Sunday Favorites: Sowing Seeds of Opportunity

When I was growing up, we did a lot of camping on the Peace River. The days were long, so my brother, cousins, and I spent time exploring the surrounding forest. We left no stick unturned and no path untraveled. We played hard, building forts that could rival any survivalist, sliding in mud that would leave us covered from head to toe, and pretending that the brambles of palmetto bushes led to Narnia itself.

No fancy department store clothing was durable enough to withstand those activities. That’s why my mom took us to Smith’s Department Store every fall for head-to-toe camouflage clothing, including rubber boots. Unlike other stores, Smith children’s clothing was high-quality, thick canvas, like military-grade duds.

Smiths had all types of patterns. One year, my cousin, Amy, truly outdid herself – arriving in blueberry camo. It was a bold fashion choice for the wilderness, and while it may have negatively impacted her hide-and-seek, she managed to pull off the ultimate cool camo-chic look.

The store remained a beloved Palmetto fixture throughout my childhood, but as I entered high school, the city itself began to change. The family business was sold, making way for a chain drugstore that seemed to occupy a corner in every town in the United States. It marked the end of an era, casting a somber shadow over a truly distinctive and cherished legacy.

Inside Smth's Department Store in Palmetto, Fla.

I always wondered about the origin of the store, which had been around for more than seven decades. After a little research, I found It was originally started by a farmer, English Smith, and his wife Addie Smith.

In 1924, they sold their farm and cotton gin in rural Dublin, Ga., and moved south. English suffered respiratory problems and his physician recommended he relocate to Florida, specifically, he was told he should move to the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Tampa, according to a 1996 Manatee County Historical Society presentation by Vaylord Tyler entitled “Smith’s Department Store.”

That very same year, the Smiths moved to Palmetto and opened a shop, creating what would become the iconic Smith's Department Store on Lemon Avenue, which we now know as Eighth Avenue. Palmetto seemed like the perfect location as it was very much a farming community.

English was a pragmatic man who understood the needs of hardworking citizens. He stocked his store with items that met the practical needs of the community, offering a selection of affordable, study, and high-quality clothing that may not have turned heads at Paris Fashion Week but could certainly withstand the rigors of farm life, according to Tyler.

For those who still struggled to buy store-bought clothing, English filled his shelves with items to construct homemade attire including patterns, materials, and other sewing items. His practical and compassionate business model earned the respect of the townspeople, and many considered him a local hero, according to Tyler’s presentation.

In 1936, English expanded his business, opening a small grocery store next door. A wall separated the retail portion from the market. English planned for his son to take over the business one day. English Willard Smith, or “Cooter” as he was known to locals, helped his father manage day-to-day operations, then took over the grocery portion of the business upon his graduation from the University of Florida.

Amid growing the business, WWII began, and Cooter entered the U.S. Air Force and shipped overseas. During the war, Cooter’s wife Elka ran the grocery store. The war brought on new challenges for the Smith family. The U.S. government implemented strict rationing of essential goods including food, gas, and textiles to ensure there were enough supplies for soldiers and war-related industries. Customers had to use ration coupons to purchase meat, sugar, and butter, all of which were in short supply.

Smith’s Department Store also faced other significant challenges during the war including supply shortages, and labor constraints. Yet, it still played a crucial role in the community by adapting to the changing circumstances and supporting families during a challenging time in history.

By 1954, Cooter expanded his staff to include a store manager. Vaylord Tyler assumed the role, so Cooter had more flexibility to explore different companies and brands to keep costs down for quality items. It was a decision that would add to even more success and longevity to the business.

Tune in next week for part two of the Smith’s Department Store series.