The W. A. Thomas Store, located on the corner of Atlantic and Lincoln Streets, was the first store in the new town of Roseville, California. Built-in 1865 by W A Thomas, who had run the 15 Mile House near Sylvan Corners for the previous 16 years. It had only been the year earlier that this new town of Roseville has its name mentioned in newspapers, relating to the 1864 presidential election.
Sylvan Corners had been a busy place with the hundreds of teamsters and wagons passing by. However, with the railroad's completion, the wagon road business fell off, so W A Thomas moved to the new town next to the railroad tracks, Roseville.
The Thomas store provided goods for sale, rooms for rent on the top floor, bakery, and the local post office. Thomas would also buy up grain from local farmers and had a wagon shop as well.
Photo: Placer County Museums
Thomas’s son, Lee Dignus Thomas joined the business in 1870 and for the next few years was one of the towns leading businesses. The building was torn down in 1910.
The most massive advertisement on the storefront in both historic photographs is for “Oliver Chilled Plows.” What's a "chilled plow?" Before the 1850s, farmers used wooden plows that had a metal edge. They would break easily, and the dirt would stick to the blade. In 1857 James Oliver patented his “chilled plow,” which featured metal that had been “chilled” while in a mold, making for a much harder edge, that soil would fall off quickly instead of sticking to it, revolutionizing the plowing of fields.
Be sure to check out the Roseville Historical Society website, which I highly recommend for information regarding the history of the town.