Ben Franklin Store

Remember the Ben Franklin stores?  What a wonderful store to have in your hometown.  Everything you needed or wanted could just about be purchased in these store.  When I got married in the 60's, this is where my wedding dinnerware was purchased and also my silverware.  My dinnerware was white with gold trim and the pattern was fall leaves.  It is beautiful.

 

Charles W. Pugh first opened the variety store in March 1928.  It was located on East Carlisle Street . 

The franchise was arranged through Butler Brothers in St. Louis.  Butler Brothers supplied the stock, and Joe Jones, who worked at the store, (but would be the future owner) said he and two others went to the St. Louis warehouse three times a year to buy for the store.

It wasn't until the year, 1929, that the Ben Franklin franchise was purchased and it became the  Ben Franklin Store. 

 

In 1932 the Ben Franklin Store moved from the Carlisle Street location to it's popular location on Marion Street next to the City Drug Store.   Stewart's Dry  Goods had vacated the building.

 

In 1936 Joe Jones purchased the store, and it stayed in the family until it closed.

In 1971, Everett Jones, nephew of Joe Jones, and his wife Alberta, moved to Marion and joined his Uncle as a partner in the store.  Later Everett and Alberta were the owners of the store.

In 1978 the Ben Franklin store closed.  Mrs. Jones, said the closing was not brought about by a lack of business, but since her husband had died last year, she had found it was to hard to try and keep it going by herself.  Marion was sad to know that it's Ben Franklin store was closing.  It was hoped someone would purchase it and reopen it, but that dream didn't happen.