Barton County KS Archives History - Books .....E. R. Moses Mercantile Co., Hoisington 1912 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 9, 2007, 3:33 pm Book Title: Biographical History Of Barton County E. R. Moses Mercantile Co., Hoisington, Kansas In the fall of 1891, G. N. Moses, E. R. Moses and D. J. Lewis bought the little two story 25x70 frame building, and the hardware business it contained, of Alex. Dennis. The next year they added a two story building of steel 50x100 and filled it with good new goods. Almost each year since they have added new buildings and equipment until now the store has a frontage of 125 f«et of modern plate glass show windows and the building contains over 25,000 square feet of floor space, and over fifteen men are employed the year round. In May, 1905, this store, with the one at Great Bend, were incorporated, and the name changed from Hoisington Hardware and Implement Co., to the E. R. Moses Mercantile Co. The management of the store has been in charge of Mr. D. J. Lewis since its founding, and the firm has always been ready to aid and assist in Hoisington's growth and development. They have full confidence in Hoisington and her people and see nothing but a bright future for the town. Mr. Lewis was born in Wales, coming to America when a young man, first working in Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade of contractor and builder. From there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, then to Wisconsin and Illinois, and finally came to Kansas in the 70s. He farmed and contracted in Rice County and later in Barton, until taking up the management of the business at its beginning. The business began with hardware and this department has always been kept up in first class shape. One of the most complete and best arranged paint stocks in the state is a part of the department. The jewelry department has charge of the Missouri Pacific Railway watch inspection for Hoisington to Pueblo and carries a fine stock of railroad watches, diamonds, cut glass, fine china and silver. A fully equipped optical department, in charge of a graduate optician is a feature of the department. The shoe and furnishing department is fully stocked and the very best lines of goods produced in the country are well represented in the stock. The furniture department contains a complete stock of house furnishings of all kinds and the finest equipped and stocked undertaking rooms in Kansas west of Kansas City on the Missouri Pacific. The heating and plumbing department is in charge of thoroughly efficient mechanics, and their strongest bid for new work is the satisfied customers they have worked for in times past. The harness department make all kinds of harness and leather work, and is in charge of a first class harness maker. A large stock of harness, nets, collars, whips, etc., is carried. The implement department carries a big display of farm implements and wagons, windmills, fencing, scales, gas engines, buggies and cream separators. The store's policy has been liberal and progressive, and ever abreast of the times. No worthy man ever asked credit or help, without receiving it, and the great business the store does year after year shows that it merits the confidence of the people. The firm of E. R. Moses Mercantile Company is an evolution of the firms of Burton & Johnson, Burton, Odell & Moses, Burton, Moses & Brother and G. N. & E. R. Moses. The first named firm came here from Argonia, Kansas, and bought out the store of Mr. Morphy who owned a stock of hardware in a building on the north side of the square on lot 18, block 20. This was in 1874 and in the following year Mr. Johnson sold his interest to Odell and Moses, the firm name being changed to Burton, Odell & Moses. This firm was composed of E. W. Burton, W. H. Odell, Geo. N. Moses. In April, 1877, E. R. Moses bought out Mr. Odell and the firm name became Burton, Moses and Brother. In 1881 Mr. Burton retired and the firm became G. N. & E. R. Moses. In 1900 George N. sold his interest in the business to E. R. Moses and since that time the business has been run under the name of E. R. Moses Mercantile Company. This firm is the result of many ups and downs with the latter in the minority and the men who helped in building up the business had to contend with all the hardships and trials incident to all pioneer firms in a new country. This business was built up in a part of the Great American Desert where sand and wind; grasshoppers, and crop failures prevailed in the early seventies. The life of the business was as uncertain as the crops and when the crops were continued failures the different lines of business were a continual nightmare and many of them finally changed hands or petered out. All have gone when this business was started in 1874 as have also many who came afterwards. It is hard to think of those brave fellows who worked early and late, hard and earnestly and left too soon to reap where they had sown, having grown tired of waiting in vain for good crops and better times that never came. In those days class distinction played no part in the work of upbuilding and everybody aided in making things as pleasant as possible for his neighbors. The senior members of the firms that ran the E. R. Moses Mercantile Company business before this time have all passed away. Mr. Burton died in 1886, Mr. Odell a few years later, Geo. N. Moses in 1911. The business carried on by the E. R. Moses Mercantile Co. is a department store and one of the largest in the west and carries everything in the the general merchandise line from a pin to a piano, and supplies everything that is needed by the people of this county from the cradle to the grave. The principal lines are hardware, stoves, tin, copper, granite, nickle and aluminum ware, dishes, novelties, watches, clocks, jewelry, silver and cut glass ware, kodaks, furniture, carpets, curtains, trunks and valises, sewing machines, pianos and organs, and smaller musical instruments, farm implements and machinery, wagons, buggies, pumps, windmills, tinning, plumbing and heating, paints, oils, glass, undertaking and embalming. They say it takes three classes of people to settle a country, the pioneer, the tenderfoot and the sticker. There are many more chances than this in a business life. In the hardware and implement line we count the following names that have come and gone: A. W. Gray, Dodge & Co., William Friend, John Frank, Brinkman and Gwinn, Balm and Balm, Sterrit and Co., J. A. Sterrit, Charles Culver, Hulme, Patterson, Kern and Co., Cook and Panning, S. P. Bell, F. H. Miller and Fred Hemker and several transient ones who are coming and going all the time. In 1880 the firm of Burton, Moses & Brother opened a branch store in Gunnison, Colorado. Mr. E. W. Burton and G. N. Moses took charge of this store and E. R. Moses ran the Great Bend store. Two years later the partnership of Burton, Moses & Brother ceased, Mr. Burton taking the Gunnison store and G. N. and E. R. Moses the Great Bend store. In 1891 G. N. Moses and E. R. Moses opened two branch stores; one at Hoisington and one at Claflin. Mr. D. J. Lewis was put in as manager of the Hoisington branch and Mr. John A. Earth as a manager of the Claflin store. These stores were developed into large department stores. In 1901 Mr. E. R. Moses sold the Claflin store to Barth and Herthel on account of engaging in the banking business and not wanting the care of it. Having organized the Citizens National Bank of Great Bend and later on the Pawnee Rock State Bank and the Peoples' State Baak of Hoisington, all of which he is president of. The store at Hoisington has been increased from time to time until it is one of the most complete stores in the state of Kansas. Carrying goods in addition to what they carry in Great Bend, boots, shoes, hats, caps, gents' furnishing goods, and they also manufacture harness. It has a frontage of 150 feet with a building 125 by 100 feet, two stories with a nice plate glass front For two years G. N. and E. R. Moses were engaged in the real estate business with W. M. Gunnell, but when G. N. retired from business E. R. Moses having enough to attend to, sold his interest with G. N. Moses to W. M. Gunnell. This business was a success. When Mr. Gunnell died the firm of Dawson & Zutavern bought the business and made it a much greater success. The Great Bend store occupies two rooms on Main street 50 by 140 feet, two stories and a basement, another building on Williams street 300 by 100 feet. E. R. Moses believes if anybody wants to make a success of his business he must stick to it, hug it closer and watch it more when times are hard and after a number of years he can take it easier, but he must stick to it for there is nothing he can do so well as to keep busy watching his business grow as long as he lives. He also believes that too many changes are liable to cause failure. E. R. Moses, jr., looks after the mercantile business, at the present time while E. R., sr., advises with him. He is a young man who has made good by close application and constantly sticking to it, backed by a good education and right living. He knows what it is as he has passed through every department and has learned every detail. He is pleasant, whole-souled, kind and generous and well liked by all who know him. The E. R. Moses Mer. Co. is an incorporated firm. The officers are E. R. Moses, sr., pres., E. R. Moses, jr., vice-pres, W. W. Nimocks, secretary, D. J. Lewis, treasurer. Mr. Nimocks sold his interest to Mr. E. R. Moses, jr., who was made vice-president and secretary. Additional Comments: From: Biographical History Of Barton County File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/barton/history/1912/biograph/ermosesm57gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 10.1 Kb