Boots Grocery Celebrates 70 Years In Huntington, Texas

Gone are the days of the small mom-and-pop country store, but in Huntington, Texas things are a little different. Boots Grocery was opened on March 8th, 1952.

Little did Travis 'Boots' Morehead and his wife Jackie know, they were starting a family dynasty. What they did know was that they wanted to give something back to the city they loved.

Boots was originally from Rocky Hill outside of Waco and then moved to Lufkin. Shortly after he moved to Huntington to open the store, but one store wasn't enough; he had more to do.

Celebrating The Life Work Of Travis 'Boots' Morehead 

I had a chance to talk to one of the current owners of Boots Grocery, Justin Morehead, the grandson of Travis 'Boots' Morehead. He was just as genuine and straightforward as I believe his father Scott Morehead and Boots himself were.

He told me the story of how his grandfather got the name Boots. During the great depression, he was given a pair of boots by his employer. They were apparently too large and didn't fit him well, so they became a topic of conversation.

The nickname stuck and it actually turned out to be a great name for a store. There were many different stores bearing his name in Huntington at one time. Boots Grocery, Boots Furniture, Boots Hardware, and Little Boots - the corner store that most of us are familiar with now.

Boots was also co-founder of Huntington State Bank among many other achievements, each working toward the goal of giving something back to Huntington. His son, Scott Morehead, followed in his footsteps, and now after Scott's recent passing, his grandson, Justin, and granddaughter, Jade Morehead Thompson, are doing the same.

Boots Grocery's First Store Picture 

Just looking at the picture accompanying this article tells you so much about life in Huntington back in the 1950s. At the time my great grandfather owned a store much like this one in Alto, so I can certainly relate to this type of family history.

The phone in the middle of the photo was a community phone, and I'm sure that party line was hopping. Boots, seen in the white apron, gave away promotional hats to anyone and everyone.

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They didn't even have to ask, they just knew if they needed a cap, they could grab one off of the clothes line seen on the wall behind them. I even noticed a box of Baby Ruth's at the checkout counter next to Jackie. The other gentleman in the photo has never been identified, so if you know who it is let us know.

Little Boots Grocery Store In Huntington, Texas 

Little Boots is located right on the corner of Main and 69 in Huntington. They have a little bit of everything: groceries, gas, hunting and fishing supplies and licenses, bill pay, purses, and perhaps even some boots. Stop by and see them and celebrate 70 years.