

Early Days in Plainview
Do you remember the A.V.C., Cave’s, Irby’s, and Woolsworth stores on Broadway Street? The following is a collection of brief, random thoughts I have had of these stores.
A.V.C. Variety Store
A.V.C. opened in 1929 and it was located where Oswald Printing Co. is located now (in 1985). Originally, it was a farm implement store owned by Brad Cox and Lewis Thompson (brothers-in-law).
A.V.C. is named for Association Variety Company. It was owned by Mr. J. L. Hunter. I remember going in there when I was small. The store was very neat, clean, and orderly. There was a lady or man in each department (baby, school, kitchen, sewing, toys, and clothes). The sales people were very kind and courteous.
The candy counter was at the front in the middle of the store with a lady behind the counter. The candy was sold by the fourth pound, half pound, and by the pound. The lady would scoop up the chosen candy and weigh it on a scale and then put it into a little white sack for you. I liked the candy corn, orange slices, and the round pink, yellow and green coconut balls. I liked the pink ones the best.
Mr. Hunter would go to New York to buy for his store. He bought in large quantities and the boxes were sent to the Plainview store and he divided them between his stores in New Mexico and his Plainview store.
Alene Kerr married Jim Hunter in 1932. Prior to this she worked at Pierce’s store. She remembers Mr. T. C. Shepard commenting on how pretty her nails were when she was waiting on Mr. Shepard. Alene said she painted “half moons” (around the cuticles) with polish. It was very stylish then. Alene told me this story in the late 1980’s when I was taping an oral history on her for the Archives at the Llano Estacado Museum.
In A.V.C.’s everything was sectioned off in different collections. All the kitchen, sewing, toys, tools, baby clothes, candy and books were not all together, but it was fun for me to walk up and down between the isles and look at everything. Everything was neat. Mother told me not to pick up anything, to just “look” until I decided what I wanted.
In the late 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s, Plainview was a booming town. We had three variety stores here. They were all on the west side of Broadway. There was A.V.C and then Cave’s (later called Irby’s) and Woolsworth.
Cave’s Variety Store was set up like the A.V.C.’s. I remember we bought a lot of children’s books and games at Cave’s. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cave were the owner’s of Cave’s Variety Store. They were also our neighbors in the Hillcrest Addition in south Plainview. Their children were Mary and Frank and were my playmates in the neighborhood.
The Woolsworth store was located in the old National Bank (corner of 6th & Broadway) and was also called the Slaton building. I remember the food counter at Woolsworth where I could buy toasted cheese sandwiches, pickles, and potato chips. I remember the red leather stools at the bar which I loved to spin around on.
I remember after Daddy’s death in 1970, the lady at the food counter at Woolsworth said how much she missed Daddy. He would come in to eat and always had a joke to tell. She remembered Daddy always bought his reading glasses at Woolsworth.