WALDEN, For 34 years, Diane Cochran has operated the Corner Stop Inn Shop at the intersection of South Walden Road and Route 15, keeping the "Open" flag flying six days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 78-year-old runs the compact store as a one-woman operation, stocking everything from milk and meat to beauty aids, with a focus on local items like syrup from Rowell's Sugarhouse and baked goods from Top of the Mountain Bakery.
Cochran, who grew up on a dairy farm in Walden and graduated valedictorian from Danville High School, studied sociology at Chapman College in California. She says that background helps her connect with customers. "I seem to be a non-certified counselor for a lot of people," she said with a smile.
The building housing the store was originally the Stagecoach Inn and Tavern, built in 1799. Cochran's nephew owns the property and offers her a lenient rent arrangement that allows her to live in the house. She credits Gary Larabee of Hastings Store in Danville for helping her get started.
Beyond retail, the store serves as a community gathering spot. Neighbors leave items for pickup, call for road conditions, and stop by for coffee. Cochran has been president of the Home Dem for 14 years, chairs the trustees of the Walden United Methodist Church, and previously worked with restorative justice and as an advocate for AWARE in Hardwick. She is a notary and a justice of the peace, having married more than 25 couples, seven of them right inside the store.
In 2025, the Hardwick Area Kiwanis Club gave her its Humanitarian Award, describing her as "a trusted friend and neighbor to all who know and love her."
Originally reported by Hardwick Gazette.
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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