243. S. H. Kress & Co., Pensacola's Premier Store 1903

Updated: Mar 28, 2022

The S. H. Kress & Company Department store first appeared in Pensacola around 1903. The chain of stores was originally established by Samuel Henry Kress in 1896. His stores were known for their elaborate architecture, many of which still survive today following the demise of the Kress dynasty. And contrary to the times, Kress built his stores in small towns rather than the larger metropolitan areas. And because of their reasonably priced merchandise and grandiose architecture, they quickly became the talk of the towns. His business acumen proved to be brilliant, which in turn made him rich by the early 1900's. Kress never married and passed away in 1955 in New York City at age 92. In the meantime, the first manager of the first Pensacola Kress 5 & 10 Store was John B. Nixon when the store was located in the Thiesen Building at 40 South Palafox Street.

By 1907, Harold C. Palmer had taken over the reins of management while living at 24 E. Romana Street. By 1910, the store had moved to its current location at 15 South Palafox Street. Next in line for management in 1913, was Herbert G. Bonney who lived with his wife Annie B. at 124 West Gadsden Street. However, in short order Herbert was transferred to the Kress store in Birmingham, Alabama making room for Ulysses S. Courtney. However, before long Ulysses moved on up north and was replaced by Harry V. Doggett. He and his wife Agnes "Daisy" Choate were married in Boston in 1913 prior to their southerly departure for Pensacola. And by 1919, the two were nestled in a rented house at 820 North 16th Avenue. By 1924, Harry was gone and another came to replace him. Sadly, their son Harry Jr. would enlist in the US Army Corps of Engineers and was killed in an accident at Koli Field, Guadalcanal in 1943. In the meantime, none of the subsequent managers seem to last very long either, giving rise to the theory that Pensacola was being used as a training ground for the company's new managers. By 1940, William Thomas Woodard was 33-years old and firmly established at the Pensacola Kress' manager as America was preparing for a global war. He and his wife Leone Blanche Walker were renting a house at 1820 Moreno Street for $30.00 per month. But nationalism patriotism was strong in those days and soon William found himself enlisting on May 29, 1944 in the US Army making yet another vacancy at their downtown store.

By 1960, the company's reputation was severely damaged throughout the South because African Americans were being excluded from their lunch counters. Kress along with Woolworth's, and Rexall were selected for protests, which led to the US Supreme Court ruling in Adickes vs S. H. Kress Co. The court ruled that the protester's convictions for vacancy during the protest were unconstitutional. Ironically, the Kress in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was saved from destruction only because of its historical value as the city's first civil rights sit-in. The stores are all gone now, as are the men and women who earned a living through them. The Kress 5 & 10 store was an institution in Pensacola that provided a huge variety of merchandise for a reasonable price when the citizens needed it the most! The store saw its Pensacola customers through WWI, the Great Depression, WWII and past the aftermath of Korea. But, as with all institutions, it is but a fading memory to a dwindling few!