A heavy cast-iron plaque which was mounted on the front wall of the D.I.C. Department store in The Square1971 – 1994, when the building was extensively remodelled to house the City Library (opened in 1996). The plaque was supplied by the Palmerston North Centennial Association (see Series 1/5/5, file 48/1/4).
The wording reads as follows: "On this site / stood Snelson’s Store / the first shop / in Palmerston North / Built 1870" The logo of the Palmerston North Centennial Association appears on the top left-hand corner of the plaque. This plaque was not remounted in 1996 because of an error in the wording. Research carried out since 1971 has revealed that Snelson’s Store was built in 1871 not 1870 (see file on Snelson Family in community archives).