The family-owned Nott’s Grocery store in Miami, Oklahoma, is closing later this month after operating along a path for more than a century that became Route 66.
Nott’s opened at 604 S. Main St. (aka Route 66) in 1919, several years before U.S. 66 was certified.
Operated by Jim and Susan Nott since 1985, his great-grandparents opened the store. Three other generations ran it.
Jim Nott said he’s closing the store to retire and spend more time with his wife and his family.
News on 6 in Tulsa reported:
Nott remembers visiting the store as a child while his grandparents were in charge, often stopping in for a candy bar. Nott said he always enjoyed the work and never really thought of it as carrying on a legacy. His perspective has changed as he prepares to close its doors.
“I’ve seen several generations grow up,” Nott said. “People I went to school with, their kids came in, and now their grandkids. It’s full circle.”
Over its 107-year history, Nott’s Grocery has survived floods, location changes, and major shifts in how people shop. The current building was built in 1974, and the store is well known locally for its deli. […]
“It was probably 1964 or 1965, I was in fifth or sixth grade at Lincoln School just up the road, and can sodas finally came out,” Nott said. “That was when I was 10, 11 years old, and that went from glass only. The bottles were valuable. They were worth 2 cents apiece back when 2 cents could buy you several pieces of candy.”
Despite those changes, he said the heart of the store was always the people.
“That’s what I’ll miss the most,” Nott said.
The store will close on Jan. 31.
(Image of the inside of Nott’s Grocery in Miami, Oklahoma, via its Weebly site)