Jesse Glass
Mr. Jesse Glass was a very enterprising Pacolet merchant. He had a small store on Fuller St., not far from the ball park. The store had a variety of things - such as candy, magazines, comic books and some food. The main thing that I remember about his store is that it had several guns of different kinds for display on the walls. I don’t think that they were for sell but for decoration.
The thing that made Jesse Glass different was his “mobile” store. About once a week, he would fill his car with different things and drive slowly throughout Pacolet Mills selling these items from his car. I don’t remember exactly what kind of car he had, except it was black and either an “A-Model” or “T-Model” Ford. Jesse Glass coming was the high point of the week for most kids and many adults. I remember that his car smelled like bananas and apples. He sold many things including soft drinks, candy and magazines.
I don’t know when he stopped making his rounds but I think that he did not continue much after WWII.
Mr. Glass became the Postmaster for Pacolet Mills in the 1930's. Even today, 70 years later, envelopes to and from Jesse Glass at Pacolet Mills show up for sell on eBay.
Jesse was a member of the large Glass family that lived in the Pacolet area. His family had moved to Pacolet Mills from Virginia, via Clifton, around 1917. The family story is told at Glass Family Story.
On Jesse's WWI draft registration from 1917-1918, he is listed as living in Clifton, Spartanburg, South Carolina. His nearest relative is given as his father, Granville Duff Glass, also residing in the same place.
Jesse must have briefly moved back to Virginia as he is living with an uncle in Jonesville, Virginia on the 1920 census. His draft record also lists Jesse as working in #1 Clifton Manufacturing Co. as doing "mill work". He also had a bad foot that required him to be on crutches. On the draft record it states "is on crutches caused from Rheumatism". The family story was different. It had that he had stepped on a rusty nail and had to either have all or part of his foot removed. The actual cause of why he had to use a crutch is no longer known.
The 1930 census shows Jesse Glass living back in Pacolet Mills on Granite St. At this time his occupation is shown as a Post Master in the Post office. The 1940 census shows Jesse living on Glass St in Pacolet Mills Village. It's between Victor Park and Maysville Rd on this census. At this time his occupation is listed as Operator of Retail store. (Glass Street is probably now Fuller St. where his store was located.)
This web site has been started as a public service to share the story of Pacolet.
