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.