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McVea Grocery and Real Estate

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Two-page, typewritten document written by Bill McVea, February 1995, about the history of the McVea Grocery Store on Lakeshore Drive in Douglas and McVea Real Estate.
Page one of two; Sam McVea, started what would later become the McVea Grocery Store on Lakeshore Drive in Douglas during World War I when he opened a small ice cream stand, which was located just north of the future store..After a few years William J. (Bill) McVea joined his Uncle Sam in the business and they built a small screened porch on the building which held two tables. You could get a chocolate or strawberry sundae, ice cream cones or candy. William J. (Bill) McVea enlisted in the Army in World War I and entered service in September of 1917. He went to France in February of 1918 and served in the Motor Transport Corps until the war ended. Uncle Sam ran the business during this time. When William J. (Bill) McVea returned to Douglas in 1919 he decided to buy out his Uncle Sam and around 1920 moved the stand and added on to it, starting the McVea Grocery Store. William J. (Bill) McVea became a Real Estate Broker in 1929 and handled many sales and rentals of cottages on the Lakeshore. His son William C. (Bill) McVea became a Real Estate Broker in 1961 and is still active in the Real Estate business today. There were several additions made to the store and in the 1930's there was a postal substation started from the Douglas Post Office. This substation was called The Lakeshore Rural Station. The mail was sorted in the Douglas Post Office and arrived at the store twice a day from June 1 until September 30, at about 9:30 a.m. and around 3 p.m. This was a very busy time in the store as people were waiting for their mail and newspapers, and also buying their groceries. The store carried the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Hearld Examiner, Chicago Daily News, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the St. Louis Globe Democrat. The resorters would order the paper of their choice and their name would be written on their paper. Just before World War II the Chicago Daily News would arrive by truck around 5:30 p.m. and the truck would race by the store and throw the bundle of papers off. Special Delivery letters were also delivered to the cottages from the Lakeshore Rural Station. The store was also a meeting place for adults, children, and teenagers. There was a bench in front of the store where teenagers met and many summer romances started there. The store
Page two of two; was the agent for Western Union and telegrams would be wired into the Saugatuck summer office of the Western Union, which was in the Parish Drug Store, and then they were phoned over to the store where they would be written up, put in envelopes and delivered to the various cottages. Not many of the cottages had phones in the 1930's and 40's so the store also handled phone calls by going to the various cottages and advising the people that they had to call a certain operator in St. Louis or Chicago as someone wanted to speak to them. Before World War II there were two gas pumps in front of the store. After the war one was eliminated. There was also an air compressor for car tires and kids inner tubes. In about 1947 the last addition to the store was made. During this time a new and larger meat cooler was added along with a new showcase for the cold meat. The store had fresh meat and a full time butcher since the 1930's. Some of the butchers were: Fred Walz, John Biller, and Charlie Koberna. The store carried a full line. of canned goods, fresh produce, frozen foods, over the counter drugs, and beer and wine. william J (Bill) McVea always carried a lot of penny candy for the kids and all kinds of ice cream for the kids and adults. Most of the customers charged their groceries and each had their own separate charge book. In 1934 William J. (Bill) McVea purchased a used 1928 Ford Model A Sedan Delivery and started a milk route along with the grocery delivery. In fact, the milk and grocery delivery was started earlier with a Ford Model T. The son of William J. McVea, started driving the truck, which was later named

2021.41.57

Commercial businesses1900 Lakeshore community

Winthers, Sally

2021.41

Schmiechen, James A.

Donation

McVea, William Chambers II "Bill" 1928-2005

11 in

8-1/2 in

025 Saugatuck Douglas Commercial History

McVea Real Estate 1930s-1970sMcVea, William James 1891-1960McVea, Samuel 1864-1938McVea, Gertrude (Jonker) 1896-1983279 Lakeshore/McVea Grocery

09/25/2025

09/26/2025