore Records., undated, 1880-1947., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center .)