PRESENTS MR. FOUNTAIN A VERY HANDSOME FLAG
The beautiful new U. S. Flag, which so gracefully on top of Mr. Fountain’s handsome new store building was presented to him by Mr. Ed Murden, our progressive and enterprising bill poster. This pretty flag is one of the best made, measuring 8 x 16 feet, and was hoisted last Tuesday and is admired by one and all. She was made to order by the U. S. Tent & Awning Co., and Mr. Fountain appreciates very highly the kindness of Mr. Murden in making him this magnificent present.
From the Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, September 25, 1914
PROMINENT COLORED WEDDING
John Fisher and Alberta Watson, colored, were married last Monday afternoon at 6 o’clock on the balcony in Fountain’s Big Busy Store-Dr. Joseph Rennie, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of this city officiating.
John Fisher is a faithful porter in Mr. Fountain’s big store and is well thought of by the white people generally, and they unite in extending him and his bride congratulations and best wishes upon their marriage.
Quite a large crowd of both white and colored people was present to witness the wedding.
From The Greenwood Commonwealth, July 28, 1916
Fountain To Build
Mr. W. T. Fountain will construct a new addition to his store building on the south side of his present structure. The new building will be thirty five feet wide and will be a three story structure. New departments will be added to the store and will be located in this new addition.
From the Commonwealth, May 14, 1919
THE DEATH OF
W. T. FOUNTAIN
Greenwood’s Most Universally Beloved
Citizen Died At His Home
Sunday Morning At 1:30
The death of Mr. W. T. Fountain at his home in this city Sunday morning, October 26th, 1919, at 1:30 o’clock, has cast a pall of gloom over Greenwood and Leflore County because in his passing away, the city and county have lost decidedly their most universally beloved and useful citizen.
Mr. Fountain was in the 56th year of his age, about thirty years of which he had lived in his adopted Greenwood home, having moved here from the state of Maryland, where he was born and reared-and no man ever made a more useful citizen in all the walks of life.
He was generous and big-hearted, upright and honorable in all dealings with his fellow man, sympathetic and responsive to every call from the sick, distressed and destitute-no appeal for assistance ever leaving him empty handed; his friendship was of the most loyal and sincere type; his devotion to his family and to his church was sublimely beautiful-so characteristic of his exemplary Christian life, which had endeared him to every man, woman and child who had the good fortune to know him.
Mr. Fountain was actively engaged in the mercantile business during his residence in Greenwood- beginning as a salesman, and finally rising to the prominence of being one of the leading and most successful high-class dry goods merchants in the State of Mississippi. However, the magnitude of his extensive mercantile business was never allowed to interfere with his civic, church and social duties. He had held many positions of trust in our city; was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church; served fully twenty-five years as a superintendent of the Sunday School; always took a foremost part in every movement calculated to advance the material welfare and betterment of his city, county and state; and in all things performed those duties faithfully and effectively.
The editor of the Daily Commonwealth regrets his inability to find suitable words to adequately express how deeply we all feel the loss of this truly good and useful man.
Mr. Fountain is survived by a devoted wife and three sons, a brother and sister, and several half brothers and sisters-to each of whom we tender sincere condolences in this sad hour of their great affliction.
The funeral service was conducted by Dr. Joseph Rennie at the Presbyterian Church this morning at 10 o’clock, when the eloquent and able pastor paid a fitting tribute to the life and character of the deceased, and an appropriate musical program was rendered by the choir.
As a further testimonial of the high esteem in which he was held, the doors of every store, office and place of business of every description in the city were closed during the funeral hour and practically all of the owners and employees attended the church service. In addition to this, the volume of exquisite floral offerings was the largest ever seen in Greenwood on a similar occasion.
The church service was followed by interment at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery, the following acting as pallbearers:
Active-C. E. Wright, P. L. DeLoach. W. C. McBee, R. C.
Lipscomb, S. L. Gwin, S. R. Keesler, G. L. Ray, John Ashcraft.
Honorary-Tom Chapman, G. A. Wade, J. T. McCain, W. M.
Hamner, Dr. S. L. Brister, Dr. J. W. Barksdale, R. H.
Barrett, S. M. Wilsford
From The Commonwealth, October 29, 1919
FOUNTAIN’S TOY WINDOW IS ATTRACTING KIDS
“Santa Claus ain’t got no more toys left in his work shop”, one little boy exclaimed as he viewed the display in Fountain’s window this morning, and gazed in wonderment at the electric trains, the fire wagons, and the other Christmas things which are attractively displayed in the window.
The window display is one of the most complete and attractive shown at Christmas time in Greenwood, and has proved a mecca for the youngsters, both boys and girls, since it was arranged yesterday.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, November 28, 1925
FOUNTAINS BEGAN BUSINESS IN SMALL STORE ON HOWARD
Greenwood people point with pride to Fountain’s store-and justly so, for this store stands out distinctly-and is acknowledged by the mercantile world to be the finest and most successful merchandising store in the entire Delta.
Founded thirty-six years ago by the late W. T. Fountain as a small store located where the Barry & Brewer Insurance office is now located, this little business by the fair methods that were inseparable from the ideals of this pioneer merchant, W. T. Fountain, grew and moved into the building where Barrett’s Drug Store now stands. Increases business in a few years compelled Mr. Fountain to add the buildings occupied by the Postoffice Café and the Shute and Pybas Barbershop.
The sincere and honest business policies of the store had become a byword in the Delta, and Fountain’s needed more room, for the policies of the store brought their own reward in continually increasing business. In 1914, Fountain’s moved into their own building especially erected to serve their needs-a building which is most pretentious and commodious now occupied by ant department store in any city the size of Greenwood in the South. A few years later an annex was build corresponding in appearance with the main building and which afforded needed quarters for the men’s store and the Soda room.
On October 26, 1919, the founder was taken from the store, which was his pride and joy, but the business has been successfully carried on with the same high ideals by his successors. The business was incorporated in 1921, as W. T. Fountain’s Incorporated, but it is still known to it’s thousands of customers as Fountain’s, a name that has fulfilled every promise of it’s founder, and which stands at the forefront of merchandising in the Delta.
As occasion demanded, Fountain’s has added department after department, until its three floors are filled with merchandise that fulfill the needs of the Greenwood trading area. It’s thirty-six years of existence has brought to Fountain’s a merited confidence of the buying public-and it’s good will of the Delta, which joins the firm in celebrating it’s anniversary.
From the Greenwood Commonwealth, June 6, 1938
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