About seventy-five years ago, Gardnersville, named after John Gardner, and early settler, was a busy little community.  In the business center, for example, there was a hat shop, run by Maggie Golden.  My grandmother told me that she could buy a hat there for $1.50 or $2.50 and that women were embarrassed if they couldn't wear a different hat for each occasion.  There was a general store owned by Jim Ervin, where you could buy almost anything.

 Dick Hightower had saloon.  My grandfather said that the saloon stood about two feet from the ground; some men, knowing where the barrels stood, took a drill and bored holes through the floor up to the barrels and let the public get a free drink.

 There was also a large place where buggies were made.  It was owned by Fred E. Linder.  The two blacksmith shops were run by Mr. Barney H. Johnson; Mr. Ervin worked in the post office.  The mail was carried from Gardnersville to Flingsville and back to Gardnersville.  It was called the Star Route.  A burial shop was run by Fred Helmink and Sam Gibson who made coffins.  George Marvick was the shoe cobbler for the town. 

A one-room schoolhouse, called the Boone School, was very crowded with about seventy-five pupils