|
|
 |
|
||
| Nestled
in the green and rolling hills of east central Iowa are the Amana Colonies.
They were settled in the late 1800s by a group known as the Community
of True Inspiration. They were escaping religious persecution in Germany,
and they chose the word “Amana,” found in the Bible’s
Song of Solomon 4:8, for their Iowa settlement. It means “remain
true.” Many changes have occurred since that time period, including
the Great Depression and the Great Change (from a communal lifestyle
to a private ownership, joint stock corporation named the Amana Society),
but there are some things that have “remained true.” Each
village is still a community providing jobs and wages to community members.
And the Amana church remains a vital part of residents’ lives. One thing that has not changed is the Amana General Store. It is still housed in the same 1856 building it was in at the beginning of the Amana Colonies. The same brown, quarried sandstone exterior and the same kind of wood trim are still there. At one time, this building served as the main office of the Amana Society with a residence on the upper floor. As Manager Brenda Koehler says, “Every nook and cranny of the General Store is steeped in the history of the Amana colonies.” She points out that a safe housed in the basement was once reportedly robbed by Jesse James. It was previously located in South Amana, but later was moved to the General Store in main Amana. Brenda Koehler has been the store manager for the last four years. She now oversees 15 full- and part-time employees. The General Store is open seven days a week. Store hours are posted on their Web site. Their busy season begins in April, but really heats up when school is out. In answer to the question, “What differentiates the General Store from other shops in Iowa?,” Brenda is quick to answer that they are located in the heart of the Amana Colonies, and that the store is special because of its long history as one of the oldest establishments there. The pace is relaxed and low-key, not “mall-like,” and they have items that a customer can’t find anywhere else. Brenda says her experience is, “If advertising convinces people to come to the Amana Colonies, they always come to the General Store.” There are so many items displayed for sale that it’s hard to know which way to look. It’s impossible to walk quickly through both floors due to the variety. “Three great stores in one location” is the General Store’s tag line. Inside the front door are bulk candies, hats, shirts, and local pottery. A popular hat reads “A Grouchy German is a Sour Kraut.” Small white porcelain calves are actually cream pitchers. There are wooden screw-type nutcrackers and wooden lemon reamers, plus many more kitchen items—some familiar and some not so familiar. Shelves in the back of the main floor are stacked from floor to ceiling with specialty foods such as jams, jellies, sauces, pickles, relishes, sauerkraut, and noodles. Some are common Iowa foods, while others are more exotic. Recipes on the bags of pasta are written in German. Their natural apple butter is made from apples and apple juice concentrate. Noble Bee honey is collected in the Amanas. There are quart jars of canned pear and peach halves, probably just like your mom or grandma preserved. All canned goods are in glass jars rather than plastic or metal. Fragrant Amana breads, including rye and German black bread, occupy one rack. All breads are made at the bakeries in the main and south Amanas. The cooler is stocked with Millstream soft drinks, and a meat cooler offers cheeses, sausages, and other products from the Amana Meat Shop. Many of these gourmet foods cannot be found in a typical grocery store, Brenda says. Gift cards, bath products, candles (some are soy with lead-free wicks), jewelry, quilts, bulk potpourri, Amana and other Iowa wines, home décor items, and cookbooks, including those for German foods, dot the shelves and display tables. There are locally made men’s neckties. Want to press a common penny into a shape with a special design? You can do it here in their machine for 51 cents. To the right in a back corner room is the newest addition, the Christmas Room, which relocated to the Amana General Store 2007. Decorative Christmas items and gifts are available year- round. Currently, there is a 75%-off sale on many Christmas items, which will last until they are sold out. A variety of collector’s items are displayed, such as Pipka, Department 56, and Ne’Qwa, which is Mandarin for hand painted on the inside of the glass. Brenda explains that the artists who paint the Ne’Qwa glass ornaments paint them from the inside, a real feat. The store offers baby gifts for Christmas, personalized items, and some items that can be personalized in the store for more unusual names. Last but not least, downstairs, is store number three, the Amana Coffee and Tea Co. You know you are there by the aroma of the 20 different coffees carried in this part of the store. The store buys the beans and has them roasted to their specifications. Their coffee has gained repeat customers locally and from other states, many of whom are introduced to the specialty coffee in the basement store and then later buy their favorites online. Brenda says the coffees have become the most popular products offered. Samples of at least two flavors are offered daily. Multiple flavors of loose teas and tea bags are also available. The downstairs is decorated in a lodge décor, with distressed wood cabinets and tables, plaid blankets and throws, metal coffee cups, coasters, cappuccino sets, tea sets, a fishing room, and a hunting lodge room. Toy black bears lounge on shelves or sit with companion bears in an overstuffed easy chair. Moose items abound. More candles, such as McCall’s, are available. Compact discs by Jim McDonough, a pianist/singer from Monticello, represent the store’s intent to offer more products by Iowans, Brenda shares. The next time you want to experience a true adventure while shopping, you may want to go to the General Store. It is located in main Amana, 4423 220th Trail (the main street). Call 800-418-8318 or Brenda directly at 319-622-7660. Visit www.amanageneralstore.com or www.christmasroom.com. The Amana Coffee & Tea Company can be reached at 319-622-6598. |
Amana General Store |
||
|
