DeQueen Bee

Industrial Edition 
June 25, 1909

 Some men become well and 
favorably known in one way
and some in another.  As a 
builder no one in De Queen is 
better known than S. S. Kirk. 
Besides building up one of the 
biggest business concerns in De 
Queen, he has built many resi-
dences and store buildings, 
probably more than any one 
other person in the city. Be-
sides, he has bought many 
buildings and after enlarging 
or improving them has sold
  them to others.
 In his big general store in 
his own building on De Queen 
avenue, Mr. Kirk carries full 
lines of dry goods, dress goods, 
ladies' furnishings and notions,
clothing, men's furnishings,
hats, shoes, drugs, groceries, 

widely acquainted in that part 
of the county. Thus it hap-
pens that customers from all
parts of the county are wel-
comed and made to feel at home 
on entering Kirk's store in De
Queen.
     Other efficient members of 
the force are Messrs. Van B. 
Sims, bookkeeper and general
office-man, W. B. Bowman, Joe 
L. Kirk and Oscar Russell, all 
of whom are employed on
the grocery side.  
The dress goods include a 
complete line of woolens, such 
as fancy mohairs, serges, voiles, 
chiffon panamas, poplins and 
novelty suitings all in the new-
est colors and at all prices.
      In silks there are Princess 
and taffetas in all leading col-
ors and an unusually full line 
of fancy silk shirt waist pat-
terns has been ordered for the 
fall trade.
      There are all colors and 
weights of linens including 
fancy stripes and linen suitings. 
The dry goods department also 
includes colored satteens, 
heatherblooms, percales, ging-
hams, madras, seersucker, 
cahmbrays, prints, table linens, 
napkins, lace curtains, embroi-
deries, laces and nets.
     Full lines are carried in both 
ladies' and gentlemen's fur-
nishings of all kinds, including 

has a good assortment of har-
ness and farming implements. 
For this trade he also carries a 
full line of seed, such as stock 
peas, alfalfa, clover and the va-
rious grasses adapted to local 
conditions.
     Mr. Kirk is a native of Jack-
son county, Ala., and was born 
Feb 8, 1859. He came to this 
county the following year with 
his parents. He grew up on a 
farm near Paraclifta and at-
tended school at Bellville and 
Lockesburg until he was 16 
years old.

     He became a salesman in a 
store at Lockesburg in 1875 
and continued as a salesman 
for eight years. Then he bought 
a farm in the Cossatot bottoms 
and farmed for the following 
four years.
     Returning to his first occupa-
tion in 1887, he spent several 
years more as a salesman at 
Lockesburg and in 1894 he went
to Cerro Gordo where he went 
into business for himself with 
a small capital which he soon 
increased.
     He came to De Queen in 1897 
and began a mercantile and 
building career which with the 
exception of one year spent at 
Cerro Gordo has continued un-
til the present time. To give a 
complete list of all the buildings 
and improving he has done in 
De Queen would far exceed the 
limits of this article. He has 
built and occupied several bus-
iness houses, always going on 
a larger scale when erecting a 
new one. He was one of the 
first three men to let contracts 
for brick business houses in De 
Queen.
     After having spent a year at 
Cerro Gordo he returned to De 
Queen in 1904 and erected the 
building he now occupies. The 
main building is a handsome 
brick 50 x 100 feet. Besides 
there are two ware rooms in the 
rear each 25 x 60 feet giving 
him a total floor area of 8,000 
square feet.
     Mr. Kirk's business methods 
are straightforward and legiti-
mate. He has no baits, but 
sells honest goods at right 
prices. He carries the best 
grades in all lines of goods and 
sells at one price to everybody. 
His salespeople give courteous 
attention to all customers and 
goods are delivered everywhere 
inside the city limits.
     Mr. Kirk was married April 
30, 1885, to Miss Audrey H. 
Crow of Lockesburg. They 
have two sons and six daugh-
ters and occupy a handsome 
home in the northwest part of 
the city.

hardware, harness and
farming implements, all of which are
arranged in departments.
     Mr. Kirk is well known all 
over the county and in selecting 
his sales people has seen to it 
that all parts of the county are
represented, especially on the 
dry goods side, which appeals 
strongly to trade from all over 
Sevier county. 

belts, combs, collars and cor-
sets for ladies and hats, shirts, 
neckwear and underwear for 
gentlemen.
     For men, women and chil-
dren Kirk carries a full line of 
the Peters shoe in all the latest 
colors. He also carries a com-
plete line of hosiery of all col-
ors to match the shoes.
     The men's clothing depart-
ment carries the newest styles 
and colors and keeps its line 
clean. There is never any old 
stock in the clothing at Kirk's. 
For the coming fall trade he 
has bought the most complete 
line he has ever handled.
     In the grocery department 
may be found a full line of the 
choicest table supplies obtain-
able. He makes a specialty of 
the choice De Queenland 
fruits and vegetables packed 
by local canners and also car-
ries the famous Van Camp line.
     His drug department carries 
a full line of proprietary medi-
cines. For the farm trade he