It all began during the Great Depression, my great grandpa William Calame and his wife Pauline were struggling to keep their farm afloat in Oklahoma so they decided it was time to move. At that time the sears and roebuck catalog was running ads for the BMA selling “Pieces of Paradise” tracts of irrigated land in Devine Texas and somewheres in California. As the story goes they went to California first, and they loved it! But as a rule great grandpa always slept on any big decisions. That night there was a massive earthquake and they decided to hell with that and moved to Texas! (Thank god for that earthquake!)

William Calame served in France during WWI and at that time veterans could take their pension over time or in one lump sum. So he cashed out his lump sum of $500 moved to Devine and Built the Calame Store in 1936.

William “Bill” Calame and Pauline ran the store for the rest of their lives.

In the early 70s Their granddaughter Sherry and her husband Sheriff Butch Campsey took over the store and ran it until the late 70s.

Then Bills grandson Richard Calame and his wife Linda took it over and expanded, during their time there was 3 Calame Stores!

Then in the early 90s they sold the original store to Bills Granddaughter Paula and her son David Caldwell, they ran it until 2008 and because of the bad economy and supply issues they had to shut it down. Paula lived inside the old store until she passed.

In 2019 Bills Great Grandson Sherman Calame and wife Hannah Bought the old store fixed it up and has been rocking and rolling ever since!