05-18-01

Holly Hunnicutt, our granddaughter and clerk in the hardware store asked me to tell about how the hardware store got its start. She asked for the historical details. She is a part of the public relations efforts of the store, she really knows how to make the rough edges and sour notes become smooth and sweet. Most all of our customers are acquainted with Holly and may be interested in knowing about some history of the store as well.

It seems back about 35 years ago, I was working and trying to raise five kids on what the U.S. Department of Agriculture paid back then. It was not more than enough to buy food and gasoline for the travel and other vital essentials in raising a family.

During the early 1960's, Jackie and I were able to save a whopping $143. We decided to go into Dallas (downtown on Canton Street) where we met a native Cuban that talked us into buying $143 up in fabrics, needles, thread, some toys, and a few household dishes and cookware, with a few other miscellaneous items.

We brought all of this and set it up in the building which is the southernmost building that we currently occupy. This building formerly housed the Post Office which had moved across the street to share in the new city building which accommodated the city hall, and the newly established fire station, and the post office.

We opened for business on the first day and sold $28, which was 20 percent of our inventory. I decided that if I didn’t go back into Dallas to replenish the $28 in inventory we would not have any merchandise available to sell during the next few days. After about five years of constant restocking of the sold inventory I decided it would be better for me to stop the race to Dallas everyday and I quit my job with the Department of Agriculture. I was able to devote all of my time to helping Jackie with the store.

I have no regrets for quitting my job and helping with the store. The people of Aubrey and the surrounding area have been very loyal and faithful to our business. Our customers have been so loyal and frequent to come in to shop, that many of them just come in to see how we are doing and say Hello.

It is this family atmosphere that we have enjoyed and progressed through for the past 40 years, I am sure Holly has played her part with her expertise in public relations as she now enjoys the friendliness and loyalty of our customers.

My Dad (Jim Goin) was a clerk in this same building for the Loopers and Coffeys back during the 1910's. I can remember that he has encouraged me to treat people exactly the same way that you would like for people to treat you and the rewards will be coming back to you as you get older and continue in a business that is both family and customer oriented.

We have encountered very few violent and offensive people in our years here, but as they tried their treatment on us, we responded with like treatment and the first thing you know, they were our friends and respected us.

It is nothing but a joy to listen to customers comment on the old historical buildings that we occupy.

Holly I hope this has explained how we began the store.

On another note, at the meeting of the Cherokees a couple of months ago, the Texas Tribe Chief came to town for our meeting without any prior announcements. As I was working on the inventory, this tall man in his seventies came walking into the store and introduced himself as Chief Hicks. He had a vast knowledge of history of this entire region of Texas, and was very good at recalling events and dates. Chief Hicks is a veteran of the Korean War and the Vietnam War. I found him very interesting, because I was in the Korean conflict at about this same time.

Chief Hicks is a university graduate with two Masters degrees in history. His father was an old Cherokee that had just recently passed away in December, 2000. He explained that his grandfather had given his father a feather for his reward as a youngster while growing up, and that the feather was cherished by his father for many years. He kept the large feather in a cedar box that was built especially for the feather.

The Cherokees will not have their meeting in June in Aubrey, but will be in Chickasha, Oklahoma for the Red E Day.

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