Hurt Grocer Company
The Paragould Soliphone - February 4, 1920
Researched by : Tina Easley
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/
THE HURT GROCER COMPANY BEGINS BUILDING A MODERN HOME ON EAST COURT STREET
STRUCTURE OF STEEL AND TILE WILL BE TWO STORIES WITH BASEMENT - 21,000 SQUARE FEET OF FLOOR SPACE - E.M. WEEMS ARCHITECT AND SUPERENTENDENT - EXCELLENT RECORD OF COMPANY.
WORKMEN THIS MORNING BEGAN EXCAVATING PREPARATORY TO THE ERECTION OF THE HURT GROCER COMPANY'S NEW BUILDING ON EAST COURT STREET, EAST OF THE DAILY PRESS AND SOLIPHONE OFFICE , SITUATED ON THE LOT RECENTLY PURCHASED FROM M.G. NEWSOM . THE BUILDING WILL BE TWO STORY , CONSTRUCTED OF STEEL AND INTERLOCKING TILE AND HAVE A BASEMENT OCCUPYING THE ENTIRE LOT.
THE NEW BUILDING WILL GIVE THE COMPANY A MUCH LARGER AND MORE COMMODIOUS HOME THAN IS AFFORDED BY THE LIMITED SPACE OF THEIR PRESENT LOCATION IN THE BERTIG BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET. THE PRESENT LOCATION IS ONLY 6,000 SQUARE FEET WHILE THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE 21,000 SQUARE FEET. THE FRONTAGE OF THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE 56 FEET AND WILL EXTEND BACK 130 FEET . THE REAR OF THE BUILDING WILL BE 130 FEET CONFORMING TO THE TRIANGULAR SHAPE OF THE LOT.
ALL FLOORS OF THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OF CONCRETE AND EVERY FEATURE OF THE STRUCTURE WILL BE EXECUTED WITH THE VIEW TO MAKING THE QUARTERS AN IDEAL WHOLESALE GROCER ESTABLISHMENT .
THIS NEW STRUCTURE IS A DISTINCT MARK OF PROGRESS FOR HURT GROCER COMPANY . BEGINNING BUSINESS JANUARY 1, 1917 , THIS COMPANY HAS FORGED FORWARD TILL IT OCCUPIES A MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN THE WHOLESALE GROCER INTERESTS IN THE SECTION . UNDER THE PERSONAL DIRECTION OF J.C. HURT , PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY. IT BEGAN WITH A CAPITALIZATION OF $50,000 AND ONE YEAR FROM THAT RATE. JANUARY 1, 1918 , THE CAPITALIZATION WAS INCREASED TO $100,000 , FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER INCREASE TO $200,000 CAPITALIZATION THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR A DIVIDEND OF 27 PER CENT WAS PAID THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY.
PRIOR TO JAN. 1 THE COMPANY OPERATED UNDER THE NAME OF THE HURT-HEATON GROCER COMPANY , WAS ON THAT DATE CHANGED TO HURT GROCER COMPANY. MR. HEATON , WHOSE NAME THE COMPANY ORIGINALLY CARRIED , DISPOSED OF HIS INTEREST IN THE COMPANY , JANUARY 1, 1918 AND IS NOW CONDUCTING A RETAIL STORE ON NORTH PRUET STREET.
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