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A History of Mr. F.H. Durham and the Durham Grocery Co. F.H. Durham: S.H. Grinstead & Co.; Durham & Hurt; Durham-Fraser; & the Durham Grocery Co., of Columbia, 1913 - 1980s. By JIM F.H. Durham, a native and resident of Taylor County then serving as postmaster of Merrimac, Taylor County, accepted a managerial position for the Columbia branch of the S.H. Grinstead & Co. produce house in very late 1913, succeeding his brother R.H. Durham who had died unexpectedly in November, aged 36 years. A little over a year later, F.H. bought from J.B. Barbee a house in Columbia "near the Graded School" and he and his family soon moved there. Come October 1915, Mr. Durham paid Henry Ingram $900 for his one-half interest in the Claud Hurt property, with he (Durham) and Henry Hurt, who owned the other half interest, planning to be "associated together in running the Grinstead poultry business at this place." Durham & Hurt intended to put a large building on the site, "between where the livery stable burned out and the residence," with hopes of having the building up in two weeks. (The Messrs. Hurt were brothers. Lucien Claud, a widower, had died around the middle of 1914. Hurt & Ingram owned the property as early as the forepart of1914 when Walter Hobson moved from Campbellsville to the above-mentioned residence.) The burned out livery stable likely was the one owned and operated by the Hugh Richardson. In the spring of 1910, he had opened "first class livery and feed stable in Columbia...[in] the barn on the side street leading from Greensburg street, known as the Allen Walker barn." It caught fire, origin unknown, in June 1912 in the midst of what the newspaper called "a terrific gale." The stable's losses included six surreys, five double buggies, a spring wagon, $250 worth of hay, and a horse. J.W. Coffey and Elmo Strange were credited with saving six other horses. Other nearby landholders variously suffered the loss of fencing, barns, and other outbuildings, and Dr. J.N. Page "was deprived of eighty frying chickens.") This Hurt property, part of Town Lot 15 on the corner of Greensburg and High streets, lay directly across High Street from the old jail building, now Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home. Durham & Hurt ran the operation for almost exactly two years before Mr. Hurt had to withdraw because of failing health. Within a few weeks, he and his wife moved to Colorado, where he died in 1922. The 1917 notice of dissolution of the partnership stated, in part, "Mr. Durham will continue the business, buying all kinds of produce, butter, tallow, wool, etc. He is prepared to keep freight for country merchants, at the Rapid Transit building. He is the manager of S.H. Grinstead & Co., buying eggs, chickens, etc."In the early spring of 1921, however, S.H. Grinstead, who had produce houses in several towns, and L.E. McKinley, doing business in Campbellsville, announced the merger of their respective businesses, effective April first. The announcement in the Adair County News stated Grinstead representative B.E. Wilson and McKinley representative Millard Young held co-management responsibilities. Wilson, the son-in-law of F.H.'s brother J.W. Durham, had replaced W.H. Shipp as one of Grinstead's Columbia managers in the summer of 1920. Laren Estes "L.E." McKinley, a native of Russell County, had been in the produce business for several years. In 1920 or early '21, Mr. Durham sold his interest in the business but retained his shares, as the newspaper reported he met with the stockholders toward the end of April 1921 to announce "the company had done a lucrative business since the last meeting." He sold his shares to L.E. McKinley in 1926 and of of the transaction, The News remarked, "Mr. McKinley paid a good price." By early 1922, Mr. Durham was in business for himself, as the February 2 edition of the paper announced, "It is said that Mr. F.H. Durham, who is in the wholesale and retail business in this town, is seriously contemplating erecting a large brick business house on the corner where the old Claud Hurt house stands...This location will be only a short distance from the square, concrete pavements leading to it in all directions."Tentative plans called for Mr. Durham to occupy the main floor, with the second floor "arranged for a hall." Those plans changed, however, in August 1922 when Mr. Durham sold a one-half interest in the business to Irwin Fraser and The News announced, "The firm will build a new business house on the lot between the little brick on the corner, and where their present house now stands." The firm will handle all kinds of produce and poultry," as well as the previously mentioned wholesale-retail grocery dealings. The article went on to state that Mr. Durham had been quite successful and that "an enlargement was very necessary to accommodate the fast-growing trade." His new partner, Irwin Fraser, a native of western Kentucky, married Miss Elma Page in late 1912. She, Texas born, was the daughter of Columbia native W.S. Page, he having removed to Cleburne, Texas, several years earlier, settling and marrying there. The Frasers lived in Salina, Kansas, and in Louisville, Kentucky, the former in large part, before moving to Columbia in 1920. Another change, somewhat of a reversion to the original plan, came a month later when Durham & Fraser decided "to raze the brick building on the corner of their lot for their new business house, which is to be 50x100 feet. It will front on Greensburg street and will extend down the side street," would include a full basement for storage of goods. Work was slated to begin as soon as they got full possession of the house, then occupied. Come April 1923, the local paper mentioned, if only in passing, the demolition of the venerable domicile at the corner of High Street, and paid (not entirely accurate) homage thus: "The Little Brick House RazedIn Early Columbia: the Beginnings of a Small Kentucky Town, Ruth Paull Burdette stated the house was built in 1817 by one Levi McCrosky, and upon its completion, he sold it William Morrison "of Madison County." In An Adair County, Kentucky History, Vol. 1, historian Mike Watson wrote, "Mr. Morrison died after a fall from a horse while on a trip back to Virginia, supposedly to a reunion of Revolutionary veterans." (Page 103.) Ms. Paull also mentions (page 15) about James Frazier moving to "what is believed to have been the William Patterson home, buying it from Williamson Pitman," but this was in a different area of Columbia. Foundation work on the new structure started in mid-April and reported The News, "The building is to be brick and concrete." Work moved apace and come early July, the newspaper informed readers, "Activities at the Durham & Fraser building will be on in earnest in about ten days. They are now excavating for the brick work and as soon as the dirt is removed the laying of brick will start. Mr. Ray Gooden, of Campbellsville, has the contract. He will have a force that will erect the house as quickly as possible."The prognosticated "ten days" until the start of brick work proved a bit optimistic, as a couple of weeks later found the newspaper proclaiming that within days, "a force of mechanics" would be ready to commence work" and that "They will probably be able to place their front in ten or twelve days." Optimism still abounding, a month later came word things were moving right along and that "It will not be great while until this attractive business house will be completed." Some three weeks later, however, the paper noted work wasn't going as quickly as the Messrs. Durham & Fraser wanted: the brick laying had been delayed due to difficulties "getting joists and other materials from the mill." Still, in early October, the paper allowed as to how "Durham & Fraser hope to get in their new building early in November. It will be large and a splendid business house." The enterprise sailed along until early 1927. Near the beginning of February that year, The News announced dissolution of the partnership, with "Mr. F.H. Durham purchasing the business and Mr. W.I. Fraser the real estate." Durham had then leased the building from his former partner and planned to "continue the business at the same stand." (Mr. Fraser died in the fall of 1929, age 50. His obituary stated he had parted ways with Mr. Durham in order "to look after his other interests.") Just days after the above announcement, Mr. Durham sold a one-sixth interest each to Braxton Massie, Charlie Hood, and Mrs. George (Myrtle Kathleen, nee Staples) Stults, and before the month ended, the paper reported Mr. Durham had purchased from Mr. Fraser the above-mentioned real estate. At the first meeting with the new partners, it was decided to retain "Durham-Fraser Co." as the firm's name for the nonce, and to close out the retail side of the business by April first, "excepting salt, roofing, cement, fencing, dynamite, and things of kindred character not carried by country stores." Of the new partners, The News referred to Braxton Massie as "one of our most substantial [i.e., wealthiest] business men," but added, "It is understood that Mr. Massie has bought this interest for his grandson, Frank Callison." When Mr. Callison died in 1979, his obituary stated his business interests had included Durham Wholesale Company, Grissom-Callison Funeral Home, and Callison Cleaners. Mr. Hood, the paper reported, had been with the establishment several years and was "well acquainted with every phase of the business." Upon his passing in 1969, his obituary stated he "was a partner in the Durham Grocery Company here as well as its manager for many years." Mrs. Stults had served as bookkeeper for the Columbia branch of the Buchanan Lyon Co. for five years. Several years prior to her association with Buchanan Lyon, she and Lany Bray, then Lany Staples, were partners in a local millinery shop. The News stated she was "a fine business woman" and that she would be "an asset to the firm." When she died in 1937, she still held partnership in Durham-Fraser. The firm carried the Durham-Fraser name until the late spring of 1929, when the partners changed it to Durham Grocery Co. At that time, The News called it "one of the leading business firms of Columbia" and remarked that it was "doing an excellent business." A few months later, Mr. Durham sold the building to J.B. Barbee, whereupon the Durham Grocery Co. immediately leased it back for a period of five years. In the spring of 1941, Mr. Durham suffered a stroke, and a little over a year later, another, more debilitating one; he passed in September 1945. Although his name frequently appeared in the Adair County News from the 1920s until his passing, it was far more often in connection with his activities in the Baptist Church than with his commercial dealings. The Durham Grocery Co. continued on at 300 Greensburg Street until the 1970s, when it moved to Reed Street. It closed in the 1980s, over sixty years after S.H. Grinstead & Co. and Mr. Durham parted ways in 1921. This story was posted on 2023-07-23 12:33:14
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An Addendum: Typhoid fever, 1931-1932 Columbia and the long road to water works, 1929 - 1933 Progress in Columbia, June 1933: Water Works, New Adair Hotel Short takes from the Adair County News, June 12, 1923 Lest we forget A record worthy of remembrance Columbia's Building Boom, 1903 The Columbia Kroger Store, 1936 - 1959 IGA Super Market on the Columbia Square Early December 1942 View even more articles in topic Jim: History |
 
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