This vacant building in rural Hemingway once housed a store owned by William L. Britton, brother of deputy sheriff Walter E. Britton. Walter E. Britton began his career as a police officer for the Town of Hemingway in 1938. He worked in this capacity for three years before being named Chief of Police in 1941. After a successful run as police chief, he left law enforcement to tend to his farm. However, this hiatus lasted only two years before he returned to law enforcement as a game warden. In 1949 Britton joined the Williamsburg County sheriff’s department, where he remained until his retirement in 1964.
William L. Britton owned and operated this local store and gas station on Radio Road. Though now empty, the store building still stands at one of Hemingway’s intersections, advertising Pure Oil on one side of its sign and 76 on the other. Pure Oil was purchased by Union Oil in 1965 and rebranded as Union 76 in the 1970s.
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I am the great grandson of William Britton, the man I am named after. The land on radio road is still in our family actually. We have the old Britton grocery sign on the property, but it has been severely faded from the sun. This is a great read though.
Walter Britton did not work in the store. William Britton and his wife Eunice worked in the store.
Good afternoon, I am a grandson of Emma Britton, I’m trying to research my family’s tree, could you please tell me if the Walter Britton in this article is my grandmother’s brother? My father passed away in 1959, his name is Thomas McCutchen. Thank you. Ron
Ron,
Walter and William were Emma’s brothers. Contact me at Britton.nell@yahoo.com and I will do what I can to help you.
Nell Britton
The store identified as the Walter Britton store was built and owned by Walter Britton’s brother, William L. Britton.
Thank you for this information! Did William run the store as well? We have heard Walter worked in the store so this may have been where the confusion came in.