Carolyn Maxwell was the granddaughter of George and Mary White. George Franklin White built the house for his wife, Mary White, in 1929 and the original name has been reported as both “White’s Store” and “White Way Lunch.” It was always an eatery/store and served the popular WhiteWay bread, along with homemade ice cream, pies, and ham sandwiches. Maxwell was growing up, she lived upstairs along
with her parents and three siblings. For 29 years, Mary and George ran White’s Store until 1958 when Carolyn’s parents, Lawrence and Charlotte took over. Then, 19 years later, in 1977, Carolyn’s brother, Roger became the proprietor. Carolyn and her husband (Ron Maxwell) took the reins in 1980 and then sold it out of the family for the first time in 1987. The new owners, Donnie and Trish Tabor continued the tradition and successfully ran the diner until 1996 when they sold it to Lou West who ran it for two years as a pizza shop. In 1998, the property was again sold, this time to D’arlene and John Hoy. It continued as a diner and bakery until closing in 2010. Having been empty for over two years, the property was purchased by Jack and Mary Alissa Wilson in May, 2012. Although situated on less than an acre now, the property was once a large and self-sustaining farm. This family home is right along Route 250 which was the route the cattlemen drove their herds over the mountain. These cattlemen were frequent customers…as were the hunters. Hunting season was known to be the busiest time for the diner and allowed enough income for the family to make it through the winter. It began, in 1929, when Mrs. Mary White started selling lunches, pies, ice cream, and always—her homemade bread. The Whites used the home grown vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese, and meats from their farm. At some point, a gas station was added to the front. At the peak of the bread business, Mrs. White was selling 300 loaves a day.
