Old Searcy advertisement for Bethells No. 5, M. C. Johnson, Mgr. Phone 410

From Wikipedia

Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. ^[1] In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores^[1], though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England^[1] or even a century earlier.^[2] Dry goods can be carried by stores specializing only in those products (a type of specialty store), or may be carried by a general store or a department store.^[3]

A little Des Arc real estate history will help with this one.

BEDFORD BROWN BETHELL HOUSE, DES ARC, PRAIRIE COUNTY

http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=437

This house was placed on the National Register in 1978 and is also known as the Bethell-Skarda house.   Pat Skarda was pastor of Complete in Christ Church in Searcy for a number of years(now at Gospel Mission in Des Arc) and one of his brothers owns Dondies White River Princess which is just down the street from the house.

Barbara, that is exactly my understanding of what piece good are.  I remember when my mother would go downtown and buy cloth.  The clerk would take the bolt of cloth, lay it our on a table and cut off as much as one wanted.  What I cannot remember is where the piece goods store was in the 1940s.  I'm sure someone can help remind me. 

Harold Gene:  I"m betting, besides Pennys, your mother bought her piece goods at Robbins-Sanford.  They had a large section of the store devoted to cloth, patterns, even "unmentionables".  Mother's friend, Miss Annie Allen Grammer, worked there.  She did not have a car and walked to work every day, from her house :  l00 E. Vine, telephone 291-W.  Her brother, was a painter, Emmett Grammer.