Built in 1858 by Aslag Anderson, Ephraim's Anderson Store and the nearby Anderson Dock quickly became the hub of village activity.  Sailing and cargo ships would come into Eagle Harbor to take on wood for fuel, wooden shingles, cedar logs for fence posts and telegraph poles, and fish caught in nearby waters.  In turn they would deliver much needed supplies of fresh fruit and other foods, tools, clothing, fabrics, and medicines sold at the Anderson Store.

Later on in the 1880s, the Goodrich Line began transporting travelers to and from Northern Door County, and the Anderson Store served as a waiting room and welcome center for summer guests.  Owned and operated by the same family for 100 years, the Store still stands in its original location, an impressive monument to Ephraim's rich pioneer history.

One of Ephraim's most industrious new residents was Peter Peterson.  One of Peterson's greatest contributions to Ephraim's early growth stemmed from his friendship with Aslag and Halvor Anderson, brothers he had known in Norway.  In 1858, the Anderson brothers made their way to Ephaim to visit Peter and in turn, Peter introduced them to Iverson.  Aslag and Halvor were very interested in learning that a large portion of the land Iverson had purchased on behalf of the Ephraim Moravian Church remained unsold.  Aslag made the following offer; if the congregation would sell them land at the original price per acre, he would build a large, deepwater pier for the village.  The land was sold to Aslag, and work on the dock was started in 1858 and finished in 1859, with construction of the Anderson Store also being done during this time.

Soon after coming to Ephraim, Aslag married Anna Margreta Hansen, an early settler of the village.  The marriage produced 13 children, 10 of whom survived infancy.  Three of the Anderson children were instrumental in running the store and raising the family, since Anna died at the age of 42 with five children under the age of ten.  Aslag passed away shortly thereafter, leaving the family responsibilities and the store's operation to the eldest daughter Lizzie, her sister Munda, and eldest son Adolph.  The siblings ran the store until its closing in 1958, with Miss Lizzie having passed away and both Adolph and Munda well into their 90's.  When the Anderson's finally closed the store, the remaining inventory and store fixtures were put in storage, joining unsold merchandise from over the years in the store attic or in the Anderson Barn across the street.

In 1966 the Store was purchased by the Village of Ephraim with the help of the Ephraim Historical Foundation, and in July of 1967 it reopened as an operating store and museum.  Restoration of the store was aided greatly by the fact that the Anderson's never had a sale -- anything that had gone out of style or hadn't been sold was carefully stored away.  Thus much of the antique clothing and many of the items now on display in the store are "new" -- found in the attic in their original boxes.  Larger items such as the original counters, wood stove, cash register, scale, and coffee mill were all found in storage in the Anderson Barn.  Evidence from photographs in the Ephraim Historical Foundation's archives show that the merchandise and fixtures were replaced in their original locations and the store appears very much as it might have in the days the Anderson's were proprietors.

When one enters the Anderson Store they will be greeted by a Shopkeeper, dressed appropriately for the period.  There are penny candies and Ephraim mementos for sale.  Tours of the store are given by the Shopkeeper or a volunteer docent, so that one might appreciate what a unique living museum the Anderson Store really is.