Many stories of early Credit River center around the General Store. The true first store in the township was built by Dominick McDermott, who also constructed the first post office and saloon. Unfortunately, this building soon burned down, and a new store was built by Patrick White. This is the facility that became a focal point in Credit River history.
In 1987, several elderly lifelong Credit River residents were interviewed about growing up in the township. Albert Fieldman remembered that the store sold “a little bit of everything, overalls, straw hats, socks, groceries, poultry feed, gasoline and hardware”. Eighty-nine year old John Wild called it “The Crossroads of America”.
The store also had a tavern in the basement. Pat Cleary, another lifelong resident who was interviewed in 1981 recalled, “The credit river store was wonderful. Uncle Pat had a grocery counter in front, dry goods in back. And he’d usually ask his customers ‘Wanna have a little toxie?’ [beer].“ A side note, Pat Cleary is a fourth generation descendent of Cornelius Cleary.
White’s store was the home of the first Credit River telephone, when lines were extended from Shakopee on January 11, 1910. Patrick White and his sons were also well known fiddlers in the area, and were in high demand at dances and parties.