Retro York readers revel in memories of Smith Village in Jacobus

Beth Myers
·4 min read

“Smith Village is a value village; Smith Village is a value village. Smith Village has everything for your home. You can shop, one stop. So, whatever you need, please be our guest! Where personal service is our best…by far! Cause the Village Smith is never satisfied…till you are! Smith Village is a value village.”

Toni Gasket Deroche remembers that radio jingle fondly, along with the memories that come with it. A longtime staple in Jacobus, PA, Smith Village has a history woven into the fabric of the town – and the people who grew up there.

Retro York Facebook page members recently recounted personal memories of Smith Village and its colorful history. Stories varied at times, but one theme became clear – the “Village Smith’s” impact on Jacobus residents is more than one of a general store or gas station. Time has changed so much since its inception in 1932, but the recurring sentiment was that cherished experiences with loved ones live on.

Bruce V. Smith, described by his son Dallas as “driven to keep trying new things,” bought land from his grandfather to open a small gas station in 1932.

A true village

Others might have been satisfied with one business. Still, Bruce and his wife, Ethel, envisioned growing the gas station into a one-stop shop in the area, conveniently located near Interstate 83.

The gas station was attractive to truckers, who were eventually offered lodging, but Bruce wasn’t out of ideas. It wasn’t just people passing through who Smith Village aimed to serve, it was the locals in the community as well. Over 90 years later, those locals carry the legacy of everything Bruce Smith’s one-stop shop meant to Jacobus.

From a gas station to a hardware store, to a diner, to a car dealership, to a beauty salon, to the furniture store that it is today, the various businesses of the “Village Smith” served everyone and seemed to have it all.

Jacobus residents remember childhood days spent drinking chocolate milkshakes and Cherry Cokes in the coffee shop while their parents gossiped in the beauty salon and stocked up at the hardware store.

This was Bruce Smith's store in Jacobus as it looked in winter 1931.
This was Bruce Smith's store in Jacobus as it looked in winter 1931.

Jann Conrad bought all the new-at-the-time Beatles 45s at the record counter.

Sue Gaines purchased her standard blue and white Dallastown gym uniforms there.

Brian Keeney graduated from buying 50-cent Matchbox cars to his first Timex watch in the late ‘60s.

Mark Laird weathered the struggle of holding his breath as he rushed past the fragrant beauty salon to the toy section.

Smith Village offered residents goods for everyday errands, lifetime commitments and everything in between - from first shotguns to class rings to wedding rings.

But it meant more than that to the community. It represented a gathering place to catch up on the latest news and connect with loved ones in simpler times.

Keith Zimmerman vividly remembers days spent in the 1960s with his grandmother’s brother. They would first stop at the Jacobus firehall for chatting and games, followed by made-from-scratch breakfasts at the diner in Smith Village. Zimmerman summed up what the small community gathering place provided its customers and the people they loved, saying, “I sure wish I could go back in time and do those things with him again.”

In February 1958, a disastrous fire destroyed the department store and office building. By August of 1958, the new department store was completed and in operation. Bruce came up with the name "Smith VillageÓ to denote the entire group of businesses and to promote the idea of a one-stop shopping center.
In February 1958, a disastrous fire destroyed the department store and office building. By August of 1958, the new department store was completed and in operation. Bruce came up with the name "Smith VillageÓ to denote the entire group of businesses and to promote the idea of a one-stop shopping center.

The 1958 fire

It's those experiences that still resonate with residents today. The irreplaceable memories of time spent with loved ones as they went about their daily tasks. While Bruce V. Smith grew the village into the one-stop shop he envisioned, he did so much more for the town and the people growing up there. Those memories have lived on through countless changes, including the fire that threatened the future of the beloved shops.

That fire happened in February 1958, and like most other happenings at Smith Village, locals have personal recollections surrounding the events.

Carol Innerst recalled the exact date of the fire because it happened on her brother’s birthday – Feb. 9.

Jocelyn Hess Beck said she was at Salem Lutheran Church with the Smith kids when the fire broke out.

Marlene Mitzel remembers it because her dad was a volunteer firefighter who battled the blaze in treacherous, icy conditions.

Cheryl Peters, who lived seven houses up, heard that mailings stacked in the front windows may have contributed to its spread, which eventually burned the restaurant and post office.

As members shared recollections of the event, they began to connect in ways not often seen in our social-media-connected world. Former neighbors remembered one another from their maiden names as they shared childhood memories. Members of the Smith family joined in to reminisce about beloved employees and reunions held behind the store. Facts and photos were shared, but so were the childhood memories of growing up in Jacobus and Smith Village's impact on the town and its people.

The jingle was true. Smith Village had everything needed for your home, but almost 100 years later, it’s not the things but the memories that Jacobus residents remember.

Todd Flenniken, a nephew of the owners, described it like so many others, “It was, quite simply, the best of times.”

Beth Myers is a freelance writer from York County.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Retro York readers revel in memories of Smith Village in Jacobus, PA