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Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins" |
Cook County, Georgia
ADEL'S OLDEST MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENTS
[Source: The history of Cook County, Georgia and its municipalities
Adel Ga.? : s.n.,: unknown, 1967 Author June Jackson Parrish ]
[Transcribed by K. Torp]
W. B. WILKES COMPANY
The W. B. Wilkes Company, a corporation, was formed by the combination of two establishments. During the 1890's the firm of J. E. & W. B. Wilkes and the firm of Parrish & Wiseman were established. Both being engaged in the dry goods business. In 1919 these two stores consolidated and formed the corporation of W. B. Wilkes Company, which has continued in business until the present day, therefore, the business has existed for approximately 75 or 76 years.
ADEL TRADING COMPANY
Adel Ginning Company was organized in 1900 by the J & P Coats Company of Liverpool, England. The company was formed for the purpose of ginning Sea Island cotton in this area. A few years subsequent to the organization of this company, all of the stock was purchased by local citizens. Due to the ravage of the boll weevil, Sea Island cotton could not be grown profitably any longer; so, the company began dealing in peanuts and seeds of all kind. In addition, the Bray-Giddens company of Broxton, Georgia, shipped a consigned stock of lumber to the company and it began operating in a small way as a supplier of building materials. In the meantime, its name had been changed to Adel Ginning and Trading Company.
About the middle 1920's, the company installed short staple cotton gins and also built a tobacco warehouse. Within a few years, the building material supply had grown to include hardware, paints, windows, doors, brick, lime, cement, etc., and everything needed with which to build. In addition, a contract was signed with Aliis-Chalmers for the sale of farm tractors, tillery tools, and harvesting equipment.
As the years passed, the acreage, planted to cotton declined and the company closed the ginning operation. By this time the name had been changed to Adel Trading Company.
At the present time, Adel Trading Company conducts a full line dealership in lumber, building materials, hardware, Allis-Chalmers farm tractors and equipment, David Brown tractors (manufactured in England) also allied lines such as New Holland, New Idea, and Long Manufacturing Company farm equipment, and irrigation equipment from Aluminum Company of America.
About thirty months ago, the company signed a franchise with A.O. Smith Harvestore for the sale and erection of their feeding structures throughout the state of Georgia and North Florida. The Harvestore is a steel, glass-lined, oxygen-free storage and feeding unit for livestock. They range in sizes from 20 feet in diameter by 27 feet tall to 25 feet in diameter by 65 feet tall. The structure not only enables the farmer to store and conserve high-moisture feed of all kinds, but also enables him to fill and feed out of the same structure at the same time. It being oxygen free means the feed is not only well preserved, but highly palatable to the animals. These units are relatively new to this area but are very popular in the Mid-West.
C. C. Giddens, Jr., upon returning to Adel, after his graduation at Mercer University in 1931, became connected with the company and a short time later succeeded A. D. Cobb, as General Manager.of the Company, a position he had held ever since and during his management and leadership the Adel Trading Company has become not only one of the oldest, but really the largest mercantile establishment within the County, and ranks among the largest in South Georgia, due to the energy, wisdom and business ability of it's management.
MERCHANTS OF ADEL
[c. 1967]
Adel Auto Parts - J. F. Geiger
Adel Feed & Seed Co. - E. B. James
Adel Fish Market - M. L. Rountree
Adel Grocery Co. Inc. - McCranie Bros.
Adel Ice Co. - L. L. Duke, Sr.
Adel Milling Co. - J. C. Thomas, Jr.
Adel News Publishing Co. - G. C. Patten
Adel Pawn Shop - Gilbert Patten
Adel Pipe & Supply
Adel Restuarant - Mrs. Treva Hayes
Adel Service & Supply - Fulton Fausett
Adel Tire & Recapping Co. - Buddy Ray
Adel Trading Co.
Adel Upholstery Shop - Wayne Weeks
Brabham & Cotton, Inc.
Brooks Auto Supply
Cash & Save Drugs, Inc.
Castleberry Jewelry Store - Roy Castleberry
Clary's, Inc.
Colonial Store
Crowe's Furniture & Appliance - L.C. & Clyde Crowe
Crowe's Store - L. C. & Clyde Crowe
Dairy Queen - J. H. Parrish
Day's Food Market - William Day
Deen Drug Co. - A. C. Deen
Dixie Music Store - Mrs. Linda Roland
Farm Fresh Market - Roy Plymel
Farmers Feed & Supply Store - L. J. Shiver
Friedlander's
General Gas Corp.
Gree
Greene's Furniture Co.
Harper Home & Auto Supply - Vinson Harper
Hilliard's Radio & Television Service - Bobby Hilliard
Home Comfort, Inc.
J & J Food Market - Lenton Duren
Jiffy Food Store
Jones Trading Co. - Dallas Jones
Kent's Fairvue Flower Shop - Nelma Kent
Knowles Outboard Marine - L. N. Knowles
Krugers Cash & Carry
Lewis Food Center - C. J. Lewis
Martin's Grocery
Moore, B. C. & Sons
New's Flowers - Mrs. Thelma New
Pafford Gro., Mkt. - E. L.Pafford
Rainbow's Store - Melvin Rainbow
Roberson Tractor Co. - Don Roberson
Saturday Hardware - Jack Saturday
Scruggs & Rowan Drug Co. - Van Rowan-J.E.Scruggs
Shiflett Auto Parts & Garage - Isaac Shiflett
Sineath's House of Music - Robert Sineath
Smith Hardware - Henry Smith
Sweigart Auto Store - Lloyd Martin
Taylor Furniture Co. - Jackson Taylor
Taylor's Food Market - Carson Taylor
Tri-County Gas Co.
Tuffy Mower Co. - J. O. Templeton
Western Auto Associate Store - Preston Greene
Whidby Jewelers - Mrs. W.G. Whidby & Lamar Whidby
W. B. Wilkes Co., Inc.
