The History of the Store:
There is a long history behind what is now
Dan & Whit's which has made it a landmark in Norwich, Vermont and a general store that has been serving the community for more than 110 years. Below you will find quite a bit of information and photos from many years in the stores past. We hope that you'll find the history of the building and the people who have run the store interesting and if you click on the images on this page, you'll open an enlarged view of them. Between the years of 1790 and 1798 there were four general stores in the town of Norwich, Vermont. In 1891 L.K. Merrill opened and operated the first general store on the current site where Dan & Whit's is located today. In 1895 the store became Smith and Merrill's selling groceries and hardware.
After the two brothers-in-law had a falling out, Merrill bought Smith out, thus Becoming Merrill's store.  The photo to the right was taken about 1908
and from left to right shows Mr. & Mrs. Arthur and Ada Merrill the store owners, Edward Olds the Postmaster, Sam Morrison who ran the harness shop in the building which is now the Norwich Grange Hall. Frank Blanchard who was the first U.S. Mail Carrier in the town of Norwich. Charles Ainsworth is seated in the chair on the porch and lived in a house next door to the store. The boy who is standing on the porch is Simenau and lived in what is now know as the Marion Cross House
From 1891-1939 the upstairs of the store was know as "Union Hall" where town meetings were held until Tracy Hall was built. AH Merrill and wife Ada ran the store until Arthur died in 1912. Ada ran it alone until 1919. Leon Merrill (Ada and Arthur's son) bought the business in 1920 and the building
in 1949. Dan And Whit's History:
 Dan S. Fraser started work at the store in
1933, Whit Hicks started in 1932. The photo on the left was taken in the late 1950's and shows from left to right: Whit Hicks, John "Pa" Fraser, Dan S. Fraser, Don Ballam and Jesse Stanley Heating: up to 1955 had 1 oil and 1 coal furnace. Since 1955 the store has been heated with wood only. Dan and Whit bought the store in 1955 and the building in 1957 and had a partnership from 1955 until 1972. When the store changed ownership in 1955 Dan and Whit started selling beer and wine. Originally Dan and Whit's was run by Dan and Bunny Fraser and Whit and Grace Hicks, with their children coming in before and after school to help.
1963 the first addition was added which included the new checkout area, the meat department and the bottle return area. 1968 the second addition was added, which included the rooms that lead out to the grain room. 1972 the third addition was added with the last hardware room and the area
that is behind the store's office.  The photo on the right is of the store and staff from the 1970's with Pa Fraser seated in the chair front and center.
Eliza "Bunny" S. Fraser (Dan's wife) began working at the store in 1956. Dan became sole owner in 1972, and Dan & Whit's became incorporated in January of 1973. 
The photo to the left shows Dan Fraser on the left and Whit Hicks on the right and was taken in the early 1970's
Whit Hicks died at the age of 80 on August 25th, 1987. The stores copper roof was installed in the summer of 1988 New gas pumps were installed in April of 1989 January 1991 Dan and Whit's gets its first computer In January of 1992 Dan and Bun retired turning over the store to two of their
sons George (who started in 1971) and Jack (who started in 1972). August of 1994 Dan & Whit's starts accepting credit cards. September 8th, 1994 Bunny Fraser died at the age of 79.
October 22nd, 1995 George and Jack, pictured at the right, are named as "Retail Grocers of the Year for 1996", and are seen receiving their award at a special ceremony in Burlington, VT.
February 23rd, 1998 Dan & Whit's is honored by Patrick Leahy; having been included in the Congressional Record of the United States Senate.
April 9th, 1998 Dan & Whit's is featured on the Good Morning America TV show. Dan and Whit's has been featured in the following Media Sources: Good
Morning America, Congressional Record, Vermont Life, Norwich Times, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, People Magazine, Valley Business Journal, Valley News, Yankee Magazine, The New York Times, Boston Globe, The Herald of Randolph, The Connecticut Valley Reporter as well as others. | 
