John David George, Old Time Grocer in BG
by Tim Campbell · first published 5 April 2020 · his original post
A while back I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase an old 1929 calendar that was an advertising premium given out by the J.D. George Grocery Store in Blooming Grove, Texas (photos attached). The calendar depicts a boy fishing at "The Old Fishing Hole", fishing being a popular past time of the country folk in the Grove. The calendar was obviously sponsored by the Decker Meat Company, undoubtedly one of George's major suppliers.
John David George was born October 13, 1883 near Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama to Robert Dewilda George and Elizabeth David McMillan. Interestingly, the name Dewilda is also seen spelled as Dewilder and Dewilde in old records. Dewilde is Dutch for "The Wild One".
Capt. Robert Dewilda George enlisted in the 1st Alabama Infantry, company B, in 1861 and during the course of the war was promoted to Sergeant-Major. In 1864 he was married to Elizabeth in Wilcox County then returned to duty. As the war neared its end he was transferred to Company I and made a captain. He served until the close of the war, surrendering at Greensboro, NC under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston. In 1892 he brought his wife and children to Blooming Grove, Texas. Robert and Elizabeth George's children included Thomas, Mary (Mamie), Robert D Jr, Richard, Fannie, Ora Belle, Bessie, John David, and Leila. By 1900, John D.'s older brother Robert had started a grocery store in Blooming Grove. Another brother, Richard, was the editor of the local newspaper, the Blooming Grove Rustler. His sister, Mary Missouri "Mamie" George had married one of Blooming Grove's leading citizens, Robert Burton Grady, who ran the Grady Hotel and served as postmaster.
In April 1907 John D. George married Mattie Ruth Dorsey in Blooming Grove. Mattie Ruth's sister, Minnie Dorsey, married W.J. Spurlock within 3 days. On April 14th, 1957, these two couples celebrated their golden wedding anniversary together at the George home in Blooming Grove (see clipping attached).
By 1910, Robert D George Jr had transitioned from the grocery business to a dry goods store in Blooming Grove. John D. George, in 1908, had taken up the grocery business, where he employed his father-in-law, James Lafayette Dorsey. It is said this store was previously owned by Mr. Dorsey. A map is attached (see the comments) showing the 4 grocery stores on the west side of Fordye Street in 1910, one of them being J.D. George's. One was at the southwest corner of 2nd and Fordyce, where the BG Museum and Historical Society is now located, and another was in a row of buildings along South Main Street that faced north to the railroad (where the Prosperity Bank driveway is now), One was among the buildings now owned by Central Baptist Church, and still another across from what is now the BG Post Office. It is not known for certain which was George's, perhaps a reader or two can help with that?
When the store first opened, George's delivered groceries to homes in town by horse and buggy. When Henry Ford began his mass production line, the store upgraded to a Model T truck.
A photo is attached which shows the J.D. George store circa 1910-1915. The large Coca Cola sign with the slogan "Relieves Fatigue" is believed to be circa 1908. Note the fresh apples in crates sitting atop barrels outside the store. Note also the primitive board sidewalks that at one time lined the streets of Blooming Grove. Left to right, the men pictured are Will Boyd, John David George, Bert Bower, and John Collier.
By 1920, the J.D. & Mattie George family had grown, with 4 of their 5 children having been born, and the grocery store was still in successful operation. When the attached advertising calendar was printed in 1928 for the coming year of 1929, Blooming Grove was still a booming western style town with 2 banks, a railroad, a tailor, dry goods stores, a barber, grocery stores, 2 hotels, and much more, although prohibition had dampened the business district. By the time the calendar reached its end in December 1929, Blooming Grove and the nation had fallen into the Great Depression. J.D. George's Grocery weathered the storm and was still in business in the 1940s at the close of World War II. It appears to have been sold or ceased operations in 1948, after 40 years in business.
Some local citizens who were employed at George's store over the years included G.E. Ramsey (husband of local legendary English teacher Ruth Ramsey), Kay Hartley, Packer Grady, Harry Rawlinson, Bill Crawford, Marvin Glass, and Dee Fitzgerald.
Your author's father, Thomas Edgar Campbell (1921-1991) remembered visiting J.D. George's grocery many times as a boy. He remembered buying Nehi Red soda there for a "nickel a bottle". He also remembered dropping a buffalo nickel on the board sidewalk and watching it roll between the cracks and fall out of sight. He whittled a slender twig from a nearby tree, placed a piece of chewing gum on the end, fished it between the boards, stuck it to the nickel, and voila! The nickel was retrieved and promptly converted to candy in George's store.
John David George and wife Mattie's children were John Dorsey George, Robert Ralph George, Cora Lee George, Leila Ruth George (Johnson), and Viola George (Sample). J.D. lived in Blooming Grove for over 85 years. He was a member of Central Baptist Church. He lived to be 92 and is interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.