Change At Smith & Goodwin's

[genealogynut]

Howard Courant
January 4, 1945

George Smith Retires From Active Connection With the Store--Arthur Goodwin, Miss Nina Garett and Cecil Hebb Buying Most of Interest

Announcement is made this week of a change in the Smith & Goodwin firm.  George Smith has sold most of his interest in the big store to his partner, Arthur W. Goodwin, and two of the sales force, Miss Nina Garett and Cecil Hebb, who now assume an interest in the partnership.  Mr. Smith will retire from active connection with the firm.  The store will continue under the Smith & Goodwin firm name, at the same location, and with the same class of high quality merchandise.

George Smith started work in 1884 in the Momma, McKey, & Eby store which was established in 1878, and which has developed into the present large mercantile establishment, working mornings, evenings, and Saturdays while attending school.  In October, 1887, he took a full time job, and became a partner in the business in 1891.  He has completed nearly sixty-one years of association with the business, with the exceptions of the years 1926 to 1929, which with his family, he spent in California.  Since 1908 he and Mr. Goodwin have been associated as partners, with the exception of the time just mentioned above.

Arthur W. Goodwin came to Howard in 1893, and with the exception of four years which were spent in Cherryvale and Coffeyville, Kansas and Kansas City and McFall, Missouri, has been actively associated with the business life on main street in Howard.  During the many years in business with Mr. Smith the firm of Smith & Goodwin has become well known all over the mid-west and has drawn trade to Howard from many miles beyond the natural trade limits.  Mr. Goodwin served as an officer of mid-west retail dealer's associations at different times.  The firm's connections and credit standing with the wholesale houses has always enabled them to secure the best of merchandise at prices which has allowed them to compete with city stores.  Dozens of well known nationally advertised lines of merchandise have been carried by this store for years and in a number of instances are exclusive for this section.  These with the pick of the markets, carefully selected by the store's buyers, have made Smith & Goodwin known and respected over a wide territory.

The new people in the firm are not strangers to our folks, both being raised and educated in our community, living here most of their lives.  Miss Nina Garret has been actively associated with the old firm for twenty-four years as saleslady and cashier, and Cecil Hebb has now been with the store for several years in charge of the men's department.

The new firm make-up will enable them to carry on the business, holding up to the high standard of quality and service built up during the past years by Messrs. Smith & Goodswin.

The store announces that the present sales force will be maintained, all of them capable and popular and well known to the trading public.  Mrs. L. L. Perrin has been employed in the present store for sixteen years, and Mrs. F. N. Force, Mrs. Beatrice Kauffman and Marvin Stanley, while not so long with the store, make a strong team in the various departments.

The public wishes for the new firm the best of success and all hope Mr. Smith will enjoy his well deserved rest and soon recover his health.

[genealogynut]

As a child, I thought the store was "awesome."  They had so many pretty things in the children's and ladies department. And they carried a wide variety of merchandise in the way of clothing and accessories.  Back then, that was "The Store"

[Teresa]

Clem Portenier bought part of it later on for the Western Auto I think.. and then Cookson's later bought both sides of it for the Hardware store.
The original ceiling is still there in full view on the lawn and garden side and in the back..
The ceiling has been lowered in the main side of the store, but the original is still above that.
Floors are the same as they were when the building was built.. ( and I think that there is still some of the original dirt in the cracks of it too  LOL)

[W. Gray]

At one time there was an opera house above Smith and Goodwin. Before the opera house, roller skating was an attraction on the second floor. They also showed early movies up there before a dedicated movie house appeared in town. The opera house either replaced or complemented the roller skate floor, but the opera house disappeared after a fire which also destroyed part of Smith and Goodwin. This was before any of us were around.

I remember seeing manequins modeling womens dresses in the display windows and think I recall seeing an easy chair or couch on display in one of the windows. In those days, Howard was supposed to be on the slow tail end of a long supply chain but I remember marveling the town had a department store just like the big city. I do not ever recall going inside but I am sure I did. I cannot recall when it bit the dust. I also recall reading somewhere that it was supposed to be one of the best department stores in all of southeast Kansas.

In its twilight years, my Mom recalls buying a pair of socks from Smith and Goodwin, but they soon came apart apparently from being on hand for a time.

[Teresa]

These are not Smith & Goodwin pictures.. but
dept/mercantile pictures of days gone by.

[genealogynut]

I have a severe case of nostalgia coming on, just by looking at those pictures.

They do remind me of Smith and Goodwin, though.  It reminds me of poodle skirts, boatneck shirts, hoola-hoops, saddle oxfords, and Elvis Presley, just to name a few things.

If I remember right, there was Bartlett Jewelers in where Jean Gray is now, somewhere around 1960 time period.  And there was a Crowell's cafe in where Batson's gift shop was, until just recently.  And how could anyone forget Winn's Cafe?  Remember the juke box?

[Teresa]

I  worked most of my high school years at he Nursing Home... but I also worked in Winns cafe when I was in school for awhile.
I would go after work with Grandma Winn's grandson, Randy Morton to the movies.. We always took with us some french fries..    Romantic huh?

[Wilma]

I remember the jewelry store.  We bought my diamond and wedding ring there in 1948.  And my husband's Aunt Margie Armstrong worked in the little cafe.  I don't remember the names of any of the places except Smith & Goodwin's.  I only remember being in it once when my husband bought a pair of cowboy boots.  It was impressive even to a recently transplanted from Sedgwick County girl that was used to the stores in Wichita.

When did Smith & Goodwin's close?  I don't remember anything about it after we came back from Ottawa County in 1954 and settled in Severy.

[genealogynut]

It was sometime between 1967-70, I believe, when Nina Garrett retired, and I don't recall if it was Ruth or Cecil Hebb that took it over.  We remember that Ruth Hebb moved the store over to the east side of the street and it went by the name of Hebb's Family Store. 

Before Bartlett's Jewelry, that used to be Moon & Gill Jewelers.  And Moon was also the mortician.  Don's aunt used to work for Moon & Gill Jewelers. When Don was a little boy and went in to the jeweler's to see his aunt, he had very strict orders not to touch ANYTHING!

[Wilma]

Moon and Gill sounds more like it as I do not remember a Bartlett's.