Grab It Here
Grab It Here was a chain of cash and carry stores that existed from 1903 to the end of the 20th century in Illinois and Indiana.
C. Sherman Paxton moved to Illinois from Kentucky as a coal miner around 1901. He began saving money to open his own grocery store. By 1903, he had saved $185 (4881 in modern terms) and opened a small store in Georgetown, Illinois. The store was originally called simply the "C. S. Paxton Store", and he ran it on credit and made deliveries; Paxton closed the store for a time during a coal strike but returned later and opened the store again. Then, in 1919, Paxton opened a cash-only store managed by his son Ernie and it was here that the "Grab-It-Here" name first appeared. By the 1930s, there were several cash and carry stores in operation and by the 1960s there were 24 stores in Illinois and 11 in Indiana. In 1968, Grab-It-Here became affiliated with Dolly Madison Industries. By the 1980s, the chain was defunct.
C. S. Paxton died in 1950.
Locations
Here is a list of stores according to an anniversary brochure from the 1960s:
Store | Address | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
1M | 101 North State Street | Georgetown | Illinois |
3M | 143 North State Street | Westville | Illinois |
7M | Illinois Street | Chrisman | Illinois |
9M | 103 Main Street | Homer | Illinois |
11M | Yates Street | Newman | Illinois |
18M | 12 South Hazel Street | Danville | Illinois |
21 | Main Street | Kingman | Indiana |
22M | Main Street | Potomac | Illinois |
25M | 320 Washington Street | Covington | Indiana |
27M | 206 Main Street | Veedersburg | Indiana |
30 | Buena Vista | Kansas | Illinois |
32M | 108 Washington Street | Williamsport | Indiana |
37M | 100 Jones Street | Milford | Illinois |
38M | 517 West Madison Street | Danville | Illinois |
46 | Main Street | Boswell | Indiana |
47M | 102 Chicago Street | Rossville | Illinois |
51M | 129 North Central Street | Paris | Illinois |
57M | 25 West Fourth Street | Sheldon | Illinois |
66M | 220 North Market Street | Paxton | Illinois |
69M | 2715 North Vermilion Street | Danville | Illinois |
70M | Jefferson and York Streets | Rockville | Indiana |
71M | 855 East Fairchild Street | Danville | Illinois |
72M | Prospect and Sherwood Streets | Champaign | Illinois |
73M | 200 East Main Street | Attica | Indiana |
74M | Seymour and 4th Streets | Kentland | Indiana |
75M | 2nd and Walnuts Streets | Watseka | Illinois |
76M | 1113 East Main Street | Danville | Illinois |
77M | 317 South Market Street | Hoopeston | Illinois |
78M | Pembroke and Parke Streets | Tuscola | Illinois |
79M | Division and Hubbard Streets | Cayuga | Indiana |
80M | 1615 Springfield | Champaign | Illinois |
81M | 109 East Market Street | Crawfordsville | Indiana |
82M | 417 South Gilbert Street | Danville | Illinois |
83M | Fairchild and Robinson Streets | Danville | Illinois |
84M | Adams and Fourth Streets | Fowler | Indiana |
References
- Grab-It-Here anniversary booklets from the 1950s and 1960s, courtesy of the Vermilion County Historical Society
- The Heritage of Vermilion County magazine, published by the Vermilion County Museum Society