NAYLORS FARM & RANCH SUPPLY

Farming > Farm and Agricultural Machinery

Harold Naylor graduated from Oklahoma A&M specializing in Poultry Husbandry. After serving as an Army Lieutenant In WWI, he and Ethel Simonson were married in Loveland, Oklahoma in 1919. He taught at El Reno High School and Oklahoma A&M. In 1924, they moved to Corpus Christi with their two small sons, Morton and Glen, in order to truck farm with his father. In September 1926, Harold and Ethel opened their own business, Corpus Christi Hatchery. The next year brought the birth of their third child, Marietta, and the following year Harold's brother, Gilbert, joined the business.

The ten acres Harold and Ethel bought for their business, on what is now Old Robstown Road, was, at that time, well out in the country as the paved road extended only six blocks from the bluff. Hatching baby chicks was the primary business in 1926. In the 1930s, a broiler operation and processing plant was started. For more than 25 years many of the better restaurants and grocery stores served and sold dressed poultry from Corpus Christi Hatchery's Blue Ribbon Fed Poultry. The food shortage of WWII made the poultry industry an essential part of our lives as it was not a rationed item. Cow and goat milk from the small dairy also helped relieve the food shortage.

Marietta married Melvin Kronk, who was just out of the Navy after WWII, in 1946 and he also joined the business. As the city grew up around the Hatchery it became necessary to move the poultry to a farm outside of town in Odem. Fresh eggs were sold in the store until the farm was sold in 1969.

1970 brought further expansion with the move down the street to our current location at 102 Old Robstown Road and the name was changed to Naylor's Farm & Ranch Supply. Only four months later, Hurricane Celia destroyed the entire front sales area of the new building and the warehouse was heavily damaged. Many weeks were spent rebuilding and getting pulled back together. Since that time two additions have been added to the warehouse.

Corpus Christi has changed considerably since 1926 and so has Naylor's Farm & Ranch Supply., Inc. Much of the Naylor's original ten acres is now Naylor Circle Subdivision, the old store was torn down long ago, and Harold, Ethel and Gilbert are resting in peace. Marietta passed away in 2007 and Melvin is now mostly retired. Melvin and Marietta's three children now own the business.

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