Panther was a community that stood at this intersection in the late 1800s, with a blacksmith shop, a tin shop, and a general store on the site, later joined by a creamery and post office. The blacksmith shop on the northeast side was run by Amos Royer, who repaired farm machinery and shoed horses, while the tin shop on the southwest side was operated by Will Beazor, who repaired windmills and pumps. The original store, operated by Israel Beaver on the southeast corner, grew out of the business generated by the blacksmith and tin shops. In February of 1898, a group of farmers began a new general store building on the northwest corner. Serving a wide area, the Panther store sold many kinds of goods and was also a Saturday night gathering place. The construction of Highway 44 brought the greatest change by linking Panther with neighboring communities, and a garage was eventually built as automobiles became more common and needed repairs. But as people relied more on cars, the store lost most of its business to larger towns, and as business declined Panther disappeared from the roadside, leaving only the garage foundation on the northeast side of the intersection and memories.