Close to 200 Years of Shopping A Timeline

There has been a store at the Dan & Whit’s location since 1829.

Message in a Bottle
While researching the history of the property where Dan and Whit’s currently resides, we found a newspaper article relating a story from the day after the 1889 fire when the building burned. According to town legend, when the corner stone of the hall was laid, a bottle containing some kind of fermented liquor, together with a paper on which was recorded the date of the event, had been enclosed in the brick and mortar.
On the morning after the fire, a group searched the ruins of the foundation for the hidden bottle and found it. Inside was a note: “This bottle contains New England rum, and was deposited here on the 24th day of June, 1829, by John Wright who built this building.”
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1829
John Wright first developed the block in 1829, which was known as Franklin Hall. The Norwich Bookstore, located at the south end of Franklin Hall, was also an apothecary. Downer and Burton operated a general store in the north end of the building.
Upstairs, Franklin Hall hosted dinners, cotillions, and other social events, many of which were associated with the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy.
The store building is on the far left in the photograph. In the 1860s there were at least three businesses in the store building on the first floor.
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1929

1865
On the day the news arrived in Norwich that Lincoln had been assassinated, “old men in the village stood in front of the store unashamedly weeping.”
The store was a central space for the entire community. It was a gathering space for news —especially in times of hardship.
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1889
In 1889 Union Block, as it was called, was destroyed by fire. There E.W. Olds had been operating a post office, dry goods store, and grocery. “Everything in the building was lost, post office and the entire contents of a heavily stocked country store, excepting the ledger which was in the safe and was preserved.” Farmers who were about their chores saw the fire or heard the bells and came running to help. The college bell was rung and the Hanover Engine came. Several wells were run dry as they worked to save the hotel and neighboring house.
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1891
The Newton Inn and general store building were re-built soon after the fire.
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1914
Arthur Henry Merrill and his wife, Ada, purchased the store in 1914. Leon and Florence Merrill became the owners in 1948.
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1914

1932
In an interview with Whit Hicks, he shared: “I went to work at Merrill’s General Store in 1932 and Dan Fraser came a year later. We used to run a delivery cart. That is, we used to go up to different houses in the morning, and take orders. We’d sit in the kitchen and talk to the lady of the house and we’d tell her what specials might be on … After taking orders all morning, we’d go to the store and put the orders up and then deliver them that same afternoon.”
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1955
Leon Merrill sells the business to Dan Fraser (employee since 1933) and Whitney “Whit” Hicks (employee since 1932). Wood heat replaces the coal and oil furnaces.
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Fraser and Hicks

1957
Fraser and Hicks buy the property. The store name changes to Dan & Whit’s after Fraser and Hicks decide to stay open until 10:00 and sell beer, wine, and guns. Merrill was opposed to these practices and insisted they change the name.
Bunny Fraser would roll a shopping cart down the road to the bank to make the nightly deposit because the coins were so heavy.
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1963 and 1968
The store expands with a checkout area, meat and hardware departments, and loading dock. The house next door was razed to expand the parking lot.
“I have read that your average hardware store has a total of 25,000-35,000 items. That’s of course counting every screw and bolt and washers and nail sizes. I don’t know just exactly what we have, but my guess is that we have something over quarter of a million.” ~ Jack Fraser
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1972

1972
Whit retires and Dan Fraser buys Hicks’ interest in the business. Frasers’ General Store, Inc. was formed. Sons George and Jack Fraser end their careers in the U.S. Army and enter the family business. A third addition to the back was built.
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1973
Vermont’s bottle deposit law causes Dan & Whit’s beer sales to drop 55% as sales shift to New Hampshire.
“This is a family business. It means a lot to us to keep it running, but, you can’t keep it running if you can’t keep viable. If you pay too much out in taxes and that kind of thing, all of a sudden you can’t compete in wages for your people and you can’t compete on price. It’s a challenge.
We try to be very careful to treat people well, to help people, to make sure when they leave, they have a feeling that they came here for help and they got the help and not some smart answers or brush off. Because, that’s probably our means of survival.” ~ Jack Fraser
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1996
Jack and George Fraser are honored by the Vermont Grocers Association as Retailers of the Year.
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2013
Dan Fraser begins 19 Days of Norwich to benefit the Upper Valley Haven.
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2020
Dan & Whit’s is a community leader during COVID-19.