George Newcomb and his trained sheep.

This photograph looks like a lot of fun.  The little boy on the sled is George Newcomb and he trained that sheep to pull his sled.  In better weather, the sheep could also pull a little wagon.  The photo was taken about 1925 in front of Newcomb’s grocery store, owned by George’s father Leon.  It was on Beal Street near Marston Street in Norway.  George and his sister Adelaide seem to be having a good time.

It may seem odd to have a grocery store in a residential neighborhood, but at one time, it was very common.  There were many stores like Newcomb’s grocery scattered all around towns

, each serving a particular neighborhood.  Even Main Street in Norway had as many as six grocery stores between the Rowe School and the head of Main Street.  But only one store in town had a trained sheep nearby.