Download
[Page]
[Document]mcc-ns1-206
Farming For A Better Future, page 180
GROCERS??"RETAIL
Anderson T H & Son, w s Wood av 1 n of Wildwood av Angel J W, 531 E Tuscaloosa Brabson G W Mrs, S Florence 'Brewer Lewellyn, 508 E Alabama 'Buckingham R B, 408 E Alabama
Coplan Grocery and Provision Co, 215 N Court Cox J L, 99 Huntsville rd
Fowler A J, 823 Royal av Fulton W L, 70 Huntsville rd Gray J L, 104 N Chestnut Griffin Charles, 223 N Court Grimes J P & J M, 12 Huntsville rd and 613 Aetna Hall J C, 10 Huntsville rd Hyde & Son, Seven Points Johnson R J, 517 Royal av
LUCAS & SIMMONS, 122 E Tennessee Matthews W M, 80 Huntsville rd Phillips Jeff, 684 Irvine av
Phillips W R, Huntsville rd cor Aetna Ramsey H M, 82 Huntsville rd
Sharp & Blair, 219 N Court Simpson J L, 619 Royal av White J P, 20 Huntsville rd White W C, 126 E Tennessee
Wood L C, Cherry s e cor Tuscaloosa *Wytch J W, 108 E Mobile
(Above) Excerpt of 1913 Florence City Directory for Grocers - People of Color, such as Misters Brewer, Buckingham, and Wytch, are Denoted by * (Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995)
Directory lists 26 grocers, only three of which are people of color, in Brewer, Buckingham, and Wytch. By 1920, there were 59 grocery stores in Florence, but only five of them were run by people of color located in
Brewer, Buckingham, R.L. Morgan on South Cherry Street, George Pruitt on West College Street, and V.G. Smith on South Poplar Street.
William H. Dismukes (c. 1875- after 1901) is one of the earliest businessmen of color known to have owned a grocery in Florence. He was born in Georgia and was a former employee of the Florence Wagon Company. In late 1897, Dismuke's Grocery opened on the Perry Block of East Mobile Street next to George W. Seawright's shoe shop. A few years earlier Mr. Dismuke married Ms. Bertha J. Leigh in a ceremony at St. Paul AME Church officiated by the Rev. A.A. Godwin. Mr. Dismuke is enumerated on the 1900 census as a grocer in Florence. His wife died in 1901 after which no other records are found.
W. TI. Dismukes, colored, of Corinth, Miss.. a former employee ot the Wagon Co., has opened up a fancy and staple grocery on Mobile street, tn the Perry block, next door to Seau-right's shoe shop. See his advertisement in this week's Her* alu.
(Left) Ad for W. H. Dismukes' Grocery (Florence Herald, September 21, 1899 via Florence-Lauderdale Public Library) (Above) Newspaper Clipping about W. H. Dismukes' Store (Florence Herald, Thursday, September 21, 1899 via Florence-Lauderdale Public Library) (Below) 1900 Census Record for William Dismukes (National Archives and Records Administration via Ancestry.com) - (4708)