Walden store owner serves as election volunteer and town fixture

WALDEN, Vt. Diane Cochran operates the Corner Stop Inn Shop at the intersection of Route 15 and Cabot Road in the Caledonia County community of Walden. The 78-year-old resident has owned the small store for 34 years and serves as a regular presence at local voting stations.

The shop occupies a building that dates to 1799, which originally served as the parlor of a stagecoach inn and tavern. Cochran started the business as a craft and consignment shop but expanded its inventory based on customer requests. She now sells basic groceries, canned goods, and other staples. The store does not use a computer system, website, or social media pages. Cochran manages transactions using paper records and accepts only cash payments.

“Basic things, the basic groceries,” Cochran said. “It just kind of evolved over the years.” She attributes the store’s steady customer base to word of mouth and personal interactions. She keeps family photographs from customers and their pets on the store walls. Cochran described herself as a non-certified counselor who listens to customers discussing family matters.

In addition to running the store, Cochran holds several civic roles in Walden. She serves on the board of civil authority and acts as a justice of the peace. She also chairs the board of trustees for a local church, where yard sales outside the shop take place during the summer. Walden Town Clerk and Treasurer Debbie Messier said Cochran has performed dozens of marriage ceremonies, including some conducted inside the shop.

“Just this last year I think she did two or three because they came in to get their marriage license,” Messier said. “I’m like, ‘Okay.’” Messier noted that small towns rely on volunteers for election night duties because they lack budgets to hire staff. Cochran closed her shop on Tuesday and went to the town office to help hand-count election ballots late into the night.

Messier praised Cochran’s long-term service and knowledge of town history. “She has seen so many changes in the town of Walden,” Messier said. “So, for her to continue to volunteer in all the different places she does is amazing.” Cochran said she continues to participate in community activities because she enjoys being involved, though she acknowledges the work can be tiring.

“I will go until I can’t anymore,” Cochran said. She has no plans to reduce her current level of civic engagement or store operations.