The Richmond Co-Operative Mercantile Co., also known as the Co-op, the Mercantile, People's Merchantile, and the Richmond Co-op, was a department store located on the southwest corner of Main and State. The Mercantile ran from 1865 - 1935.

History

In 1865, Richmond citizens began investing money into a co-op store. Co-ops were some of the first department stores in the United States. For Richmonds Pioneers, a department store for purchasing needs, and not having to travel to places like Logan, Utah or Salt Lake City, Utah to find parts would be a great blessing.

$1,300 was invested to start the business, with Marriner W. Merrill holding most of the stocks. It was first organized in a small log building before growing into a large brick building. Charles Z. Harris was appointed manager of the business. Marriner, bishop and leader of Richmond, made the co-op become infused with the teachings and practises of the United Order, a Latter-Day Saint practice to consicrate all that one owns to the progress of helping the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grow. Marriner was appointed President of the United Order and remained as such during his Apostleship. In 1882, the co-op was renamed to the Richmond Cooperative Mercantile Institution.

By 1877, the Mercantile had expanded into a second building. The mercantile did its job to provide for the citizens of Richmond. However, by 1900, it was starting to bow in its finances.

"The President stated that in order to raise money to carry on the business of the institution M. W. Merrill had to give personal security at the bank for $6,000, and finally had to deposit at the bank his sugar stock, mining stock, and dairy stock, and he asked the Board to do something to relieve M. W. Merrill."

It looked as if the Marchintile was going to be lost, but Marriner did not have any plans to lose it.

"'I am going through with it because I gave my promise to Brigham Young that I would see to it that there would be maintained a Co-op Store in Richmond.' He then related how, on the occasion of a visit of Brigham Young to Richmond in early days, at a time when certain opposition was trying to destroy the cooperative movement and things were looking dark and discouraging and there was a disposition on the part of some to give up, President Young had said to him, 'Marriner, I want you to take hold of the situation and see to it that there is maintained a cooperative store for the convenience and benefit of the people. Do this, and I promise you that as long as you live you nor your children nor your children’s children shall ever want for bread."

Because of this prophetic promises, Marriner saw to it that the Mercantile was reorganized, and it was in 1903. After its reorganization, he appointed his son-in-law James W. Funk as manager of the Mercantile. By the time of Marriner's death in 1906, he had the equal of $8,500 in stocks in the Mercantile.

Sometime after Marriner's death, James became the owner of the Mercantile until 1937. All information about the Mercantile after his date is unknown, but it likely closed. In the 1962 earthquake, the original Mercantile building was destoyed.