As life progresses, we all reflect more and more on “the good old days.” In that vein, when thinking of the Kilmarnock that was, I remember Dawsons Ltd., the clothing store on South Main Street, operated by Connie and Eddie Dawson. Shopping there was an experience in the best of hometown living.
When Eddie returned from military service, he and his wife, Connie, took over the former Greentree’s clothing store, renaming it Dawson’s Ltd. On the east side of Main Street, the store looked down Irvington Road, meaning that everyone going north stopping at the traffic light was looking into the store’s display windows.
Inside, making a purchase was both a shopping and a social occasion. No one, regardless of how long he or she had been in the Northern Neck, could come into the store, select and purchase an item or two and then leave without speaking with Connie and Eddie, which was equally part of the entire visit.
They each came from old Northern Neck families, and had all the details, both historical and genealogical ingrained in their memories, and they enjoyed sharing them with others. In her early days, Connie entered many beauty contests, the highlight of which was her winning the Miss Virginia State Fair competition in 1956.
Farther up Main Street, Connie’s father, Carlyle Clarke, ran Farm and Home Supply, the local Southern States Cooperative distributor. Carlyle was another old-fashioned businessman, always eager to order any item his customers wanted. His role in the area farming, gardening and animal husbandry milieu was known across the entire Northern Neck.
At Dawson’s Ltd., the men’s department was on the right and the ladies’ department on the left, with the shoes in the rear. The store was interspersed with a few antiques to convey the atmosphere that Connie and Eddie wanted. All the merchandise they offered was first class, no seconds or cheap pieces that would wear out in a flash. Philosophically, they were driven by the motto that the customer deserves their best effort, and they followed it assiduously.
Once, I was buying a shirt, but was not certain how it would fit. Eddie immediately began taking it out of the wrapper, removing the pins, and collar staves and told me to go back to the dressing room to try it on and see how I liked it. I hastened to caution him not to undo it until I was sure, to which he replied that if I did not want it, he could get it back in the package as it had come from the factory.
Well, the shirt was a fine fit, and he did not have to repackage it. I left the store happy with my purchase. That insignificant exchange was typical of how the Dawsons operated. They wanted their customers to know that they came first. Dawson’s Ltd. was the proverbial family business with their children, Carl, Christie and Shannon and Eddie’s brother, Bert, after he retired from the military, playing their parts in the overall scenario.
Each evening before locking the front door, Eddie stepped out on the sidewalk, looked right and left, up and down the street, to see if any customer was coming his way, and then, if not, returned inside to close the store.
As competition from stores selling items of lesser quality and mail order franchises cut into their business, Connie and Eddie decided to retire. They closed the store to the great regret of their many loyal customers. I liked to say that I bought all my clothes at Dawson’s, both what was seen and what was unseen.
Two years ago, Connie died at the age of 83, and last month, Eddie died at 90. I miss those “good old days” at Dawson’s Ltd., and I miss the great merchandise they sold, but most of all, I miss their enduring friendship.
Constance “Connie” Clarke Dawson, October 30, 1940-August 16, 2024. R.I.P.
Edward Andrew “Eddie” Dawson, April 4, 1936-October 6, 2026. R.I.P.
