My parents bought this store in 1942 from Harry and Ava Phelps who came to WP from Madisonville. Their children were Donald, Wanda, Dudley and Marilyn. I remember going in that store back in the 30s, seems like a Bailey owned it. The Phelps were not doing a good business. Moms business really picked up after awhile and her competition mostly Johnson and Johnson (formerly Johnson and Boyce) Eugene Johnson and Sam Boyce started giving her a hard way to go. Salesmen that called on them were not allowed to call on her! Some companies sent two salesmen to WP, one was Emge Meat Packing Co. Long story short, she bought them out in Nov. 1954! I had always worked in the store, did book and tax work, etc. I had been off after Randy was born and got the call in the middle of the afternoon to come manage this store that mom had bought out J&J. I managed the store until Jan. 1962 when I had gone to work for USDA. Daddy sold the store to Duck and Mog. One of the salesmen that called us wanted Durwood to have his job when he retired with Hulman and Co. He had gone to work for Tony Hulman and later with KwikPicc Mkt. During the time he bought stock in the Kwik Pic payroll deduction and we sold Curtis McCoy the land to build the store in White Plains out at the Y on 62! Curtis sold out to The Pantry. He had 2 years to settle with stockholder and spent all the money reinvested in other businesses? We agreed to take over the store and pay what he owed on it. We leased to The Pantry! When the Pantry sold out in the area, the store was released to the Rocket Oil Co., The Ideal Market and is presently leased until the end of 2015! We appreciate your support! Duck leased this store to Ruth Ann and Jerry Prowse when he retired. The store was struck by lightening and burned. Duck was given a hard way to go cleaning up but he cleaned the brick and sold some. I have some for keepsake in sidewalks, one around my patio?Duck had also built on the side addition to the store for dry goods! Sorry about the length but pretty well cover this tore back to the 30s?
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 18:25:16 +0000
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