JOKER STORE AND POST OFFICE BROUGHT TO LIFE - Potbellied Stove, "Liar's Bench," And Penny Candy

(12/09/2025)

Sketch of the long-gone Joker store and post office by Everett Vernon "Bill" Gainer, who says the sketch depicts Gainer on the porch waving to Walter Tuttle, carpenter and handyman, as he drives by, with a 1931 Ford on the left being the Gainer's family car in which he delivered the mail, but in bad weather would ride his horse for delivery By Bob Weaver Longtime Ohio transplant Everett Vernon "Bill" Gainer, grandson of Joker old-timer the late Everett Gainer, solved our longtime dilemma of not finding a photo of "downtown" Joker, principally the Joker store and post office. Gainer made a sketch of the establishment from his late 1930s memories. During his time the store and post office was operated by Kelsey and Scottie Dawson. The Joker post office was established in 1904, with Joker Sewell the postmaster, the village's namesake. It was a meeting place with a pot belly stove, cracker barrels and about a half-dozen chairs around the stove for winter warming, with a "liar's bench" on the porch for summer visitors. "I remember the penny candy and peppermint sticks," said Gainer. Nearby was the Bryner Chapel Methodist Church, now closed. HAVE A LITTLE TIME ... FOR JOKER REMEMBERING THE CRADDOCKS - Minding Their Own Business, Keeping It Simple, Finding Their Way To Heaven CALHOUNERS FEATURED IN STRANGE NAME BOOK - Joker And Big Ugly To Horneytown And Cukoo HUGHES FARM RECALLS AGRICULTURAL DAYS

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001