Saturday, October, 30, 2909, L.H. Perry arrived in Spur, with several carloads of lumber and a large stock of hardware. This was two days before the first birthday of the town of Spur. He had contracted for the two lots on which the business Spur Hardware and Furniture Company was located. He had met the term of sale and had secured the privilege to unload his lumber and merchandise on the lots, but the lots were not sold until Monday, November 1, 1909. He immediately erected a tin building on the lots, put in part of the floor and before the roof was on the building, the doors were open, people began calling for hardware and business was begun about 3:00 p.m. on the same day the town was opened. This was just a few hours ahead of any other store starting business in Spur. This hardware store stayed in Spur for 24 years, and then closed the doors.Mr. Perry was in business in Stephenville when he started the business in Spur. He and his twin brother started into drug business in Stephenville in 1885. The business was known as Perry Bros. A hardware business was started a little later, known as Perry Hardware. The other brother looked after the drug business and Mr. Perry took charge of the hardware business. They ran the drug store for 37 years.
These two brothers were very close in their association with each other all their lives. They followed similar trends in business. his brother, T.H. Perry was postmaster at Stephenville and Mr. Hill Perry was postmaster at Spur, both serving at the same time.
Mr. Perry was born near Tuskegee, Alabama, when he was 5 years of age he came with his parents to Texas. The family settled first in Tarrant County, and in 1880 moved to Erath County. Mr. Perry lived there until he moved his family to Spur in April in 1917. He married Miss Eula Laverty, at Carlsbad, New Mexico. They had two children, Mrs. Roy L. Harkey and James Hill Perry, they live in Spur.
Mr. Perry was a great grandson of General Turner Hunt, who was with General Washington's army during the Revolutionary War.
Mrs. H.L. Perry was the first president of the Spur 1917 Study Club. She came to Spur in August 1917, and was at the first meeting of the Club. She was always a zealous member. They joined the Twentieth Century Study Club at Stephenville in 1900 as a charter member of that club, and was in the organization for 17 years.
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
Name: Leroy Hill PERRY Birth: 23 SEP 1867 in Bullock County, Alabama Death: 14 MAY 1944 in Spur, Dickens County, Texas Census: 1870 Franklin, Macon County, Alabama Census: 1880 Precinct #4, Tarrant County, Texas Census: 1920 Spur, Dickens County, Texas, L. H. Perry Census: 1930 Spur, Dickens County, Texas, L. Hill Perry Occupation: BET 1920 AND 1930 Merchant, hardware Father: Wilber Fisk PERRY b: 1 APR 1835 in Harris County, Georgia Mother: Sarah Jane STORY b: 15 JUN 1839 in Fayette County, Georgia Marriage 1 Eula M. LAVERTY b: ABT 1878 in Texas Married: BEF 1903 in Texas Children Mary Berta Perry b: 1903 in Texas James Hill Perry b: 1910 in Texas
Leroy Hill Perry, pioneer business man of Spur; passed away at his home here Sunday morning, May 14, following a two days illness of pneumonia.At his bedside were his wife, daughter, Miss Mary Berta Perry of Abilene; a son, Sgt. Jimmie Perry of Marshfield, Calif., and a sister, Mrs. E.M. Friend of Wichita Falls.
Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 5:30 o'clock in the First Methodist church, with Rev. Howard H. Hollowell, pastor, officiating.
Interment was in the Spur cemetery with Campbell Funeral chapel in charge of arrangements.
Members of the Masonic lodge maintained a guard of honor as the body lay in state in the funeral chapel and had charge of the impressive service at the graveside.
Mr. Perry was born Sept. 3, 1867 in Alabama, and came to Texas at the age of 10 years. He lived for a number of years with his parents in Tarrant county. He was married in 1900 to Miss Mary Eula Laverty in Carlsbad, New Mex. Two children were born to this union - Mary Berta Perry, and Jimmie Perry.
At the time of his marriage he owned and operated a hardware business in Gorman and Stephenville. It was here he and Mrs. Perry established their first home, where they lived until 1917, when, with his family he moved to Spur, having previously opened the first business house here in 1909. Many will recall his slogan, "Spur;s Oldest Business." He operated this business until the fall of 1934. He was postmaster here from 1930 to 1935.
Mr. Hill had long been a member of the Methodist church, and was an ardent reader of the Bible. Kind and courteous in his manner, he might rightfully be termed "one of the old school," as he went quietly about his business of living a life. Those who knew him best will long remember him or his whistling and singing, most any time at his place of business. One could hear him humming &qauot;In the Sweet Bye and Bye." His whistlin and humming was a part of his daily life.
He had been a member of the Masonic lodge for 50 years, and was one of the oldest in membership of any man in the Spur lodge, and second oldest in years. He had been connected with other civic organizations during the more active years of his life.
Survivors are his wife and daughter, Miss Mary Berta Perry of Abilene; a son, Sgt. Jimmie Perry of Mansfield, Calif., and five sisters, Mrs. E.M. Friend, Wichita Falls; Mrs. J.D. Buck, Dublin; Mrs. A.W. Witfield and Miss Mabel Perry, Breckenridge; one brother, T.H. Perry of Stephenville.
©The Texas Spur, May 1944
from the records of Lillian Grace Nay
Funeral services were held Wednesday in the Baum Funeral Chapel, Mineral Wells, for a former resident of Spur, Mrs. Eula Perry.
Spur Methodist minister, Rev. Howard Marcom officiated at the graveside rites at 3:30 p.m. in Spur cemetery.
Mrs. Perry died June 9, in Palo Pinto General Hospital. She resided in Spur until 1947 when she moved to Mineral Wells. She was a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Mary Berta Perry, Mineral Wells; one son, James Hill Perry, Dallas, a nephew, James Laverty, Washington, D.C. and a niece, Mrs. Don Sawyer of Houston.
©The Texas Spur, June 12, 1969
from the records of Lillian Grace Nay
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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