The Perfect Little Hole for a Home

Me hard at work blogging!

Guten Tag!  Welcome to my blog “A Bite of Cheese.”  After getting so much daily attention, I’ve decided to start blogging about my exciting life as the Amana General Store’s House Mouse.  I'm hoping it's the perfect way to stay in touch with all the friendly people I get to meet every day.

The Amana General Store is the perfect home for a mouse like me.  I chose to live here for a variety of reasons, none less than the constant supply of wonderful goodies and products sold at the store.  However, the history of Amana and the building itself also fascinate me.

The Amana General Store served as the center for
commerce during the communal years.

The Amana General Store was built in 1858, two years after the Community of True Inspiration moved to eastern Iowa.  Each of the seven colonies had its own general store that provided various goods to the community.

Back in the day, the General Store sold everything the people could not grow or make themselves.  Carrying basic items like fabrics, buttons and ink to larger goods like bicycles, hats or boots, the General Store was a major part of daily life.  In addition to selling stuff, the General Store was the business center for the colonies.  Within the building are three old vaults where money was kept during both the communal era and after until a bank was built.  Today, the Amana General Store even houses the infamous safe from the South Amana General Store that one Jesse James broke into according to legend. 

Me with the historic safe that Jesse James broke into!

What made the Amana General Store really unique was how it was run.  Since the Amanas were a communal society, no one received a cash income who lived there.  So to buy different items, each person was given a coupon book used to shop at the store.  In 1932, the Amana people decided to split religious life from its businesses, ending the longest communal society in American history! Six decades later, the store was remodeled and opened the basement to the public. It was after that I moved into my humble abode.

Today, the Amana General Store is three stores in one – the main store, the Christmas Room and the Amana Coffee and Tea Company, where I can be found most days in my hole in the stairstep between trips scrounging for Snickerdoodle coffee beans – my favorite treat! 



Me with my absolute favorite treat -
a Snickerdoodle coffee bean! YUM!!!

There are many perks to living in the Amana General Store.  I’ve met many friendly tourists and locals who pass by my little hole over the years, always stopping to say hello. There are a wide variety of products sold here, including scented candles, interesting books, delicious taffy and a constant supply of cheese from the Amana Meat Shop! And I am always one of the first to see what new merchandise the store has and always get what’s left of the daily samples!

Living at the Amana General Store is pretty sweet and I can’t wait to share my experiences with you all!

~ HM