Sunday, October 9, 2011

Webb's Feed and Seed

WEBB'S FEED AND SEED INC. PEA RIDGE, ARKANSAS
CELEBRATES 75 YEARS IN BUSINESS!
In the very North West corner of Arkansas is my hometown Pea Ridge. One of the most enduring businesses has been Webb's Feed and Seed, established in the 1930's by Hugh and Nell Webb. As a farm supply store and poultry production firm, Webb's was influential, especially in the 1940's, in greatly expanding he local broiler industry, thus improving local farm incomes. The store, now owned and operated by Fred and Mable Webb McKinney, continues in its original location on East Pickens downtown.

HISTORY OF WEB FEED AND SEED
1936 Webbe's Electric Hatchery and Feed opens
1940 Fred McKinney goes to work at the feed store
1942 Ralston Purina franchise obtained
1944 McKinney and Mable Webb got married
1946 Hugh Webb Sr, Wilson Webb, Fred McKinney and Russell Walker formed partnership
1950 Business was incorporated
1950 McKinney attended Purina feeding advisory school
(my entire childhood Fred was always winning some type of award from Purina)
1952 Walker sold to partners
1961 Hatchery operation sold
1971 McKinneys buy remaining stock of Webb Feed and Seed Inc.
2011 Celebrated 75 years in business

1950's
Fred McKinney turned 90 years old this year and is the brother of my Aunt Beulah. Fred was one of the first people to greet us when we moved to Pea Ridge. My Mom opened a restaurant just a couple doors down from the feed store, in what is now the City Hall. Some of my fondest memories of Fred is the massive chicken barbecues he would do for various organizations to raise money for philanthropic projects.

There were always live chickens or baby calves in the feed store to demonstrate how feeding them in a certain way would boost their growth. Just down the street was a chicken hatchery, where baby chicks were hatched under big lights.

So many things in Pea Ridge have changed, so it feels good to return home to see at least one thing that was there during my childhood.

1 comment:

  1. Wow, 75 years.. There's no much business that can last for so long.

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