In January 1854, William Dartnell opened a warehouse and store on Queen Street, Richmond, offering an extensive range of merchandise. The business was divided into departments covering outfitting, ironmongery, groceries, drapery, oilmen’s stores, tools, implements, glass, cutlery, coopery and building materials.
Twenty-three months later, in October 1855, Dartnell sold his drapery trade and stock to Thomas Riches Hodder. Hodder had arrived in Nelson the previous year and built his premises adjoining Dartnell’s. He opened his store on 7 November. Among the more interesting items were blue and bed tick fabric, huckabacks, corburgs and men’s bluchers.
Dartnell continued trading without the drapery line until March 1858, when he sold his remaining stock and premises to Hodder. What remains unclear is whether Hodder incorporated Dartnell’s building into his own or sold the smaller structure. From this point the business traded as Richmond General Store, T. R. Hodder and Co. The large two-storied building on the corner of Gladstone Road and Queen Street became a familiar and much-loved landmark.
Hodder’s merchandise reflected the typical general store of the era, offering everything from food and ironmongery to farming equipment, oils and colours, sauces and pickles, furnishings, stationery, confectionery, drapery, boots and shoes, ready-made clothing, books and haberdashery. The following year Hodder made alterations to create what was described as a more commodious building for customers.
In 1859 he formed a partnership with George Talbot, though it took several years before the name Hodder and Talbot was used. The partnership continued until October 1872, when it was dissolved by mutual agreement. Hodder continued on his own until late 1892, when he sold the business to William Richard May after almost forty years at the helm. Hodder noted that business had not been successful in recent years.
May’s store soon became an institution, with further alterations made to accommodate an expanding variety of stock. His wife oversaw the drapery, dressmaking and millinery department. May was considered a capable businessman, and in 1897 established a bacon- curing operation and butter factory. The couple were active in the community, with Mrs May organising and running numerous local events.
By 1918 the Mays were ready to move to Christchurch, though they retained ownership of the store. In September it was leased to William Henderson, newly arrived from Reefton. Under his tenure the store was known as W. Henderson, Draper and Outfitter, and later renamed Gladstone House. His time there was short, with all stock sold to the Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co. in September 1919.
The record falls silent until 1930, when William May died, leaving the store and land to his son, also named William. At some point William Jnr went into partnership with W. G. Baker, and the pair operated the store until selling to Les Wells and J. Hill in September 1945. It was then renamed as the Waimea Cash Stores.
Over the following decades the old building housed various businesses, the best remembered being a second-hand shop. As the years passed it required increasing maintenance and was finally demolished in January 2003.
