Gryder’s Store on Fulton’s Town Square: A Business During the 1880’s

The John S. Gryder family appears on the 1853 state census of Itawamba County. He and his wife, Sarah Ann Carroll Gryder had no children at this time. By 1860 this family lived in the Verona vicinity. The family included two children: William C. (2 years of age) and John J. (3 months of age). John S. ran a mercantile business in Verona.

During the Civil War John S. served in Company C (Town Creek Rifles) of the Confederate army. After the Civil War the family moved to the 9th precinct of the Third District of Itawamba County. They lived about three miles south of present-day Peppertown in the vicinity of Mantachie Creek.

In 1865, a son, James, was born and in 1868 another son, Lee was born. After the war until about 1879, John S. farmed the rich bottomlands of Mantachie Creek. During 1880 John S. and his family resided in the town of Fulton, where he began a mercantile business. John’s son, William C. married Minnie Stribling of Fulton during 1882. During September of 1883, a son named Freddie Lee was born, but died during July of 1884. A marble monument marks the grave in the old section of the Fulton Cemetery. John Gryder’s other son, Robert Edgar Lee, married Lulah Elliott of Tupelo and was listed as a retail clerk during the 1900 census of Tupelo. The 1910 Lee County census lists him as a drygoods merchant in Shannon. William C. and his family are listed in the 1910 Lowndes County census as living on 6th Street in Columbus. His occupation was traveling clothing salesman.

The first Gryder store in Fulton went under the name of Gryder and Son with the partners being John S. and his son William C. By the mid-1880’s the father had retired and William continued business with a new partner – S.R. Stribling, his brother-in-law, and with a new name – Will Gryder and Company.

The above bill of sale from Gryder and Company was dated March 13, 1884 and was for the account belonging to Col. D.N. Cayce of Fulton.