The large retail dry goods business of J. Smith Grant, established in 1855, located in the Smith Grant Block, carries a very complete line of domestic and imported dry goods, and house furnishings.  The store also has costumes, mantles and a general ready-to-wear line of clothing for men and women, in addition to a custom tailoring department which with the quality of the goods carried has made the store one of the most imiportant in the county.

    The dry goods firm of Macdonald Bethune, the members of which are G. W. Macdonald and J. W. J. Bethune, is the successor to T. Glover, a drygoods dealer established in Pictou as early as 1872, whose interests they purchased in January, 1916.  The firm are direct importers of British fancy dry goods, and sell ready-to-wear garments, curtains, carpets and house furnishings, utilizing the whole of a three story building, 40x80 feet, to carry on their growing business.

    Hislop & Company conduct an exclusive ready-to-wear clothing and furnishing store occupying the whole of a large two story building, besides being the agent for the well known 20th century clothing, while E. Watt and Company, in addition to selling mens' and boys' wear, trunks and travelling bags, represents Style Craft Clothes for men.

    James MacLean & Sons, occupy one of the finest stores in the town.  It is large and well lighted.  It carries books, school supplies, writing material, wall paper, post cards and souvenir goods of all kinds, besides foreign and Canadian magazines and newspapers and does a large and increasing trade.

    The grocery and provision business of P. Brown & Son, established in 1854, occupies a four story building, besides a large warehouse, located on the water front, being both retail dealers and jobbers to smaller country stores.  The firm also conducts a coal yard, selling the well known Drummond and Acadia coal, while J. A. Stalker & Co., occupy a large brick building in which they conduct a general store, specializing in groceries and crockeryware.

    Following the establishment of the Logan Tanneries at Lyons Brook, Dougal Logan opened a general store, which after his death passed on to his son A. T. Logan.  It handles groceries, drygoods, boots, shoes, paints, oils, kitchenware and general line of household goods.  Mr. Logan is also the agent for the well-known "Ford cars" for the northern half of Pictou County, in the sale of which he has been very successful.

    The large furniture store and undertaking establishment of Geo. McLaren & Sons, established about 50 years ago, occupies a two story building, 40x300 feet, the whole of which is utilized to carry on their business.  The firm, in addition to undertaking and embalming, manufactures caskets, for which latter they have agencies in the smaller towns throughout the county.  The business of William Ross selling clocks, watches, silverware, and jewelry, is one of the oldest in town, having been established more than 50 years ago.  The Minto Pharmacy, of which K. J. MacKenzie is proprietor, in addition to conducting a prescription department, sells drugs and proprietary medicines, as well as kodaks and photographic supplies.

    W. C. Wetmore & Co., with a branch store in Trenton, conducts a plumbing and heating business.  They have installed plumbing and heating plants in the principal buildings in Pictou, among which the one just completed at the J. Smith Grant Block is one of the largest.  They handle stationary and marine gasoline engines, motorboat and automobile supplies and fittings.  They have a Bowser Red Sentry Gasoline Filling Station on the curb directly in front of their store, where they supply filtered gasoline to automobiles and motorboats.

    W. D. Mckenzie besides doing tinsmithing also does steam, hot water and hot air heating and plumbing, and deals in ranges, cooking and heating stoves, in addition to selling nickel plate, granite, iron and tinware.  F. J. Tobin, while conducting an up-to-date jewelry store, is also the agent for the Edison phonograph, Edison records and diamond discs, which latter is the last word in phonographic reproduction.  A. Henderson & Son, established in 1830, sell footwear for men, women and children and are last and leather dealers.  Thomas A. MacKay has an up-to-date hardware store, and Pope Brothers conduct one of the largest meat stores in the town while C. H. Wisener's ice cream parlors enjoy a large patronage.

    William A. Ives, who designed the cover for this booklet, is a steel and copper plate engraver, plate printer and embosser of wedding and calling cards, and other high class printing specialties.  The town has a large number of other retail stores besides those mentioned, embracing all the various branches of business, which do a growing trade making the town an important retail center.