This is the story of Dixie Sales Company and a few of the people who helped make it successful and survive for over 100 years.
January 23, 1910 – The Beginning
Dixie Rubber Company began business in Greensboro, North Carolina on January 23, 1910. Contrary to common belief, Dixie Sales was not founded by the Snyder/Starmer families in 1914. The business actually opened under different ownership four years earlier in 1910. After working for the Canadian-Dunlop Tire Company and the Schenectady (NY) Vulcanizing Works, Joseph Leahy began a search in late 1909 for a location in the United States to open his own vulcanizing (tire repair) business.
In the Sunday, December 12, 1909 edition of the Greensboro Daily News, the following article was written about Mr. J. Leahy and why and how he came to Greensboro, NC:
“PRACTICAL RESULTS- It is a matter of pleasure when this paper can say a good word or do a good thing for its home city – Greensboro. It is a matter of pride when its efforts bring practical results. All such results are hard to locate definitely, as much good may result indirectly and still remain in the practical column.
In October (1909) we issued a large edition, profusely illustrated and elaborately setting forth many of the successful enterprises here. That edition went all over the country, and has already borne fruit. A newcomer, Mr. J. Leahy, from Schenectady, N.Y., tells the Daily News that it was the aforementioned edition, a copy of which he saw in Schenectady that induced him to come to Greensboro. He likes the city and will remain, opening up an automobile repair and vulcanizing works. He tells us that several of his acquaintances probably a dozen or more, will follow him here, and in all probability make this city their future home. This is what we may properly term practical results; and this is the kind of immigration the south wants and needs. It shows the value of a newspaper that goes away from home, and the value of advertising the advantages of home and the home section in such. And this is not merely shop talk paper (sic) we are indulging in.
The result is Greensboro’s profit. The city offers the opportunity and this paper, while harboring a pardonable feeling of pride, is only an incidental factor – a factor that will continue to make itself felt in every legitimate way possible for the further advancement of the fair city of Greensboro. The paper itself is a standing advertisement – six days in the week – for Greater Greensboro, jealous of the city’s good name and proud of its achievements.
There is nothing too good for Greensboro; and there is no task too arduous for the Daily News to undertake that has for its aim greater success for this city, and work with all its energy and might to accomplish.”
After reading good things about Greensboro, NC in the special edition published by the Greensboro Daily News in October of 1909, Leahy decided that a personal investigation of the city’s offerings was in order. He arrived in Greensboro later in October. He felt that the warm climate and friendly people would suit his expectations perfectly. Since there was no master vulcanizer between Richmond and Atlanta, Greensboro car dealers were in desperate need of someone to repair tires locally for their car customers. Flat tires and tire punctures on cars were a common occurrence in those days due to the rough nature of local roads. Leahy knew business should definitely be good.
Leahy returned to Greensboro in December of 1909 and after a month of preparations, Dixie Rubber Company was open and ready for business on January 23, 1910. Mr. Leahy had taken over the lease at a building formerly occupied and owned by the J. Ed Albright Plumbing Company located at 214 West Market Street.
In the January 23, 1910 Greensboro Daily News, the following article appeared, entitled AUTO TIRES MADE NEW – NEW INDUSTRY FOR GREENSBORO:
Not one of a kind which every city, town or village possess form one to several, but one of the very few in the Southland – the only one between Richmond, Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia.
The Dixie Rubber Co., J. Leahy, proprietor, recently located in the premises, 214 W. Market Street, lately occupied by the J. Ed Albright Plumbing Co., is an institution of much interest not only to the people of Greensboro, but for hundreds of miles around, especially so to all owning automobiles. The facilities installed for the repair and vulcanization of auto tires is not surpassed outside of the largest tire factories. The News man didn’t see much in front and wasn’t much impressed by what he did see, but on being led rearward and downward, his surprise and interest increased as each new piece of strange machinery was pointed out. Sectional vulcanizers – the only way to describe them is “go and look at them.” Tube Vulcanizer – a long flat, plank-like affair. A recovering Kettle, weighing one and one-half tons. These machines are run by a 16-horsepower boiler in the basement. The Giant Compressor and Compressor Tank (for testing purposes) and the Buffer and Grinder for tearing off old rubber and fabric from tires to be repaired – driven by a 5-horse power electric motor, are also in the basement.
In the repair of an Auto Tire the rubber and fabric for several inches on either side of the fracture is removed and new fabric and rubber is molded in after the tire is placed in the vulcanizer and cured – comng out with an entirely new place where lately was a hole, giving the owner hundreds of miles of service that otherwise he would lose.
But as the Automobile is of only secondary importance to the Baby Buggy, in the estimation of the baby and its doting parents, a very unique little machine has been installed for the purpose of applying new tires to the little carriage or Go-Cart “while you wait.”
Mr. Leahy has been in the rubber tire business since the days of the solid tire bicycle and is a thoroughly practical man in all branches of pneumatic tire making and repairing. As he is also an auto man he can tell pretty closely the cause of the various types of tire troubles brought to his notice.
The “News” is taking upon itself considerable credit for the part its Industrial Number played in adding this industry to the many other good things in Greensboro. While Mr. Leahy was considering the claims of various southern cities, a copy of the “News” (industrial Number) fell into his hands. After reading the good things, he decided to make a personal investigation, which he did the latter part of October, 1909. The various Auto dealers gave him strong encouragement, and Messrs. C.D. Benbow and R.C. Hood formed themselves into a chamber of commerce for the purpose of informing Mr. Leahy of advantages of the South, North Carolina in general, Greensboro in particular.
Mr. Hood with horse and buggy, took Mr. Leahy around the various points of interest and practically settled matters, because after investigating many other places, Mr. Leahy returned here early in December, and began preparations. He was much impressed with the central location of the city, accessibility to so many other cities and towns nearby. Since coming here he is quite enthusiastic over the climate and the neighborly manner of the people towards a stranger – already feels as if he had lived here years and willing to continue.
He has spent the past six years with Canadian-Dunlop Tire Co. of Toronto and Montreal and the Schenectady, (NY) Vulcanizing Works
“The Gate City” – Greensboro Special Souvenir Book Issued in 1910
In the 1910 issue of The Daily Record – “The Gate City” – Greensboro Special Souvenir Number book published by J. M. Reece & Company, there is a picture of the Dixie Rubber Company building at 214 West Market Street and an article about J. Leahy and the business:
214 West Market Street
“A new industry for Greensboro is the Dixie Rubber Company, which has recently located at 214 West Market street, one of the best plants of the kind in the South for repairing and vulcanizing automobile tires. It is a line of industry of which scarcely anything is known by people outside the auto trade, and very little by those in it.
As some of the machinery was being handled at the railway shops and at the company’s headquarters, people wondered what they were, even machinists who thought they “knew it all” were floored. This is one of the best equipped plants outside some of the largest tire factories, and can take care of any kind of tire made. Some of the special machines installed are sectional vulcanizers for blowouts in casings, flat surface vulcanizer for tube work, a monster “kettle,” weighing 1 ½ tons for retreading and recovering casings. Those machines are supplied with steam by a 16-horsepower boiler. A giant air compressor for heating purposes, and a grinder and buffer for trimming are driven by an electric motor. They also have a most modern machine for putting new tires on baby carriages so that even the babies to whom the little go-cart or baby buggy is more important than the finest auto, may be attended to. The proprietor, J. Leahy, got into the rubber tire business in the day of the solid bicycle tire and has been in the business ever since, taking up the auto tires (making and repairing) as soon as the industry started. Getting tired of the cold Northern winters – the past six years being spent in New York State and Canada, he began an investigation of the various localities between Washington and New Orleans with the idea of getting the best location for all the year business, finally deciding that Greensboro ‘looked good to him.’
The good roads hereabouts and the general air of prosperity and neighborliness of the people whom he came in contact with on his visit of investigation, and the fact that Greensboro seemed the central point of a large number of thriving cities, towns and villages ‘cinched’ the decision to adopt the city as a residence.”
Joseph Leahy was very qualified to open his own rubber repair store, as he had worked for the inventor of the air-filled pneumatic tire, John Dunlop. When he opened his business in Greensboro, he purchased advanced machinery needed to make the quality of his work unparalleled. This equipment included a tube vulcanizer, a sectional vulcanizer, a recovering kettle to melt rubber, a giant compressor and compressor tank, and even a vulcanizing machine made especially for baby buggy tires.
September 10, 1911 – New Location At 212 North Elm Street And Name Change
Because of a lack of competition, the Dixie Rubber Company grew very fast. An increase in inventory and product diversification had the owner searching for a suitable site for relocation. He moved the shop to 212 North Elm Street in the late summer of 1911. An advertisement that ran in the Greensboro Daily News on September 10, 1911, stated that J. Leahy had leased a store on North Elm Street where he would place up-to-date vulcanizing equipment and a line of auto supplies. He would also carry parts for the yearling flying machine, the aeroplane (sic).
Because of the addition of car and aeroplane parts to the inventory, and because he was advertising “Automobile Repairs,” and the availability of a “Catalog,” Joseph Leahy felt that the Dixie Rubber Company was no longer an appropriate name. Therefore, he changed the name on September 18, 1911, to Dixie Sales Company when he opened the new 212 North Elm Street location.
While the companies’ first 214 West Market Street location was in an excellent spot, the new 212 North Elm Street location was very noticeable directly across from City Hall.
In the October 24, 1911, edition of the Greensboro Daily News, shortly after opening the new location at North Elm Street, the following PR piece appeared: J. Leahy, proprietor of the Dixie Sales Company has established a rubber tire hospital just opposite city hall. A full line of automobile supplies are carried in stock and the best work in mending and overhauling ties is done by Mr. Leahy that it is possible for an expert to do. He is an expert in every sense of the word. He knows his business and Mr. Leahy is reliable and you can depend upon what he says. North Carolina has no better workman in his line.
With the name change to Dixie Sales Company at the new location, an automotive service logo appeared for the first time that carried on into the 1950’s and 1960’s. It read “IF IT ISN’T RIGHT, WE’LL MAKE IT RIGHT.” Another catchy callout was also appearing for the first time in ads in the fall of 1911, “Rubber Tire Hospital.”
Although new items and services were added, vulcanizing remained Dixie Sales Company’s primary business, just as it had since 1910. An advertisement in the Greensboro Daily News on January 23, 1913, echoed those sentiments by stating, “If It’s Made of Rubber – We’ll Fix It!”
Other ads in 1912 stated that repairs were available for motorcycle, bicycle and baby cab tires, water bags, etc. And that in their inventory was cements, patches, re-liners, polishes, soaps, carbide pumps, spark plugs, gauges, combination foot and lap robes, pumps, jacks and tire fabric.
In the December 8, 1912 edition of the Greensboro Daily News, the following article could be found:
Dixie Sales Company, J. Leahy, Proprietor, Automobile Supplies, etc. With the great growth in the number of automobile owners came the repair and supply man, and during the last few years the progress made in this important branch of the business has been remarkable. It is one requiring qualifications of a special kind to be successful and the fact that the Dixie Sales Company, of which Mr. J. Leahy is the proprietor, has become headquarters for the automobile owners of this city and section, is the best evidence that the work done by him is most satisfactory.
Mr. Leahy has, at 212 North Elm street (sic), opposite the City Hall, one of the most completely equipped tire repairing shops and supply houses in this part of the south. He makes a specialty of tire repairing, has a first class steam vulcanizing plant and his customers are scattered throughout the Carolina’s and Virginia. Tourists passing through this section, or intending to do so, should make a note of the location of the Dixie Sales company. Mr. Leahy has had 20 years of experience, uses the best of materials, all work is done promptly and reasonable and “if it isn’t right, we’ll make it right,” is the motto of his establishment. He not only repairs tires but anything that’s made of rubber, (sic) bicycle, motorcycle and carriage tires, footballs, water bottles, punching bags, everything. His line of supplies is complete and select and includes spare tire outfits, pumps, jacks, tire fabric, inner tubes, bags, valves, portable vulcanizers, air gauges, patches, tire lugs, all invariably from the best manufacturers.
Mr. Leahy began business here in Greensboro about three years ago and has been most successful. Few men have had as long and as valuable experience with tires, for he was a manufacturer and repairer of rubber tires before the auto business began, has been at it for 20 years and there is nothing about tires with which he is not familiar. For nine years he was with the “G. and J.” and Dunlop tire people and during that time visited all parts of the country. Mr. Leahy is a native of Quebec, Canada, but since making Greensboro his home, has been actively identified with the business life of the city, has made a circle of friends, and is one of its most progressive business men.
A running statement signed by Joseph Leahy on June 17, 1912
January 1, 1913 – New Location at 111-113 East Washington Street
After 13 months at 212 North Elm Street, Leahy once again moved the business on January 1, 1913 to 111-113 East Washington Street, upstairs in the new McGlamery-Markham Ford auto dealership building which had its service department on the second floor. Leahy put the vulcanizing department in a front room on the second floor near the other auto service bays.
A December, 1912 ad by McGlamery-Markham Auto Company stated that: We are pleased to announce that we have moved into our new and modern fireproof garage, 111-113 East Washington Street (Just back of the Greensboro National Bank.) The style of our firm name has been changed from Ford Garage Company to McGlamery-Markam Auto Company…Our large repair shop is on the second floor. It will be equipped with the very latest machinery and appliances for doing the very best work, and it will be all times in charge of the most skilled mechanics of long years of experience…The Dixie Sales Company, in charge of Mr. J. Lehy (sic), well known throughout this entire section of country as a master mechanic and an expert in his particular line, will have a modern vulcanizing plant in a front room on the second floor of our new building.
Joseph Leahy’s Dixie Sales Company was on the second floor of the McGlamery-Sutton Ford Auto Dealership in January, 1913
During the demolition of this building in September 1963, an article that ran in the Greensboro Daily News titled OLD T-MODEL HOME FEELS HEAVY HAND OF DEMOLITION, contained the following comment regarding early uses of the building and how cars got to the second floor:
The building was erected in the 1920’s (sic) as McGlamery’s Garage, a Ford agency, and later became, first, the McGlamery-Markham Auto Co., and then McGlamery-Sutton Auto Co., agency for the Model T Ford. At one time the garage used the upstairs for repair and storage work, using a lift to carry cars to the upper floors. Dixie Sales Co., when it first organized, used a part of the upstairs as its garage quarters.
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