Those were the days when we still had these businesses

There have been many changes in Webb City throughout the years, mainly in businesses that have come and gone. Sometimes, your mind may remember a business that used to be located in town and many times, absence can cause to forget it was ever there until someone mentions it and your memory comes back. That is what this article is going to do. We are going to mention a business that is no longer there and some of us may have forgotten about, but mentioning the business may jar your memory.

Matthews Coffee Company, 1003-1007 W. Daugherty St., 1931 – 1967 located where Etter’s Bakery was located in1897 as a wooden frame building. The brick building was built around the wooden building in 1918 while the bakery continued the business during the construction. Fannie Matthews rented out 12 rooms upstairs for spending money.

 S.H.Kress Dime Store, 4 S. Main St. Built in 1909 by Kress Syndicate Company. Excitement by Webb City Citizens was hard to contain as they awaited the building of the dime store. Local citizens gathered along Main Street on Saturday nights for visiting and shopping. One lady remembered when she was a young girl that every family within driving distance gathered on Main Street on Saturday night. When Kress closed at 9 o’clock it was time to head home and impatiently wait for next Saturday.  Kress had a vast array of merchandise, like trinkets, school supplies, perfume, candy of all kinds, and even handkerchiefs. Anything you would want to buy as a gift.

Russell’s Cafe, 2 S. Main St., also named Webb City Cafe after Russell’s. Step inside and be greeted by the waitress in her uniform, carrying her order pad and two glasses of ice water. Order a dinner or hamburger and fries served with a bottle of pop with an upside down glass over the open bottle. The waitresses knew everyone in town.

Sidewalk Sales all over Main Street. One time, they had a children’s carnival with a small Ferris Wheel, merry-go-round, little cars and lots of fun. This picture is taken outside of the Kress Dime Store in the ’60s. You could see everyone in town at the sidewalk sale!

We may take another trip to visit stores no longer around.