Thomas Ward Had First News Stand

News stands are another piece of a by-gone era.  Throughout the early and mid-1900s most business districts had at least one news stand.  These small shops sold newspapers, magazines, comic books, paperback books, cigarettes, tobacco, cigars, school supplies, greeting cards, candy, and drinks.

One of the earliest and longest operating news stands in Brevard was Ward’s.  Thomas Ward had a barber shop on W. Main St. where West Main Barber Shop is located today.  A late 1920s photograph shows a news rack hanging on the outside of the shop.  Ward’s wife, Bessie is listed on the 1930 census as a teacher, in 1940 she is listed as a news stand sales lady.  Thomas Ward had died in January 1936.

The one-story store front on the far right was the home of Ward's Barber shop.
The front window is flanked by a news rack on the left
and a barber pole on the right.

The earliest advertisement found for Ward’s News Stand was in Brevard College’s student paper, The Clarion, in January 1936.  The first telephone directory listing for Ward’s News Stand was in 1955.  By that time they had moved to 5 West Main Street.  Ward’s was in business until 1974. 

The Ward’s had two daughters, Juanita and Virginia, neither of whom married.  Both worked in the news stand with their mother and both died before their mother.  Bessie Ward lived to the age of 102.  She passed away in 1987.

Jones' News Stand window and outside rack display
many of the the items they sold.

Another longtime news stand was owned and operated Roy and Ruth Jones.  Jones opened his first news stand on E. Main beside the Aethelwold Hotel in 1946.  After five years he moved to 6 S. Broad St., just around the corner from Ward’s, where the business remained until 1966.  In 1967 Jones News Stand moved to 30 W. Main.  When Roy Jones died in 1969 Ruth continues to run the news stand.

In 1972 Ruth Jones and her brother-in-law, Jack Gravely, purchased Mack Allison’s Hardware Store and joined in business.  They relocated for the last time to 16 W. Main, across the street from Ward’s.  In addition to hardware and news stand items they carried sporting goods.  Jones’ son, Jim, managed the sporting good department.

In an April 5, 1973 Transylvania Times article, Cal Carpenter described the business as “sort of local ‘teen center’ and an unofficial information bureau for many Transylvanians and out-of-town-visitors.”  As Ruth Jones explained they regularly received inquiries for local information, hometown newspapers, sports scores, and even local television scheduling.

Other downtown Brevard news stands included Tinsley’s, Mull’s, and “Peavine” Price’s in the 1940s, Clark’s in the early 1950s, Grogan’s from 1953-1973, and Messer’s from 1974-1993.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.