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The beginning...1950

Mrs. George H. Mead (Elsie) and her good friend and neighbor, Mrs. George Haig (Ruth), first conceived the idea in the spring of 1950. In the fall of that year, with the help of another dear friend and neighbor, Mrs. Walter S. Carr (Dotty), the first Little Exchange opened in the home of Mrs. Haig, on the corner of Katherine Terrance and Runnymede Road in Oakwood. The purpose was two-fold: "to give gainful employment to those unable to work outside the home, to create an outlet for their work, and as a result to donate the proceeds from this work to deserving charities." "The Little Exchange was established for the purpose of being helpful in our community." The name, Little Exchange, took its meaning from the "little exchange" of goods for money.

There were five original Trustees. In addition to Mmes. Mead, Haig and Carr, Mrs. James M. Cox, Sr (Margretta) and Mrs. Robert Dun Patterson (Henrietta) were invited to be trustees.

It was a memorable beginning, when on the very day of the grand opening of the Shop in Mrs. Haig's living room, a police officer arrived to inform the ladies that they were in violation of a zoning ordinance! Because they were genuine in their charitable purposes, the ladies were permitted to remain open throughout the fall and the Christmas holidays, closing in January 1951.

While it seemed most unfortunate at the time, this incident actually hastened the success of The Little Exchange by forcing the trustees to consider a permanent location more quickly than they might have otherwise. Mrs. Mead found a suitable home for the shop in the former Katherine Wright Library, Oakwood's Public Library at 45 Park Avenue, where 50 years hence the Shop continues to thrive. The property, as well as an endowment to support it, was generously donated by Mrs. Mead to The Little Exchange Foundation.

After extensive renovations, the Shop officially opened on Park Avenue in 1951 with 31 volunteers and two paid employees. Upstairs a Nearly New Shop, featuring clothing on consignment, was operated by an additional 24 volunteers.

Exquisitely hand-knit baby clothes, sweaters, socks and charmingly original children's dresses were the hallmark of the Shop. During this first decade of business, The Little Exchange established itself as a unique place to shop with many one-of-a-kind items.

The charities supported in those early days were: the Red Cross, Sightless Children, Barney's Convalescent Hospital, the Jimmy Bevis Research Fund for Leukemia and other smaller local charities.

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