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Built at the Turn of the Century, these historic commercial properties
are now the home of
.
The Northington Saloon
An 1870's Western Style Saloon with Authentic Western Antiquities
in Historic Egypt, Texas

ENJOY A TIME OUT with FRIENDS
On the Porch
..Around the Pool Table
.Playing
Dominoes
Singin' Songs
Hanging Out at the Antique Bar
Enjoy Warmin' Up around the Wood Burn Stove
and..
Sometimes there's even some daw-gone, good eatin' BBQ for Supper!
AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES

OPEN FOR REGULAR SALOON HOURS
On Weekends

WATCH FOR SPECIAL COUNTRY WESTERN CONCERTS
Contact:
John or Carolyn Northington
979-677-3536 or 979-677-9443 or 281-242-7658 carolynn2@earthlink.com
www.egypttexas.com
for more information about the Saloon!
G. H. NORTHINGTON GENERAL STORE & MEAT
MARKET
BUSINESS HISTORY
The G. H. Northington Sr., Mercantile Store was built in 1900 after
the successful, Northington Duncan Partnership was dissolved. Both
families continued to operate their, two, independent general
stores thereafter until the 1960's when market conditions no longer
supported the business. The Northington Store included a General
Mercantile and Feed Store. George Northington Jr. acquired the property
in an estate settlement with family members and eventually the property
was passed down to the present owner, John Northington.
John leased the store to business tenants for several years before
converting it to a party rental facility with the adjoining Saloon
(former Meat Market.)
The Northington Store provided cash and carry and credit to their
customers for food, feed and merchandise. Most of their regular
customers were farmers and ranchers dependent on seasonal crop sales
and therefore provided 90 day and longer credit. Additionally the
store hours were also built around the needs of their customers
opening at the break of dawn, closing at nine at night and open
all day Saturdays.
Catalog Sales such as The Spence Mead Co., Wholesale Tailors, Marshall
Field's in Chicago offered more extensive, quality merchandise that
would otherwise be unavailable without having to travel for days
to Houston, Austin or San Antonio. Jewelry, clothing, appliances,
furniture and more was available by railroad, which stopped daily
at the nearby Cotton Cane/Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Egypt and Glen
Flora.
SOCIAL CENTERS OF COMMERCE
The Northington Store was a social center. It was a place to get
local news, trading produce for other goods and swapping techniques
for farming, ranching, hunting and raising children. It was a place
to find seasonal workers or employers, home remedies, voting polls
and more. The Northington Store, like other small town markets,
was part of the daily lives of generations of rural residents. It
served customers of all races, ages, educational backgrounds - the
cross section of those who made up the community as a whole.
OTHER EGYPT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Another frame structure was built in 1900 located two lots north
of the Store for use as a Pecan Warehouse. It has continued to be
used by the current owner, John Northington, as an automotive/farm
machinery repair shop and is now used as a museum for various horse
buggies, horseless carriages, farm implements and automotive restoration
shop.
In 1914/1915 G. H. Northington's son, Mentor Northington, built
a brick, one story Grocery Store. This building was positioned between
the Northington Store and the Pecan Warehouse. It included an ice
machine and compressor used to maintain a freezer and cooler for
the preservation of meats and perishable produce. The two operations
were interwoven using both structures. The Meat Market/Grocery operated
for over thirty years serving customers in a twenty-five mile radius.
By 1920, Egypt had two Cotton Gins, a Rice Dryer, a Railroad Depot,
a U.S. Post Office, a Horse Race Track, several Rodeo operations,
two General Stores, a Feed Store, a Pecan Warehouse, two schools
and several churches.
ENJOY THE FEELING OF BY GONE DAYS
The Store retains not only its original fixtures but contains many
of the advertising signs, catalogs, sundries, jewelry and other
merchandise left over from the 100 year store stock. Evidence of
a hundred years of wear and tear and make shift maintenance adds
to its hard earned character such as old, tin-can tops from long-gone
products plug floor holes reminding us of the practical role of
this building and the resourceful store managers who kept this business
going for over seventy five years.
The simple, front façade has a screened, double door flanked
by two double hung windows with security bars to protect the merchandise.
A great place to visit while waiting for the Wharton Spectator Journal,
the El Campo Leader News, Eagle Lake Headlight, Houston Post, Houston
Chronicle or New York Times.
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