Down the road from silos and vast wheat fields lies a small boutique in Rockford, Washington.
As soon as you step foot into Hurd Mercantile, the seemingly small shop reveals an enormous collection of furniture, home goods, gifts, decor and more, all organized by theme and aesthetic.
While Hurd Mercantile dates to the late 1890s, the current owner Jill Townsend bought the building from the Hurd family in September 2000.
"Mrs. Hurd was very particular about who she sold the store to," Townsend says. "The store had been built by her family back in 1896, so she was very sentimental about who it went to going forward. So I presented my idea to have a gift shop in here with antiquing and gifts, and I invited her to come see my little shop which I was running at a barn in Valleyford. At the time, I was doing a lot of furniture and had just a couple little lines of new gifts that I carried, and she enjoyed what she saw and she let me buy the building. I was very blessed that she chose me."
To honor the Hurd's legacy at the property, Townsend kept the Hurd name as an integral part of the business.
Hurd Mercantile contains over 8,000 square feet of inventory, but Townsend and her business partners organize the shop in a way where visitors can meander along aisles without feeling overwhelmed.
"My mom, growing up, was really into antiquing and she always had a beautiful home where she would mix a new couch with something old that she had maybe inherited or found at a sale. And so I just grew up mixing looks like that," says Townsend.
"I just have always had a little dream to have my own shop," she adds. "I never buy anything that I wouldn't put in my own home."
220 N. Main St., Colfax, Washington
The eclectic and unique collection of furniture and clothing at Bully For You makes it a fun destination for shoppers looking for a bit of mystery.
"I definitely feel like the emphasis is on discovery," says co-owner Austin Storm. "I hope that it's an entertaining place to walk around and see things, even if you're not shopping for something in particular."
Whether it's vintage products or new items from bougie brands like Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, J. Crew and more, owners Laura and Austin Storm provide shoppers with a memorable experience each time they walk through the door.
2 S. Third St., Harrington, Washington
In the small rural town of Harrington, The Post & Office serves as the community's one-stop shop for coffee and gift shopping needs. Not surprisingly, the Post & Office building, built in 1902, was once home to Harrington's actual post office. In addition to a gift-able selection of small home decor items, including baskets, candles and lotions, owners Heather and Justin Slack offer plenty of space to enjoy a variety of coffee shop drinks, smoothies, baked goods, breakfast and lunch items in the high-ceilinged vintage location.
107 S. Third St., Harrington, Washington
Another round of restoration in Harrington's downtown brought about The Mercantile. The Mercantile carries a variety of name-brand clothing along with apparel from owner Julia Jacobsen's line, Ag Swag, designed to give people a way to show off their love of the rural lifestyle and spark conversations around the topic.
The Mercantile opened in early March, and Jacobsen is excited to provide the town with a local clothing and gift store. The shop also plans to offer a variety of fresh food and take-and-bake products, and once a week will serve mini doughnuts to sweeten up a shopping experience.