King's Cash Market | Post Office | Pusser's Department Store
Pusser's Department Store
Pusser's Men Store and Tack (left) | (right) Dance Studio
Pusser's Men Store and Tack (left) | (right) Furniture Outlet
Pusser's Men Store and Tack (left) | (right) Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Offices
H. W. and Mary Etta Whitley Pusser moved their family here in 1897 from New Salem in NC and started a dry goods business at 152 Main Street, where Kevin Lear on Main is located today. Their children were Welborn, Fulton, Henry, Ted, Mary, Bessie, Lessie, Charles, and Eva Mae. Welborn worked in his father's store, and probably some of the other older ones did, too. He left the store and opened his own store up the street in the building most recently occupied by Jones Real Estate but now vacant. From there he moved to a larger building even further up the north side of the street to 136 Main Street, most recently occupied by Crawford Furniture and now vacant. Eventually he moved to the south side of Main and opened his business in what is now a portion of Chesterfield Drug. At that time this building was divided into three sections. The one furthest east was a grocery store; the middle one was a post office and, at some time, a dime store; the westernmost section was Pusser's Department Store. Welborn Pusser eventually expanded his business into all three sections; I remember that my paternal grandmother, Arie Parker Gaddy, worked there at that time. During World War II, the building burned, and some time after that, Pusser's was re-located to a small building at 126 Main Street on the north side. Welborn's son Hugh took over the management there and then moved the business back down the street to 136 Main Street, a location at which his father had operated the business many years earlier. During the time Pusser's was located on the north side of the street, Hadley Caulder of Teal's Mill rebuilt the burned-out store on the south side, and Hugh moved the business there in the late 50's or early 60's. I remember that he was at that location when Plume did his accounting work in the 60's. In the latter part of the 20th century, this building was partitioned once again with Pusser's Men Shop and Tack occupying the left side. Today the Fourth Circuit Solicitor's offices are in the right side. Other businesses in that side in previous years include a dance studio, office and showroom of Suburban Propane, and a furniture outlet.
James W. Jenkins: In the early part of the last century, windstorms in the western part of the country caused the government to gather up cattle and ship them to the East coast. Many people gained possession of an unexpected windfall and began raising cattle for market. The King family operated an abattoir in the Shiloh area, and they operated a store where Pusser's is located today. It was called King's Cash Market.