Catoe Hotel
John McLeod Grocery
Belk Department Store
Chesterfield Hardware (Rivers and Johnson, Owners)
Chesterfield Hardware (Tommy Crawley, Owner)
Crawford Furniture 2007
Billie Cole Moore Mackey: My mother, Gladys Cole Moore, was the manager and buyer for the ladies ready-to-wear department. Annie Hunt White worked with my mother for years. Lealla Gaskins Rivers was the manager of the notions and accessories department. Sara Davidson Gardner managed the home furnishings department. Bessie Davis Griggs was the alterations lady, and she had an alteration room in the rear of the building. I believe that Owens Poston was the manager for the men’s department, and I recall that Gene Davis worked there. The store managers that I can recall were Charles Hunley; Earl Jones, who left Chesterfield to manage the Belk store in Texarkana; and Nat Watson, who was the manager for a number of years. My first employment was a Saturday (8:00 AM to 8:00PM) gift-wrapping job at Belk, and I recall that I made $1.96 after deductions.
Elizabeth Ann Gaddy Rivers: Willis Thurman was the manager of the Belk shoe department. Belk had an X-Ray machine that allowed a shoe clerk to look at a customer's feet to determine the shoe size that would give the best fit. Willis used to let me look at my foot bones-even when I wasn't buying shoes! Who would have thought that would be dangerous! Willis was the great-uncle of my friend, Donna Jones Davis Freeman. Also, Lonnie Dorman worked in the men's department; he was Annie Jane Dorman Melton's brother.
I. Jackson Rivers, Jr. and Carol Outen Johnson bought the hardware business from the Duvalls of Cheraw when it was located on the north side of Main Street. They moved to the south side and operated it until they sold it to Tommy Crawley; he closed it in 2006. Mike Crawford of Crawford Furniture has moved his business from the north side of Main Street to this location.