Every Day for Fifty Years
- Lawrence Lore
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
George W Glover held the record for being in the same line of business longer than anyone in Lawrenceville at the time of his death. He opened his confectionery on the West side of the square on a Sunday morning in March 1942 to begin the second half of a century in business. He had completed 50 years when he closed the store Saturday night.
Fifty years in one city is a long time when one considers that he worked seven days a week, including the holidays.
Arriving at noon March 1, 1892, George Glover began business with a small restaurant located at the corner of State and 11th St. where Stillwell and Wright later operated the Texaco service station and is now a park.
Coming as a newly married couple, having been married about a year, Mr. and Mrs. Glover lived in furnished rooms over the place of business until such time as they could find more suitable quarters. A home was established at 8th and Jefferson streets when the move was made to the north side and there Mr. and Mrs. Glover reared their family of three boys and one girl.
About 1893, the restaurant was moved to the north side of the square where they fed the public for five years.
In 1898 the restaurant was moved to a room later occupied first by Heath restaurant and then by the Carl Whittington restaurant on the West side of the square. A year later Glover Confectionary moved to where business was eventually operated without an interruption everyday rain or shine, Sundays, or holidays, --the business was open to serve the public.
Started as a small restaurant, the business grew into a bakery and confectionery. The bakery was opened when the move was made to the last location and the confectionery and ice cream plant were added later, as the demands of the business required. The bakery was first built at the back of the store where it was in operation for a number of years then later moved to a specially constructed building at the rear of the Glover home. The confectionery and ice cream plant outstripped the restaurant business until they became a major part of the Glover operations.
George told a newspaper reporter that upon his arrival in Lawrenceville there was no such thing as a lunch counter or a place where a sandwich or a cup of coffee could be bought. He sold the first restaurant meal in Lawrenceville, made the first ice cream soda and the first lemonades that were sold commercially. (Historically, this was not true but made for a good story.)
The celebration of Glover’s 50th wedding anniversary was left to Mrs. Lulu Workman Glover to plan and she, feeling that the greater number of their friends had known them better in connection with the confectionery on the West side of the square, held open house there in March 1941. A huge cake, the gift of the employees of the Glover Bakery, was served to those who went in to offer the happy couple their congratulations.
“It is not a business anniversary,” said Mrs. Glover, “but the business has been very much our home, and it is where our friends have seen Mr. Glover and me the most. We think that they will feel freer to come there than to our home.” (Being George’s wife, she probably knew he wouldn’t take off work to attend her party unless she had it at the confectionary.)
George Washington Glover, Lawrenceville’s oldest businessman in number of years served, died at his home at 603 Jefferson St. early Monday morning, following two years of illness that kept him confined to his home. He was unconscious for the last 24 hours of his life.
Mr. Glover was born near Spencer Indiana, on March 28th, 1863, celebrating his 81st birthday anniversary the month before his death. He grew to manhood in the vicinity of his birth, learning the trade of baker. On March 26, 1891, he married Miss Lula Workman, at Ingraham, Indiana and the next year they moved to Lawrenceville where they entered the restaurant business.
The business of the restaurant bakery and confectionery was practically the home of Mr. Glover and from early morning until late at night he could be found in his place of business looking after the details in connection with his establishment and greeting his many customers. He worked hard throughout his life and taught his children to work, and by that close application to business was well paid and a good living for his family and the satisfaction of a job well done.
