Fitzgerald historian Paul Dunn relayed this history to my father via telephone: “This was L. D. Wright’s grocery store. Railroad employees charged their purchases and later “picked up” their tickets and paid their balances in the store. L. D. Wright ran two “store trucks” and traveled the area trading groceries for chickens, eggs, etc. The trucks were loaded with chicken crates to facilitate this practice.“
The blue decal on the door suggests that Wright was associated with the RIO brand. RIO, an acronym for Retail Independently Owned, was a grocery syndicate once associated with hundreds of small stores throughout Georgia.
Passed Mr..Buddy’s store walking to school at first ward. My sister had a real sweet tooth and would by candy for her friends after school until mama realized what she was doing and stopped if. That was the day when you could “charge” it and pay monthly. Really missed that little store when it closed.
I went to Wright’s Grocery on my bicycle after school and Mr. Wright had so much patience as us kids took “all day” trying to decide how to spend our little bit of change. A big treat was to ride my bike all the way from our home on West Central Ave. back to Wright’s Grocery to purchase a Coca-Cola for my older sisters. They treated me to one too, for making the trip for all of us!
Mr. Buddy and Mrs. Rosa Wright lived right next door to the store. They had no children except those of us in Sunday school at First Baptist. Uncle Buddy probably gave away a fortune in stock chewing gum over the years. Hisl store was a place you could go and talk to him when you could not talk to your parents. His brother-in-law Travis Morris who had the Sinclair distrubership lived on the corner across from the store. That must have been why Buddy sold Sinclair gas and oil. The meat cutter was mr. Pope I think
In Clay County, “store trucks” mentioned here were called “rolling stores”, I believe.
All us younguns that went to first ward school went there for snacks and candy
Buddy Wright’s store, 1 block west of First Ward School. Had a covered porch on the front.
Where in Fitzgerald is this old store located? Also, is Paul Dunn related to the late Pat Dunn and his brother, Shep??
I was just informed it’s on West Suwanee St. in Fitzgerald.
Wright store was a block west of old 1st ward school (north end) on the corner. Us 1st ward younguns spent a many a nickel there before and after school in the 50s