When Sturges & Gibbs moved to this location in 1939, there were large advertisements in both the Coleman County Chronicle and The Coleman Democrat-Voice newspapers.  The ad in the Coleman County Chronicle gave the past locations of the business, with pictures of its employees, Mrs. E. M. Critz, Manager and Part Owner; Mrs. Rex Holder, Bookkeeper; Mrs. Carl Elder, Alterations; Mrs. O. Wilson Smith, Ready-to-Wear; Mrs. Cecil Dodd, Ready-to-Wear; and Mrs. W. A. Childers, Corsetier and Piece Goods.  This history is shown below.

+++Sturges and Gibbs was a long time business in Coleman.  It was established here in 1926 as an exclusive ladies store and was owned by Leona G. Sturges of Ballinger and Henry H. Gibbs of Brownwood.  It was managed by Winnie Gibbs, who was also a partner in the store, from 1926, when the store opened, until 1966.  She married E. M. Critz, an attorney, in 1934.  From the time the store was opened until 1939, it had been in four locations, ending at 108 S. Commercial Avenue (above left, 1940). In 1951 the store employed eight people in all departments and a large stock of merchandise was featured at all times, including everything for the ladies except shoes.  An interior view of 1954 (above center, Capps) and a display window at night in 1960 (above right, Capps) at shown. Other associated stores included Bettis and Gibbs at Brownwood, Bettis and Sturges at Ballinger, Bibbs at Temple, Gibbs at Odessa, Sturges at Weatherford and Gibbs at Brady.  An additional store had also been opened at Midland in 1950 and was managed by Mrs. Critz’s daughter, Janette Blatherwick O’Donnell.

After the retirement of Mrs. Critz, several managers were tried, but none were able to do the job.  Nell Walthall was the bookkeeper for Sturges and Gibbs, and in October 1968 Sturges and Gibbs, including the building and inventory, was purchased by Nell Walthall and her mother, Jeffie Allen, operating as Walthall and Allen Ladies Shop.  The new owners remodeled the building, and opened a mezzanine for a Junior Shop, which as a wonderful place to train the three Walthall girls, ages 14, 11 and 9 years in the ready to wear business.  Nell Walthall also owned and operated W&W Bookkeeping Service at the time.  In October 1970, she moved this business to 115 W. Live Oak Street, in conjunction with the C. M. Huckabee Insurance Agency, who was located at the same address.  In 1971 the name was changed to Nell’s Fashions.  Business was good and it was outgrowing the space, when Carolyn and Cotton Curry, operating The Carousel in the old Alex Mayers building at 201 South Commercial Avenue, decided to go out of business.  The Walthalls purchased the building and business, opening a new junior and children’s wear shop, continuing the name as the Carousel.  The store was managed by Diana Walthall Dobbins.  Nell’s Fashions continued at 108 S. Commercial Avenue, managed by Nell Walthall.  In 1991 Jerry and Denise Walthall McDonald were planning to open a western wear store in the two Horne Buildings at 113 and 115 South Commercial Avenue.  These buildings had been vacant for many years, and would require major renovations.  The Walthalls and McDonalds decided to trade buildings, since the Horne buildings would be large enough for the Carousel and Nell’s to be combined, and JM Western Wear’s building at 108 South Commercial Avenue was ready to move into.  The Mayer’s building was rented to a medical supply company and later sold, as was the building at 108 S. Commercial Avenue.  In 1999 Nell’s Carousel business was sold to Amy Hinds after Nell had been in the business for 31 years.+++