Amazing Women of Asheboro’s Curb Market, 1945

By F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published in the Greensboro News and the Raleigh News & Observer, Dec. 24, 1945

When it comes to small rural industries, nothing beats these home demonstration curb markets which the rural women of the state have established at almost all country seat towns.

Among these small enterprises, one of the most interesting is the curb market which was begun at Asheboro in 1940 by the farm women of Randolph County. Mrs. Martha B. Thompson, home agent in Randolph, says the women over there are justifiably proud of their market although it is not so large as some which have been longer established.

The little market serves the town of Asheboro very effectively, however. It was sponsored back in 1940 by the agricultural committee of the Asheboro Kiwanis Club, which agreed to aid the local women in erecting a small wooden building.

Following this action, says Mrs. Thompson, an association was formed and arrangements were made to purchase a lot on which the building was to be erected. Since that time, through their own efforts, the women have raised money to make improvements. They put in a concrete floor and converted the building from an open air market to a closed one with large glass windows, and added sanitary facilities. The market has been further improved by remodeling and rearranging the stalls, painting the floor and the interior. To make it more attractive to patrons, the walls are decorated with colorful food posters; a bulletin board for timely notes was erected; and a price board for the information of sellers and customers was put up.

Although there are not as many sellers on the market as there were in the first years, market sales have grown in volume, and there has been a tremendous improvement in the quality of the products sold. In 1941, 12 women sold $3,824 worth of products. In 1942, 10 sellers sold $4,458. In 1943, 1944, and 1945, eight sellers sold $4,809, $5,855, and $6,000 worth of surplus farm produce.

During 1945, the sale of products for market could have been tremendously increased had it not been for the shortage of labor on the farm, necessitating the women staying at home to help with the farm work, and many helping out in local industry and in the teacher shortage.

Mrs. J.H. Richey of Farmer led the market sales in 1945 with the total of $1,222.62 in sales. An average Saturday morning would find Mrs. Ritchey’s booth filled with 50 dressed and drawn chickens, two crates of selected graded eggs of the finest quality, 50 pounds of good butter, 10 pounds of cottage cheese, two to five bushels of clean and graded fresh vegetables, five or more cakes (as long as the sugar allotment held out), and other products in season.

Four of the curb market sellers, Mrs. Norman Wright, Route 1, Asheboro; Mrs. W.W. Kearns, Route 1, Randleman; Mrs. J.B. Presnell, Route 3, Asheboro; and Mrs. Carson Cranford, Farmer, have developed an excellent reputation for making good cakes. With the shortage of sugar, they cannot begin to supply the demand, and have had many requests for Christmas cakes, which could not be filled. During 1945, they netted $4,051.91 from the sale of cakes alone.

Mrs. E.E. Byrd of Farmer, on many winter days, sells one or more hogs, which have been worked up into fresh pork sausage and other pork products

Mrs. Roscoe Powell of Route 1, Asheboro, is famous for her apple and pumpkin pies. Although she brings a number of products to the market, these are the highlights. Mrs. Powell also makes beautiful Christmas wreaths and sells around $50 in Christmas trees and wreaths each Christmas. This tells a story of family co-operation because Mr. Powell and the children help gather the lovely trailing cedar, which is the basis of the wreaths, and the holly and other Christmas evergreens, and help to fashion these into sprays and wreaths for Mrs. Powell to carry to the market.

Miss Loula Andrews, the business manager of the market, also manages to run a farm, teach school, and still sell on the market six months out of every year. She had not taught for approximately 20 years but returned to help out during the current teacher shortage. Although her sales have been curtailed, she has kept her customers and plans to return full time as soon as possible. She specializes in vegetables and flowers.

Mrs. J.B. Presnell also runs her farm alone but manages to make homemade kraut and to dress poultry for the market. She also makes stuffed dolls and toys for sale.

The association now has on hand approximately $400, which is being held for making improvements in the market building and for expansion. This has been placed in Victory Bonds of F denomination and is a nest egg for the future.

Mrs. Thompson says this market has meant much to the sellers and the community. Children have been educated, homes have been improved, and money for many “specials” have been provided through the funds which came into the farm homes as a result of the market sales.