Silas Taylor and his son George opened Taylor & Son general store in 1890, offering merchandise such as plows, barrels, harnesses, men’s and women’s clothing, and hats. The millinery department was on the second floor and all hats were designed and made locally by Silas’ daughter Bess Taylor. The store closed in 1911 and over the years the building housed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a silent movie theater, the U.S. Post Office, The Clinton-Courier News, and in 1958, an auto parts store operated by Silas’ great-nephew, William Taylor.