The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-02-25
THE M'CURDYS SELL
Wilcox & Wilbur New Proprietors
OF Big Furniture Store.

Announcement is made today Of the
passing of Oskaloosa's oldest business
firm, }. b. MrCurdy & Co The big
store, one of the largest and most OK
TENSILE house furnishing establish
mCuts in southeastern Iowa becomes
the property of a new firm, The vii,
cox wi bur Company, possession to be
given about April first.
The McCurdy store is one of the
land marks OF older Oskaloosa, estab-
| lished in 1870 and the business has
shown a steady and consistent growth
until ii became one of the leading re
tail establishments of the town. The
new firm is composed of Howard Will
cox, who has been associated with
Ralph McCurdy in the business since
| 1913, a young man of wide acqualn-
tance in city and county and extended
business experience and Fred Wilbur
| OF Marshalltown, proprietor OF one
| of the big furniture stores of that sec
| ton of the state. Mr.. Wilbur is a
son OF d. G. Wilbur, old time furni,
ture dealer and has been brought up
in the furniture business" as one
might say. Tho sale of the McCurdy
| interests to Wilcox and Wilbur has a
larger significance than the ordinary
| transfer of the property to a new
! firm. 1t has a broader meaning than
a change of ownership. 1t means the
consolidation or merging of the big
business in OSkaloosa and the equally
large business in MarshalltOwn. Mail
aSement of the OskalOOSa property
! will be under the personal direction
Iof Howard Wilcox and that of the
Marshalltown end of the business Will
be in charge of Fred Wilbur. The mer
ger of interests of the two stores will
give the firm powers and standing in
! both the markets and with the home
alone The deal is said to be one of
the largest that has taken place IN
the Iowa furniture business in years.
| Oskaloosa people. while bidding
welcome to the new firm note the
going of the McCurdy's with undiS
guised regret. Theirs was the oldest
business house in Oskaioosa, Tor for
| ty five years under the same name
and in the same location J. l.. Nc
! Curly, founder of the business c;.l.e
to O5ka'OOsa in 1865. immediately fol
lowing his discharge from service. lie
entered the firm of Hamilton and Nc
| Curdy in the old RoOp Flour Mills in
west OSkaloosa and they added the
WOODEN manufacture part of tic
business. They sold this business to
Sieble and Esgen who came TO Os-
FalooSa from BonepartC, Iowa, and i'm
mediately thereafte" the furniture
and undertaking business Of }. l.. Nc
/ Curdy and Co. was established and
has ever been a successful and going
concern. Mr. MCCurdy has sent mCr
thandise into practically every home
in Mahaska county and lis bushes.
reached far out in all directions from
OSkalOOsa.
Ralph McCurdy, Son of J. r. Ne
CUrdy became interested in the bust
ness in 1899 Immediately upon the
completion Of his collegiate work al
the State University in tn" Spring OF
1899 and h" has been on tn" job ever
since, a steady, uninterrupted grind q;
sixteen years. In the recent years the
father has practically retired from the
business which was taken over by the
son. r.. 3. MCCurdy, who has been the
ltSlJOIolulC lltdu VI al oil . pul liz
name has ever remained the same, J
B. McCuTdy d Co. In the business
change now being consummated, the
McCurdys retain ownership of real-es
tate occupied ana only the stock and
the business go to the new firm
Ralph McCurdy will remain with the
new firm for the time being and vii
have accommodations in the business
Office. The settlement of accounts and
collections will occupy his attention
for time and he will give the new
company all assistance within his
power. Following the settlement Of
the business Ralph will take long
deserved vacation and rest beyond
which he has made no plans. The Nc
Curdy'S will however retain residence
in OskalOOsa and do not now COntem
plate removal to elsewhere.
Mr.. Wilbur, for the time being al
least will give his whole time and at
tention to the MarshalltOwn en1 oil
the business and will not have resi-
dence in OSkalOOsa