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An excerpt from "Windsor Storytellers II: A Chronicle of 20th Century Life in Windsor"
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"In 1918, my dad started his shoe repair and general store at the foot of the old Poquonock Bridge on the corner of River Street and Route 75 in the old Simmons Building. He shared the spot with Poquonock Central Market. Both businesses had to move when they built the new bridge. The Poquonock Central Market built a new building in 1924. It was run by Mr. John Griskewicz Sr. then and is still going strong, with Mr. & Mrs. John Griskeqicz Jr. at the helm. My father, after moving the family to Bristol and back, reopened the Blazis General Store. He bought the old Hathaway Building, where the old post office was in 1939. My brother John and I operated the store until 1953. My brother bought a building in Tariffville and started a store. I built a new building opposite the Poquonock School to house a new Blazis General store and the post office. My store operated in the new building from 1953 to 1990.
Running a store in Poquonock from the early 1950's to the beginning of the nineties gave me the opportunity of seeing children turn into adults and raise their own. Fashions, music, politics, technology all changed by leaps and bounds. Those years in the store sped by and where truly enjoyable. It was a gathering place; people stopped in before work for a donut and coffee, during the day for refreshment and conversation and of course the school kids flooded the store after school for snacks. I enjoyed watching the children stare intently at the candy case making the difficult decision of what to buy. If I had to name the most enjoyable part of running my store, it would have been the daily visits from elementary and high school children. Hopefully Blazis General Store is a pleasant childhood memory for those kids who filled my workday with so much joy."
~Anthony J. Blazis
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