Old Businesses in Honey Grove

1. Old Businesses in Honey Grove By: Kailee Frost Gene Whatley and Mr. Willie Clark’s Filling Station.

2. A lot of the business was credit business. Many farmers charged their groceries all year and paid when their crops were harvested. In the 1940's and 1950's the store was kept open until after the midnight picture show was over so that customers could leave their meat there. There were mountains of feed in the back of the store and it afforded a fun place for children of customers to play. Many of the printed feed sacks came back to Lottie Belle Evans and dresses were made for Mary Anne. Eggs were taken in trade for groceries. There was an old asbestos backed stove in the middle of the store and many a farmer sought it out on a cold, rainy day and spent time shooting the breeze there! Groceries were also delivered to customers in town. Evan’s Grocery Store This photo shows the Evans Grocery store that was on the northeast corner of the square. The photo was taken in the 1930's Photograph of the store in the 1940s.

3. Mr. Bill Stewart bought the Stewart Gin from the Honey Grove Cotton Oil Co., about the time his son Willard drowned in the compress pool on Sunday afternoon about 3:00 p.m. Mr. Stewart married Myra Galbraith, daughter of Mr. Marshall Galbraith. This was in about the late 1800's. Mr. Stewart died in 1924. Galbraith Milling Company

4. Marr Blacksmith Shop Honey Grove Unidentified Business in Honey Grove North side of Honey Grove square

5. Filling Stations This Station was located on the NW Corner of S. 14th St and East Market St. The Station was operated by Ray Fletcher - shown repairing the tire. In the background beyond the grease rack is the house occupied by Frank and May Sparks (Frank sold Watkins Products. Gene Hatley and Mr Willie Clark's Service Station and Garage on W. Market (photo taken in the 1940's) Picture from Jan (Hatley) Livingston Picture from Sammy (Fletcher) Adams

6. Communication were kept open by local phone operators. (Photo by Alma Braudrick) Leonard Baudrick's Meat Market Photo from the Collection of the Estate from John and Thelma Black

7. Garages Around the turn of the century the automobile began to appear and started a change in transportation. By 1912, autos had become so numerous in Honey Grove that a group of owners formed the Honey Grove Auto Club. The photo below is the T. N. York Garage. This eventually led to a garage opening in the town. On the left in the photo is Mark Walker and on the right is Harrison Bowling. (from John Black's Pictorial History of Honey Grove, Texas)

8. Smith Hotel • In 1856 Mr. Granville Tucker built a 2 1/2 story frame hotel on the West Side of the Square, at the corner of 5th and Main Streets facing North. Two years after it was built Orville Smith and his family took over the hotel, and it became known as the Smith Hotel. After the death of Orville Smith in 1864, his wife Martha Ann continued to operate the Smith Hotel. This is an article by Alma Braudrick titled “Hotels.” It basically sums up the hotel history and business life during that time era. Part B of the article.

9. Fun Facts: • Honey Grove is the second commercial town in the county.. • One hundred business houses and public buildings are constructed out of stone. • The City Hall and Fire Station, built of gray limestone after an almost faultless design, and at a cost of $20,000, is one of the most practical structures of the kind in the Southwest.

10. Sources: • http://honeygrove.fatcow.com/BVML%20Web%20Pages/Honey%20Grove%20Web%20Pages/honey_grove_historical_photos.htm • http://www.honeygrovepreservation.org/businesses-1.html • http://texantales.com/