Full service gas stations are becoming a thing of the past. In fact, some people can’t remember the last time they visited one and most have never visited one at all.
For those who would like to visit a full service station still operating, Larry’s General Store in the Mingo community is just the place to see. The store has been open since 1964, and is owned and operated by Larry Calvin Bagley, Jr. It has been in his family for four generations.
Bagley shared “with the help of family and friends, we’ve been blessed abundantly to remain family owned and in business for over 50 years.”
Country stores like this create a place for people to come together and create social connections and invest in their communities. At Larry’s, there is a group of men who visit the store daily. “These men are some of my best friends and I am convinced that we would help each other anyway possible,” Bagley noted. “A lot of our topics range from the study of the Bible and praying for others to hunting, fishing, gardening and maybe even politics, if you can believe that.”
The store provides a large variety of products and services that include grocery items, plumbing and electrical supplies and general hardware. “We have hoop cheese, molasses and fishing bait, too” Bagley pointed out, ticking off a list of goodies one can find at the store.
“We also install new and used tires and do complete oil changes. If you live in our neighborhood, we will come get your vehicle and provide the services we offer and deliver it back to you the same day … by the way, the air for your tires is still free.”
Larry’s General Store is located at the corner of Greenpath Road and Wrench Road in the Mingo Township.
“The Lord has really blessed us for many years to see this kind of neighborly support,”Bagley attested. “Our community is very close; everyone knows everyone for the most part and cares for each other. You would have to search the world over to find folks as kind as the Mingo folks. Social connections like this are the hallmark of small towns.”
