Picture South Windsor - Then And Now

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — For the first time since debuting this weekly historical throwback series, we dip into a wonderful picture book called Images of America: South Windsor, compiled in 2017 by Claire Lobdell for the Wood Memorial Library & Museum. The book, containing 128 pages of fascinating photos from the town's history, is available for purchase at the library's museum store here.

Our initial foray into the book takes us back to the late 19th century, to a circa 1890 look at the H.F. Parmelee store at 819-821 Main St. Over the years, several families operated businesses there, including the Foster and Bossen clans. For some time, a post office was also located at the site.

In the photo below, taken around 1950, the store was known as P.E. Bossen, and had added a feature not yet invented at the time of our original picture: a pump dispensing Mobil gasoline. With customers able to buy food, cigars, commodities and gas all in one stop, Bossen became the precursor to the modern convenience store.

According to South Windsor property records, the JE Shepard Company acquired the 3,628 square foot building, situated on just under a half-acre of land, in Jan. 1985. Here is a more contemporary look at the site from Aug. 2019, courtesy of Google Maps.

Do you have a photo of an old South Windsor business which no longer exists, to which you own the rights and which we could feature in this column? Email tim.jensen@patch.com.

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