Nave & McCord Mercantile Company
Encyclopedia
The Nave & McCord Mercantile Company was a major pioneer mercantile chain of stores in the Midwest from the mid-19th century through the early 1930s. The company’s primary founders were brothers-in-law Abram Nave and James McCord.
. He had arrived in town with a single wagonload of miscellaneous merchandise that he sold in a small building on the west side of the town square. The following year he married Lucy McCord in Saline County. She was born September 30, 1822 in Randolph County, Virginia. They would eventually have six children, two of which died young.
In 1846, Abram opened another store under the name Nave & McCord in Oregon, Missouri
, with his brother-in-law, James McCord. It was a partnership that would last 52 years, until Abram died. James was born January 7, 1826, in Randolph County, Virginia, one of four children (and only son) of William McCord and Sally Moss Field. He married Mary E. Hallick and they had 10 children.
From 1850-57, Abram, James and Dudley M. Steele were partners in the company Steele, McCord & Company that drove cattle, mules and other livestock from Missouri
to Sacramento, California
, where the animals were sold at a high profit. In the July 19, 1856, issue of the North West Democrat newspaper, it’s stated “Abram Nave reached home a few days ago from California. His numerous friends will be glad to hear he is in good health.”
(with partner Charles L. Clark), and Kansas City, Missouri
. However, despite the company’s growth, 1860 would prove to be a disastrous year. On the morning of July 5, 1860, fire broke out in the upper floor of the Nave & McCord building in St. Joseph. The building’s walls collapsed before the general alarm was given. The debris completely covered the tenement and nine people perished. Two of Nave & McCord’s clerks, who slept in the second story, had a narrow escape. The insurance companies refused to pay the loss on the building upon the grounds that the collapse had occurred before the fire. The case was tried at St. Louis, and after eight years of litigation resulted favorably to Nave & McCord thanks to an eyewitness. A guest at the nearby Patee House had been unable to sleep owing to the hot weather. Seated at his window, he said he noticed the flames and watched the fire for some time before he heard the crash when the building collapsed. Abram and James rebuilt their company and managed to continue its success.
In 1868, Abram co-founded Leech, Nave & Company in Kansas City, which later became a Nave & McCord branch office. In 1872, he co-founded the wholesale grocery house Nave, Goddard & Company in St. Louis. Later this store also became part of the Nave & McCord chain. Abram remained in St. Louis for 10 years overseeing the company before returning to St. Joseph. He also became a partner with James and others in the Smith-McCord Dry Goods Company in Pueblo, Colo., and a stockholder in the Henry Krug Packing Company in St. Joseph.
The C.D. Smith & Company was founded in St. Joseph in 1859 with Abram and James as co-partners with Dudley M. Steele and Charles Daniel Smith, the latter of which was the company’s manager. The company was originally a grocery wholesale business, but later became a drug store in 1886. Amazingly, the company remained in the Smith family for 133 years until it was bought by company employees in 1992. C.D. Smith Healthcare was acquired by AmeriSource Health Corporation in 1999.
In 1879, a new Omaha branch of the mercantile company was opened under the name Nave, McCord & Brady. John Speer Brady moved to St. Joseph, Mo., in 1866 and got a job soon after at Nave, McCord & Company. After 13 years of service, he opened the Omaha branch and managed it. Abram eventually sold his interest in the branch and it was renamed the McCord-Brady Company. The building still stands and became Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
in 1995. Another McCord-Brady office was later opened in Cheyenne, Wyoming
, from 1915-32.
More than 10 years younger than Abram, James McCord continued to branch out on his own with various mercantile and grocery businesses in Fort Worth, Texas
; Oklahoma City
; Kansas City, Mo.; Topeka, Kansas
; and Hutchison, Kansas; as well as a real estate firm in St. Joseph.
Abram’s wife Lucy died November 9, 1853, in Savannah. He married his second wife, Mary _______, about 1878. They ended up in a bitter divorce. Abram married a third time to Augusta Bagwell on Feb. 25, 1885. He had no children from either of these latter marriages.
.
at the mouth of Spring Creek in Garza County, Texas
. The company created the Square and Compass Ranch after purchasing 125000 acres (505.9 km²) in Garza County. About half of the ranch land was on the Llano Estacado
, which was high and level and good summer pasture, and the rest was in the broken land, which made excellent winter pasture. The herd was gradually increased through additional purchases to 15,000 head. The Square and Compass name and brand were reportedly patterned after the emblem of the Masons, of which Abram was a member. Fenced in 1884, the ranch was operated at a modest profit despite blizzards and drought in 1886. The ranch and cattle were sold in 1901 to John B. Slaughter, who renamed it the U Lazy S Ranch. The sale included 99188 acres (401.4 km²) of land at $1.60 an acre and 5,000 cattle.
. Today several of the company’s former buildings still stand, including those in St. Joseph, Mo; Atchison, Kan.; and Omaha, Neb.
Early history
One of four children of Henry B. and Mary (Brooks) Nave, Abram Nave was born June 15, 1815, in Cocke County, Tennessee, and came to Saline County, Missouri, with his family about a year later. In 1841, Abram made his first business venture with $1,000 borrowed from his father. With the capital, he opened a general store in Savannah, a small town located in Andrew County, MissouriAndrew County, Missouri
-External links:* from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books...
. He had arrived in town with a single wagonload of miscellaneous merchandise that he sold in a small building on the west side of the town square. The following year he married Lucy McCord in Saline County. She was born September 30, 1822 in Randolph County, Virginia. They would eventually have six children, two of which died young.
In 1846, Abram opened another store under the name Nave & McCord in Oregon, Missouri
Oregon, Missouri
Oregon is a city in Holt County, Missouri, United States. The population was 935 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Holt County.The 1928 Oregon boys' basketball, which featured future University of Missouri coach Wilbur Stalcup, won the state basketball tournament at a time when Missouri...
, with his brother-in-law, James McCord. It was a partnership that would last 52 years, until Abram died. James was born January 7, 1826, in Randolph County, Virginia, one of four children (and only son) of William McCord and Sally Moss Field. He married Mary E. Hallick and they had 10 children.
From 1850-57, Abram, James and Dudley M. Steele were partners in the company Steele, McCord & Company that drove cattle, mules and other livestock from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, where the animals were sold at a high profit. In the July 19, 1856, issue of the North West Democrat newspaper, it’s stated “Abram Nave reached home a few days ago from California. His numerous friends will be glad to hear he is in good health.”
Company formed
Abram and James formed the wholesale grocery company Nave, McCord & Company in 1857 in St. Joseph, Missouri. By 1860, the company had expanded its operations over an extensive territory and branch offices were soon opened in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
(with partner Charles L. Clark), and Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. However, despite the company’s growth, 1860 would prove to be a disastrous year. On the morning of July 5, 1860, fire broke out in the upper floor of the Nave & McCord building in St. Joseph. The building’s walls collapsed before the general alarm was given. The debris completely covered the tenement and nine people perished. Two of Nave & McCord’s clerks, who slept in the second story, had a narrow escape. The insurance companies refused to pay the loss on the building upon the grounds that the collapse had occurred before the fire. The case was tried at St. Louis, and after eight years of litigation resulted favorably to Nave & McCord thanks to an eyewitness. A guest at the nearby Patee House had been unable to sleep owing to the hot weather. Seated at his window, he said he noticed the flames and watched the fire for some time before he heard the crash when the building collapsed. Abram and James rebuilt their company and managed to continue its success.
Other investments
With the company back in the black, Abram began to diversify his interests, including the St. Joseph & Denver Railroad, and various banks, insurance companies and other firms.In 1868, Abram co-founded Leech, Nave & Company in Kansas City, which later became a Nave & McCord branch office. In 1872, he co-founded the wholesale grocery house Nave, Goddard & Company in St. Louis. Later this store also became part of the Nave & McCord chain. Abram remained in St. Louis for 10 years overseeing the company before returning to St. Joseph. He also became a partner with James and others in the Smith-McCord Dry Goods Company in Pueblo, Colo., and a stockholder in the Henry Krug Packing Company in St. Joseph.
The C.D. Smith & Company was founded in St. Joseph in 1859 with Abram and James as co-partners with Dudley M. Steele and Charles Daniel Smith, the latter of which was the company’s manager. The company was originally a grocery wholesale business, but later became a drug store in 1886. Amazingly, the company remained in the Smith family for 133 years until it was bought by company employees in 1992. C.D. Smith Healthcare was acquired by AmeriSource Health Corporation in 1999.
In 1879, a new Omaha branch of the mercantile company was opened under the name Nave, McCord & Brady. John Speer Brady moved to St. Joseph, Mo., in 1866 and got a job soon after at Nave, McCord & Company. After 13 years of service, he opened the Omaha branch and managed it. Abram eventually sold his interest in the branch and it was renamed the McCord-Brady Company. The building still stands and became Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art is located at 724 South 12th Street in the Old Market Historic District of downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The Bemis was founded by artists Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke and Ree Schonlau in 1981. The spirit and programs of the Bemis Center for Contemporary...
in 1995. Another McCord-Brady office was later opened in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, from 1915-32.
More than 10 years younger than Abram, James McCord continued to branch out on his own with various mercantile and grocery businesses in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
; Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
; Kansas City, Mo.; Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
; and Hutchison, Kansas; as well as a real estate firm in St. Joseph.
Abram’s wife Lucy died November 9, 1853, in Savannah. He married his second wife, Mary _______, about 1878. They ended up in a bitter divorce. Abram married a third time to Augusta Bagwell on Feb. 25, 1885. He had no children from either of these latter marriages.
Incorporation
Nave, McCord & Company was incorporated and re-christened as the Nave & McCord Mercantile Company in 1880. Also in 1880, property was secured for a new building in St. Joseph on South Third Street near the lines of the Missouri Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads. Disaster struck again when a handcart loaded with nails crashed into the supporting timbers and set fire to the uncompleted edifice by crashing into an area in which matches were stored. The new five-story, brick building was finally completed in 1882. That same year, a new branch office was opened in Atchison, KansasAtchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Atchison County...
.
Cattle Company
The Nave-McCord Cattle Company was formed in 1881 in Texas with an initial investment of 1,500 cattle and the purchase of the range rights on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos RiverDouble Mountain Fork Brazos River
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is an ephemeral, sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about southeast of Tahoka, Texas, flowing east-northeast across the western Rolling Plains to join the Salt Fork, forming the Brazos River about west-northwest of...
at the mouth of Spring Creek in Garza County, Texas
Garza County, Texas
Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas southeast of Lubbock. In 2000, its population was 4,872. Its county seat is Post. Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that county....
. The company created the Square and Compass Ranch after purchasing 125000 acres (505.9 km²) in Garza County. About half of the ranch land was on the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
, which was high and level and good summer pasture, and the rest was in the broken land, which made excellent winter pasture. The herd was gradually increased through additional purchases to 15,000 head. The Square and Compass name and brand were reportedly patterned after the emblem of the Masons, of which Abram was a member. Fenced in 1884, the ranch was operated at a modest profit despite blizzards and drought in 1886. The ranch and cattle were sold in 1901 to John B. Slaughter, who renamed it the U Lazy S Ranch. The sale included 99188 acres (401.4 km²) of land at $1.60 an acre and 5,000 cattle.
Dissolution
Abram Nave died June 23, 1898, in St. Joseph, and James McCord died September 24, 1903 in the same city. By then, the sons of both men had become involved in Nave & McCord. St. Joseph city directories show that the Nave & McCord Mercantile Company lasted until at least 1930, but the company was liquidated soon afterward. Like so many businesses during this time, it was most likely a victim of the DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Today several of the company’s former buildings still stand, including those in St. Joseph, Mo; Atchison, Kan.; and Omaha, Neb.
External links
- Square and Compass Ranch - The Handbook of Texas Online.
- The Nave Family - Family history
- Find a Grave - Abram Nave