 Following the establishment of the railroad and the growth of the former O’Day community, many businesses were established in what is now Washburn.Among these were the O’Day House Hotel, Felker & Johnson's mercantile, the Pratt or Cunningham grocery store, J. M. Holton's mercantile, Denbo's grocery, the Brookshire & Chandler drug store, and W. B. Adcock's drug store.Many of these businesses had previously been located in the old Keetsville site, but moved to take advantage of the railroad.