Rural Commerce and Life: The Shemwell General Store, Pitman, Arkansas
Dr. James Buchanan Shemwell was born in Marshall, Kentucky on October 5, 1856, to David Alexander Shemwell and his wife Permelia J (Roach Shemwell. At 18, Shemwell served in the Marshall County Militia and, per the 1880 U.S. Census, lived with his parents in Marshall County. Shemwell later attended the Cincinnati Eclectic Medical Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati was chartered by the state of Ohio in 1845. The term “eclectic” refers to physicians who used whatever means they found beneficial for their patients such as using medicinal plants. There were more than 55 medical schools such as this across the country in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The first class graduated from EMI in 1842, and the last class matriculated in 1939. The school was known for educating some of the first female physicians in the United States and some of the first black physicians in the country.
Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati
According to the 1890 U.S. Census Dr. Shemwell was living in Little Black township in Randolph County, Arkansas near the old town site of Pitman. In January 1890, Shemwell married Luella Bell. Bell was a Tennessee native born on July 26, 1870. Bell was a Baptist and an active member of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church located at Pitman. Dr. Shemwell was a member of the Christian Church. Shemwell built a medical practice in rural Randolph County while his wife ran a successful mercantile business located next to their home. The store served as the epicenter of a small close-knit community.
The store served as the Post Office for the community before the introduction of Rural Free Delivery (RFD). The store also served as a spot for sharing news and local gossip. The Shemwell Store served the people of the community in other ways as well. For example, Luella often loaned local farmers money so they could make a crop. The store stocked a variety of merchandise and provided other goods through mail order catalogs such as tombstones, eyeglasses, and farm implements. Many of these items can be found in the Shemwell Store exhibit at the museum today.
Stocked Shelves in the Museum display
Dr. and Mrs. Shemwell had 7 children.
Infant Shemwell September 15, 1891-September 15, 1891
Ola Mable Shemwell October 17, 1892-December 10, 1895
John Lloyd Shemwell September 13, 1894-September 22, 1973
Forest Shemwell February 28, 1896-April 15, 1898
Florence Nightingale Shemwell August 16, 1897-June 17, 1966
Florence Shemwell
Jefferson Davis Shemwell August 16, 1900-October 7, 1984
Delen Shemwell December 26, 1905-June 28, 1917.
Following the death of Dr. Shemwell, Luella married Adolph Rahm. Rahm was a native of Switzerland and was widowed like Luella. Rahm and Luella Bell Shemwell were married on March 4, 1921. Rahm became an active partner in running the store and remained so until his death on September 26, 1928. Rahm was also active in the community. Rahm was a member of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church as well as the local chapter of the Odd Fellows.
Luella closed the store in late 1928 or early 1929. Several factors played a role in the closure of the store. After Rahm passed away maintaining inventory levels became progressively more challenging. For one thing Luella did not drive meaning she had to rely on others. Another factor that must be mentioned is the coming of the Great Depression. While we typically think of the Great Depression beginning with the Stock Market Crash in reality the Great Depression came to Arkansas earlier. In other words the people of Arkansas were suffering before the Stock Market Crash. A last factor was the opening of a new store at the crossroads just north of the store and across the road from the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. This competition hastened the closure of the store.
The store remained in the Shemwell Family until 2022 when Luella’s granddaughter, Mary Nell Biggs, daughter of John Lloyd Shemwell, sold the property. For many years the store had been used as a storage shed but much of the store sat as a virtual time capsule. Biggs donated a store counter, the Post Office counter, and many other items that became the nucleus of the General Store Display at the museum.
The Store Today