About 30 years ago, my good friend Max Corey built a small HO layout and he built these little stores for that layout.  Max is the most talented model builder I have ever known and he built all these (and more) in just one week.

Max gave them to me before he left Alaska and I have put them into various scenes over the years.

Their small size seemed to be just right for this scene.

The Independence Mine in Alaska was near to Max's home and he knew there were several very small structures like this at that mine in the 1930s.  All are long gone.

So here is the little mining community of Corey.