Thursday, September 10

Local History

Historic Reflection: 1968 – G.C. Murphy Co.

By Newspaper StaffSeptember 10, 2026No Comments2 Mins Read

1968 photograph of the G.C. Murphy Company variety store on West Butler Street in Bryan, Ohio, viewed from the Williams County courthouse — STORE … The G.C. Murphy Company variety store opened in the 100 block of West Butler Street (south side of the courthouse square) in Bryan. The building was enlarged to 18,000 square feet in 1962. A 1974 account of the Murphy store states, “The sales floor is modern in every respect, with the latest types of counters and sidewall shelving being used to encourage self-selection, and it is air conditioned. Peg board paneling has been used on some walls, a feature for dramatizing and displaying merchandise in variety stores. Entrances to the store are from the two-door front and single door at the rear of the store. There is a see-through front, and fluorescent lighting. Two service desks near the front doors allow for faster check-out service. Murphy offers easy lay-away sales, and charge cards for BankAmerica and Master Charge.” The Murphy store continued to operate after Murphy’s Mart opened at 1205 South Main Street in 1976. The downtown Murphy store closed in 1979. The structure now houses the Williams County courthouse annex. This 1968 vintage image of the G.C. Murphy store, taken from the Williams County courthouse, is from the Williams County Public Library Huffman Photographic Archives. Do you have a Williams County Historic photo you would like to share? Email: publisher@thevillagereporter.com.

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