It's origin dates back to about 1907 when construction was started by W.D."Billy" Collier. It went up as " Number 3 Manhattan Mercantile Co." One had been built in Everglades and another at Caxambas.

 
The Marco store survived the winds of the 1910 hurricane, and others to follow, including Donna in 1960, which swept four feet of water through the building.

R.A. Griffis, or "Grits" as his friends know him, said he came to Marco on a vacation more than 30 years ago and never left the island. He went to work in the Marco store and later teamed up in marriage with Miss Elva Lee Barfield, continuing the operation as the G.& G Mercantile Co.

 
If you had a tummy ache, a cold or a headache, or needed a lotion for skeeter bites, the drug department of the G & G was stocked to care for your needs. If you tired of fishing, there was a well stocked section offering books and magazines.

One never knew who the next customer might be. For instance, some 12 or 15 years ago, Colonel and Mrs. Charles Lindbergh stopped in for supplies. Many other notables dropped by.