The Country Corner Gift Shop was once billed as “Hoosierland’s Most Unusual.” Photo provided.

By Mary Hursh
Guest Columnist

SYRACUSE — Every season, the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum highlights a business fondly remembered from the past or a current business which has become a favorite with residents.

This fall, the museum will showcase the iconic Country Corner Gift Shop owned by Fred and Emily Elstrod and later by Jennifer and Robert Seward.

Country Corner, built in 1951-3, opened first as an antique store and later became a gift shop run by Emily Elstrod. It was the first commercial building built by Buhrt Builders. Later, Jennifer Seward purchased the site and operated Country Corner from 1974-1999.

Allyson Ellis, a longtime Syracuse resident, worked at the Country Corner Gift Shop for three summers when she was 15, 16 and 17. “My older sister Jill Haughey and I worked there with Jean Miller, Opal Kime and Sharon Lavernier. I worked from 10 to 5 one day and 4-9 the next day.”

As many know, Country Corner was located in the current Pizza King building at 719 Huntington St. When shoppers went through the double doors of Country Corner, they immediately came upon the Christmas store set up with Currier and Ives ornaments, Santa Clauses and, according to Ellis, “all sorts of cool stuff. You felt like it was Christmas that very day.”

The wooden purses painted with various local landmarks here in Syracuse were next to the Christmas area. Fabric purses by Margaret Smith were also available there. These cloth-covered purses showcased different patterns, flowers and animals.

Past the popular purses, shoppers found Waterford crystal and Fenton pieces. Alongside those pieces were all the items typically found in a country store such as kitchen supplies, towels and those popular red and white tablecloths. Past that was a gift shop.

Local resident Allyson Ellis shares her memories of working at County Corner when she was a teenager. Photo by Mary Hursh.Local resident Allyson Ellis shares her memories of working at County Corner when she was a teenager. Photo by Mary Hursh.

“The first thing Fred Elstrod did with a new hire was to take him or her to the old cash register in the center of the store and see if that person could make change. He was a father figure for me. I remember dropping a glass which broke five other pieces as it fell to the floor. I was 15. Fred told me to stop crying and not worry about taking the cost out of my pay. He just said the incident was a lesson to be careful when dusting,” said Ellis.

Turquoise jewelry was popular at the store as were Minnetonka moccasins, which first came on the scene in 1946 and could be worn indoors and outdoors. Steward Nye copper jewelry, especially the pieces shaped like maple leaves, were always in demand. “Many people who lived on the lake, including Eli Lilly and Seth Ward, did their shopping at Country Corner,” said Ellis. “The ladies would get dressed up and shop. We were very busy all the time waiting on customers, cleaning and unpacking new shipments.”

Gifts purchased were carefully tucked in boxes or put in bags with lots of tissue paper plus a ribbon. “I spent the money I earned there ($1 an hour) to buy a big red piggy bank, a necklace with a turquoise roadrunner, a purse and a scarab bracelet,” said Ellis.

The Country Corner exhibit will be showcased at the museum this fall. Admission is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.