West of the small town of Starr on Rainey Road is the Strickland Grocery. According to the South Carolina Picture Project, the Strickland Grocery was initially a mercantile run by Stephen E. Strickland. Upon his death in 1894, the Strickland children took over the business and renamed it Strickland Grocery. The website doesn’t clarify if the name change happened in 1897, as the sign says, but I will assume that. The second date of 1947 must mean the Stricklands stopped running the store. According to Findagrave, the Strickland siblings lived until the 1920s and 30s, but one sibling, Henry Strickland, lived until 1950 to the age of 78.
However, according to newspaper articles, the store continued to be opened under that name until at least 1978. Sadly, the store is only mentioned in regards to robberies. In 1975, the store was part of a string of robberies. The thieves took $75 worth of cigarettes and candy and caused $100 in building damages. In 1978, another robber escaped with $412 worth of food, cigarettes, and soft drinks. This is the last mention of the store I can find in the store. I know locals could provide more details when the store was operating. If you live in the area and can provide more history, please let me know.
It looks like the current owners are trying to generate fresh traffic to the store by offering “Teslr” charging stations. I am sure they will be quite successful in their endeavor. At a minimum, it makes people like me stop and take photos.
