This photograph shows the oldest surviving building in Historic Forestville, the "Meighen Store," originally the "Foster and Meighen Store." Constructed over a three-month period from locally mined and fired bricks, the 1857 building consists of a large two-story store and post office with an attached "ell" addition which served as the Meighen family residence. Above the store were stock rooms and living quarters for the Meighen's farm laborers. The front and side porches of the store were added about 1905.

Serving the pioneer community of the 1850s and the maturing town community of the 1860s, the store was hard hit by the decision of the Southern Minnesota Railroad to bypass Forestville in 1868. Many townspeople and businesses moved to more prosperous communities, leaving a few dwindling enterprises behind. The town was transformed during the next two decades into a large one-family-owned farming operation. By the 1890s Meighen's store was one of the few remaining businesses in town.

Thomas Meighen, son of one of the town founders, closed the business in 1910. He left all the unsold stock from the previous six decades in the store. This stock later became the centerpiece of an extensive artifact collection now owned and preserved by the Minnesota Historical Society. This collection is rich in early Minnesota material culture, from canned goods to ready-made clothing.