Rewriting history

Flashbacks of youth flooded the minds of local residents in Unadilla when the general store burned to the ground on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, after some 142 years of memories were made. Two years later, the store has been completely rebuilt with no resemblance to what used to be.

Sophomore Peter Loso, who lives in the area, said, “When I was younger, my cousins, aunt and I used to kayak down the Unadilla River. It was a really long kayak, but it was worth it, because it always ended with getting ice cream from the old store and sitting outside on the steps, drying off.”

While Loso has many memories with the old general store, so do older generations of people living in the area.

“My grandpa grew up on Woodburn Lake, which connects to the Unadilla River,” Loso said. “He always had stories to tell, so I think it’s sad that the new store doesn’t resemble the old one at all. It doesn’t have any history.”

Unadilla Fire Department chief and long time resident of the area, Mark Schroeder, watched years of history burn to the ground as he was one of thirteen fire departments at the scene of the fire, attempting to put it out.

“I lived there all my life,” Schroeder said. “It was a historic landmark here in Livingston County.”

As far as the cause of the fire goes, Schroeder said it was undetermined how it occurred.

“There was just so much damage to the structure. Natural gas was investigated, but it was eventually ruled undetermined,” Schroeder added.

While the store is now new and rustic-looking, there have been both complaints and praise on the new model.

Junior Taylor Spadafore, a frequent guest of the Unadilla Store, said, “I think the new store looks cool. I know it doesn’t look like the old one, but it shouldn’t. It’s the start of a new era.”

Mike Harbert, a worker of the store and son of those who have owned it for the past 25 years, worked at both the old store and the new store.

“It’s not a run of the mill, modern-type looking store,” Harbert said. “We’re starting to get mounts and animals back and bringing in antiques and whatnot. We’re doing the best we can to keep it, well, it will never be the way it was, unfortunately.”