| Marker Text |
Charles C. Butt, his wife, Florence (Thornton), and their children moved to San Antonio from Memphis, Tennessee, in 1904. The following year they moved to Kerrville, where Florence invested $60 to open the C. C. Butt Grocery Store on November 26, 1905. Located on Main Street, the store was on the first floor of the building and the family lived above. The youngest son, Howard E. Butt, started in the family business delivering groceries in a baby carriage, then a little red wagon, and later by horse and buggy. He managed the store while finishing school, graduating as valedictorian of Tivy High School in 1914. Taking over store operations after serving in World War I, Howard E. Butt’s vision for the company resulted in widespread growth. In 1921, he implemented a cash-and-carry system rather than the traditional credit and delivery method. Early attempts to add stores in the hill country failed, but the business successfully added locations in the Rio Grande Valley under the name H. E. Butt Grocery Company, moving headquarters to Harlingen and later Corpus Christi. In 1936, the company acquired the Harlingen canning company to provide “Texas-grown, Texas-packed goods.” In the 1930s and 1940s, H-E-B opened stores in the larger cities of Corpus Christi, Austin, and San Antonio. Howard E. Butt, Sr., had a personal credo, “he profits most who serves best,” and following his mother’s example, he and his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Holdsworth) Butt, involved themselves in philanthropic giving and charitable activities across the state of Texas. Headquartered in San Antonio since 1985, H-E-B is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States and the largest private employer in Texas. |
