Jefferson Department Store in Flags in the Dust (Location)

Bringing together consumer goods that had previously been purchased in more specialized shops, department stores began appearing in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The one in Jefferson is described as "newly-opened" (317) in 1919, and seems to be another symptom (like the character of the young woman who is encountered in front of it) of modern change in the aftermath of World War I.