The Van Alstyne Leader
Friday, January 6, 1966

DID YOU KNOW?
One afternoon in the E.G. Beal store, the first telephone was installed and Mrs. Dumas was the first to talk over it.  The telephone created quite a sensation and many stood around and listened to her talk to a party in Sherman.  After the conversation was over, one man was heard to say, “Well the D----- thing is a fake, she can talk as loud as she wants to and that man in Sherman can’t hear her.”  But that telephone was not a fake and found its way into the development of Van Alstyne.

Early in the year 1884 the town of Van Alstyne was incorporated with a full set of officers.  Other merchants came into Van Alstyne and some of the business houses now in Van Alstyne are a continuation of these original stores.  G.W. Lewis started a Hardware store about 1885.  This was later sold to Mr. Glenn.  Mr. Glenn turned the store into mostly furniture and about 1908 sold the stock to E.L. Swain who operated it for about a year.  The early part of June 1900 the stock was sold to J.O. Nunnallee of Grand Saline, Texas, and the family moved to Van Alstyne, June 11, 1909.  The Lewis family continued in business in Van Alstyne, and in 1909 were still operating at tin shop.

J.L. Welker was in the saddle and harness business and was assisted by his sons, L. P. and Burt Walker.  J. L. Welker passed away Oct. 24, 1909, and his two sons continued the business with L .P. Welker buying out Burt, and continuing the business with his sons, Jim and Harold.  The business was discontinued after L. P. Welker’s death in 1942.  Burt Welker moved to Denver for the remainder
of his life.

J.M. Neathery on Oct. 1, 1889 established the Neathery Drug store in a part of the building once used as the Old Carter Opera House and later on moved in the building occupied by the Continental Bank and at present occupied by Dr. F.M. Sporer’s office.  Mr. Neathery moved to a building on Main street in May 1890.  A story in the Van Alstyne Leader dated Sept. 4, 1936, stated at that time Mr. Neathery had been in business 46 years, and he had been a consistent advertiser in the Van Alstyne Leader for over 43 years. 
In 1935 he held the record of being Van Alstyne’s oldest business firm.  He was associated with Marvin Davis as a partner and later Jack Jaight.  He established a soda fountain in his drug store after saying it would never happen.  Mr. Neathery sold his drug store in 1940 to Melvin Kalmbagh, who has continued to operate and improve both the building and merchandise since the purchase.  Mr. Neathery died about Aug. 10, 1940 at the age of 81.  He also operated a drug store in Pilot Grove for eight years before coming to Van Alstyne.  He was a Mason for over 60 years, a member of the Baptist church for 48 years.