Samuel J. Stein has bought the Minerva James property, corner Market and Main streets. Mr. Stein will remove the frame buildings and erect brick stores on the lots at an early date.
From The Greenwood Enterprise, April 24, 1903
Work is progressing on the five new brick stores which S. J. Stein is having erected on the southeast corner of Main and Market streets.
From The Greenwood Enterprise, January 8, 1904
Mr. Morris Lewis, a prominent merchant of Lexington, was in the city for several days last week making arrangements for the opening of a branch of the Lewis-Herman Company in Greenwood. He has forged a partnership with Mr. Simon Hyman under the firm name of Lewis-Hyman Company, which will occupy three stores in the new Stein block as soon as they are completed. Mr. Lewis is one of the best merchants in the State, having achieved wonderful success in the little town of Lexington. In addition to the prestige of a large and growing city, the Greenwood store will have the advantage of the splendid personal supervision of Mr. Hyman who will devote his entire time to the business and THE COMMONWEALTH predicts that it will take first rank among the other large and successful mercantile establishments of Greenwood.
From The Commonwealth, February 6, 1904
The new store houses of Sam'l J. Stein, corner of Main and Market streets, are nearing completion, and add greatly to the appearance of that portion of the city. Hyman-Lewis Co. are already filling the corner stores with merchandise and will be in shape within a few days to serve the public. Their stock will be one of the most complete in the city. Leon Stein will occupy the third store from the corner. His stock of books, stationery, crockery, glassware, etc., has been purchased and will be opened soon. The fourth store will be occupied by Estes Bros. meat market. These firms are composed of enterprising businessmen, and they will command a goodly portion of the trade of the city and surrounding country.
From The Greenwood Enterprise, April 8, 1904
Mr. Sam'l J. Stein, who has always been a prime mover in the material advancement of Greenwood, announces that he will soon let a contract for the erection of five more stores to adjoin those which he is now building on the corner of Main and Market streets. Three of them will be erected on the south side fronting on Main Street, and the other two just east of the structures now being erected on Market Street. The four stores now being built will be among the handsomest in the city, and those to be erected this summer will be equally as well appointed. This will give Mr. Stein a total of nine stores in his new block.
From The Commonwealth, April 9, 1904
The Hyman-Lewis Company, which will occupy two stores and a large rear warehouse in the new Stein block, is already moving in despite the fact that the building is yet far from completion.
Work on finishing the new buildings is progressing as rapidly as material can be secured, and it is hoped to have the entire block ready for occupancy by the first of next month.
From The Commonwealth, April 9, 1904
Mr. S. J. Stein has let to Jesty & Co. the contract to erect two new brick store buildings on his Main street lots, adjacent to W. C. Estes meat market.
They will have iron and plate glass fronts and all modern conveniences. The material is being put on the ground and the work of constructing the houses is to be completed by September 15th next.
This will make seven storehouses in that block which Mr. Stein has had built within the past two years. Verily, Greenwood is growing rapidly and substantially and will soon be the largest and prettiest city in Mississippi.
From The Commonwealth, June 30, 1905
One of the largest improvements for the benefit of our city and surrounding territory was brought to a close this week by the purchase of the three stores at the corner of Main and Market streets by Klein & Blumenthal.
They will spend about $12,000 in remodeling same into one large store, and when finished will present to their customers the most modern and up-to-date ladies and gents ready to wear stores in the city. Popular prices and the newest styles will be their idea in catering to the public. The contract has been let and the work will begin on their building about June 1st.
From The Commonwealth, April 23, 1919
Fire, supposed to have originated from a short circuit in electric wiring in the storeroom, resulted in damage estimated at $10,000 to the stock of Klein & Blumenthal, this morning.
Damage from water was equally as great as damage from the fire.
The blaze was discovered shortly after two o'clock by Mack Kirby, of the city street department, and an alarm was turned in. The blaze was under headway at that time, and stubbornly resisted the efforts of the firemen, who confined the actual fire damage to the storeroom in which it originated.
The chief damage occurred in the storeroom in which spring and summer goods were stored preparatory to opening of spring offerings.
Damage to the back walls of the building and the interior fixtures of the storeroom are estimated at $1,500 to $2,000, and the damage to the stock from fire and water at from $8,000 to $9,000.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, January 29, 1924
Following a refusal of creditors to accept an offer of compromise, the store of Klein & Blumenthal, local department store merchants, which has been operated by a receiver since the filing of a petition in bankruptcy some weeks ago, was closed yesterday. The affairs of the firm will now take the usual course in bankruptcy, it is understood.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, January 29, 1925
Mr. I. M. Klein is remodeling his building at the corner of Main and Market streets. He will make of it an almost new building. On the corner he will provide a cotton office that will be occupied by him. The office will be one of the most up to date and most convenient in the city. Next to the office that he is constructing for himself in the building, he is making a desirable store or office building. The new store space will be between the corner and the space occupied by the Singer Sewing Machine Company in this city, managed by Mr. R. T. Pigg.
The space being remodeled by Mr. Klein will have large plate glass fronts and will make an attractive appearance on that corner.
The Klein Building was occupied by Mr. Klein as a store for a number of years but for the past year or so the building has only been partially occupied. With the completion of the remodeling work and the construction of new show windows, the former building will take on an entirely new appearance.
From The Greenwood Commonwealth, August 24, 1929
The Klein building, at the corner of Main and Market streets, now being remodeled for the opening about January 15, of a distributing house for Ozburn-Abston Company, wholesalers and jobbers.
The Greenwood branch of this staunch firm, which operates throughout the states of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, will be in charge of Mr. J. B. Wolcott, as manager, and Willis B. Bethay, as assistant manager. Mr. L. F. Jackson, whose headquarters as traveling representative of the Ozburn Abston Company, will continue his connection with the firm throughout the Greenwood territory.
Mr. Wolcott comes to Greenwood from the Jackson, Miss. store of the firm and Mr. Bethay, who is also a Mississippian, will come to Greenwood from the Jackson, Tenn. branch.
Mr. Wolcott will bring his family to Greenwood soon.
Mr. Bethay is not married.
From The Greenwood Commonwealth, January 1931
Opening of the Greenwood branch of the Ozburn-Abston & Company, is announced for tomorrow, and the doors of this new addition to Greenwood's mercantile interests will be thrown open to the public.
The new firm is located in the Klein Building at 201 Main Street, which has been remodeled and refitted to accommodate the stock.
The Ozburn Abston Company will carry a complete stock of automotive accessories, equipment, replacement parts and batteries to serve the convenience of the Greenwood territory.
The Greenwood store will be under the direct management of Mr. C. J. Verrett, secretary and general manager of the Ozburn-Abston store with Joe B. Wolcott, Willis D. Bethay and L. F. Jackson, local representatives.
In opening the new store in Greenwood, Mr. N. F. Ozburn, president of the company, expressed great faith in the future growth and development of Greenwood as a distributing center.
"We have been doing business through this territory for the past twenty years", Mr. Ozburn stated. "It is the greatest country in the world, its people have the greatest resourcefulness to surmount adversity, and the section is firmly and fundamentally sound. I have watched the growth of the territory, and our decision to locate in Greenwood demonstrates our faith in your city and is an evidence that we firmly believe it to be the most strategic distributing point in the Delta."
"We will not be a foreign concern", Mr. Verrett declared. "Some of our representatives have lived in the city for several years, and all connected with our Greenwood store will be part and parcel of the business life of your community. We are here to stay as a Greenwood concern interested in the development of the city and its territory."
Both Mr. Ozburn and Mr. Verrett will be here for the opening of the store tomorrow, and extend a cordial invitation to visit the store.
From The Greenwood Commonwealth, January 14, 1931
