Imperial Valley press., 1933-10-19

Currier operating the Holtville
store.
Through hard work, and q thor
ough knowledge of the business, the
firm prospered and in 1910 was
given the opportunity to purchase
the old Houck store in BraWley. Al
ter many financial difficulties this
store was finally taken over and,
as the room it occupied was en-
tirely inadequate for expansion, a
few months later the Murray Fur
niture company was also purchased
and the two stores were consoli-
dated. Paul Anderson was installed
as manager of the new store.
Start Wholesale Department
From 1910 until 1912 the COM
pany grew and the three stores had
all moved into larger quarters. Each
had been equipped in line with the
best practices of the times.
About the same time the young
partners had started in business in
Holtville, the Redlands Hardware
company had established a branch
in the new town of Ell Centre, op-
ening it under the name of the
Ell Centre Hardware and Imple-
ment company. This business also
grew fast until it was more i'm
portant to the principal owner,
Charles H. Hersee, than the Red
lands store and he moved to Ell
Centro to take personal charge OF
it.
During 1912 Hersee and the An
derson and Meyer company estab-
lished in Ell Centro what is now
the wholesale department of the
Imperial Valley Hardware company
1t was operated at that time as the
Anderson and Meyer Warehouse
company and was used to pur-
chase, store and distribute merchan-
disc in carload quantities to the
four stores which owned it. This op-
Grafton brought the two companies
closer together and after Mr.. Hersee
sold out his implement department,
leased his surplus room and acquired
all the outside stock in his company
the two firms were finally merged
and re-incorporated under the
name of the Imperial Valley Hard
ware company The new company
took over the whole operation OH
January l, 1913.
During the first year the new
company established an entirely
new store at Seeley, the only new
one ever started by the concern
They also bought out the Fuller
store in Imperial. A new building
was built in Imperial to allow ex-
pansion to correspond with the
others.
At the end of 1918, or 18 years
ago, the company successfully was
operating six large stores and the
distributing warehouse in Ell Cen
tro and had a capital of $250,000.
In 1909, the company had started
the practice of taking into the firm
as member, loyal employees who had
proved their worth to the firm. This
policy still is continued.
Two serious fire losses were Suf-
fered in 1915, one at Imperial ano
one at Brawley. Both stores were
destroyed. The credit of the firm
was SO strong that both stores i'm
mediately were started in tempor-
ary locations and as soon as build
ings couTl be rebuilt, were reestab-
lished better than they had beer
before.
The company purchased tho
Wolflin- Hamilton Furniture com
pany of Ell Centre. Prior to this
time there was no furniture de-
partment in Ell Centre.
Howard P. Meyer was transferred
to the furniture store which was OPP
Grated under the name Meyer Fur
niture company" and Warren Cur
rier was made manager OF tho Holt
vile store.
AT the time of the merger
George Anderson had removed tt
Ell Centro as general manager ane
was in charge of the warehouse
and purchasing departments. E. E
Anderson became the new manage
at Calexico.
Buy Another Store
The operation of the Ell Centre
Hardware store had not been ;
success financially and in Januar,
of 1916, Howard Meyer and Georg
Anderson purchased the interest
of Charles H. Hersee. Meyer thei
was placed is charge of both tn