CALWOOD - There's no way of knowing what will unite a community. In some cases, its one family. In other cases, one business.
For the city of Calwood, it is both. It may be owned by the Wright's, but it belongs to the entire community.
"It's fun to be part of the Wright family,"said employee Mary Ann Spencer.
The city of Calwood's been a part of the Wright family since 1916 when Terry Wright's grandfather opened the general store.
"He went broke during the depression. My father and his brother started it again in 1946, and it's been continuous since 1946,"explained co-owner, Terry Wright.
"They got a VA loan right after the war and bought it for $5,000," said former co-owner, Dudley "Hooker" Wright.
After those Wright's retired, these Wright's took over.
"My dad and his brother was here 28 years, and I thought that was forever. And, here I am. Almost 34 myself. It's hard to imagine," said Terry.
"I was interested in it. Plus, I didn't have much education is the main reason I stayed," explained Hooker.
For many in Calwood, the Wright Brothers Store has been like a home.
"I remember coming in here and seeing guys who are about 60-years-old right now and seeing them in their teens," said regular customer, Tony Ferrugia.
"Everybody you know comes in here. Everybody I was raised up with comes in here. But, now, everybody I raised up with is starting to die so I know I'm getting old,"stated Hooker.
"There's a lot of history. There's a lot of history in this store," explained Spencer.
A lot of the old ways of running a local business have stuck, like tabs.
"Some of them just wave at the gas pump and drive off, and we write it down. It's a two way street. That's my motto. They help us; we help them," said Terry.
This store has a magical hold on Wright men. They always find their way behind the counter.
"I'm tickled to death to be here. I really am," said co-owner, Tony Wright.
Tony is Terry's son, which presents a problem with the store name.
"It's actually Wright and son. It's not brother anymore. But, my dad would roll over in his grave if we changed it," said Terry.
It's a testament to the dedication of this family that the store has never left the family.
"It's like a marriage," said Tony.
But, they don't think dedication is necessarily it.
"We're just natural retailers. Like I said before, I'm too old to do anything else," explained Terry.
Four generations of Wright men have run this store. The pressure for a 5th falls on Tony.
"5th generation? There's no rush for that!" said Tony.
Wright Brothers Store is open every day from 7 a-m to 7 p-m. It's located on Route Z, about 7 miles from Fulton.