Last Saturday, the lights went out for good at the Anderson Island General Store, taking the island’s only grocery shelves and gas pumps with them. The shutdown leaves roughly 1,500 year-round residents, plus thousands more summer visitors, relying on a ferry trip to the mainland for fuel, fresh produce and everyday basics.
Owner Barbara Lake broke the news in a Facebook post, thanking customers for their loyalty and saying she was “incredibly grateful” for the community’s support over the years. As reported by KIRO 7, Lake cited dwindling revenues, rising costs and failing equipment as the reasons she ultimately decided to close.
According to the store’s own website, the general store had long been a small but mighty hub for island life, with a deli and bakery, USPS post-office hours and on-site fuel pumps for unleaded, premium, diesel and propane. That mix of services meant it functioned as much more than a convenience stop, doubling as a go-to spot for mail, quick meals, hardware items and last-minute groceries…