Along the historic trail, “Nethery’s Store”
BETTER YET, COME FOR A VISIT
Open most Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, for the “Sale on the Trail” event the first weekend in May.
Visit their website: https://netherysstore.com/
C.A. NETHERY GENERAL MERCHANDISE
280 State Highway 21 • Milam, Texas 75959 • tel: (225) 772-4406
Known as “Nethery’s Store” by the locals, this historic Texas landmark is one of the few remaining old country stores with its original antique display and sales fixtures. When Nethery’s Store opened its heavy metal-clad double wooden doors for business in 1880, it was stocked with all the necessities for simple country life. Nethery’s Store was known to stock everything from baby bottles to caskets! Today, it remains one of the oldest retail buildings in Sabine County, Texas. Located in the community of Milam, Texas, the Store stands on the old El Camino Real—now Texas Highway 21— a route that dates back to 1690 and the Spanish Colonial Era.
Four short years after Charles Alexander Nethery, Sr. established his general merchandise store, he married Amanda Francis Speights. C.A. Nethery’s new store soon grew to become a local establishment of high regard as it served the surrounding community’s home and farm needs. As the store’s reputation grew, so did Charles and Amanda’s family. Their marriage was blessed with a total of 12 children.
In 1915, tragedy struck as the original store was destroyed by fire during a snowstorm. The current structure was built soon afterwards just a few yards from the site of the original store.
After Charles Sr. passed away in 1942, Nethery’s Store continued under the management of Charles and Amanda’s son, Charles Jr. “Buddy,” until his death in 1996. The historic store is still owned and operated by members of the Nethery family.
While the store no longer offers baby bottle or caskets, buyers and “lookers” alike enjoy browsing through the store’s original antique fixtures that feature a growing assortment of items for sale including creative gifts, costume jewelry, fishing gear, antiques, skin care products and a selection of jellies, preserves and honey products from local sources.
The original heating system – an old pot-bellied stove – still works and is surrounded by chairs in much the same way that it was in the 1880s.
In the tradition that began when the doors opened to the public in 1880, Nethery’s Store’s inventory continues to grow and change as it welcomes visitors to this beautiful Texas locale.