Kennedy home, across from Co-op parking lot, built in 1915 by Neil MacDonald now owned by the Matheson family - once the Bell Hotel operated by Arthur F. Bell.

GEORGE JOHNSON’S BUSINESS

George Johnson was born in Margate, P.E.l., in the early 1900’s. He married an O’Leary girl (Miss Johnson), and moved to O’Leary. He bought a building from Charles Lidstone, and opened and operat- ed a combination grocery store, meat market, ice cream parlour, and restaurant. Incidentally, it was in this building that Charles Lidstone had opened O’Leary’s first meat market before moving to Tyne Valley. George Johnson had the building moved from its original site near Matheson’s Drug Store to somewhere in the vicinity of the Co- op Store. He apparently carried on a thriving business. His store was the first in O’Leary to sell ice-cream. This frozen delicacy, as well as the confectionery and other treats sold in this store were fondly remembered by Velda MacNeill, Claude Jelley, and Albert Noonan. George Johnson later sold his business to Mrs. Martin Griffin and moved to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

WILLIAM KENNEDY’S STORE

William Kennedy, son of Samuel Kennedy, was born in Breadalbane in 1885. Before coming to O'Leary, Bill operated a gener- al store in Kensington. He later moved to Summerside and opened a drug store which he sold to J.E. Dalton. About 1910, he moved to O'Leary where he opened a general store located on the present site of Stedman’s. John Noonan was hired as a clerk in the store and

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