Frank Adna Stith Sr. was born on this day in 1884, in Sampson County, to Julius and Octavia Wilson Stith.
He moved to Winston-Salem as a child with his family. He attended the local schools and married Viola Doub in 1910.
He first worked in the tobacco business as a timekeeper, for P. H. Hanes, which was sold to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
He then began working as a salesman of men’s clothing for Kenny-Rose on Liberty Street. This firm went out of business and it was taken over by Fletcher Brothers, who sold ladies’ clothing.
Stith and A. F. Moses went into the ladies’ ready-to-wear business, then sold it to J. N. Davis. Stith worked for N. L. Cranford and Company, a store specializing in clothing for men and boys, for about six years. Then he went into business with J. H. Smitherman and R. B. Horn, and eventually Stith and Smitherman purchased the entire interest and established Frank A. Stith Company in 1911.
The business was first located in the 400 block of North Trade Street, then it moved to 13 West Fourth Street. The next location was at Liberty and Fifth Street, then the business moved to Fourth and Cherry Streets in 1931. A store was organized in High Point at a shopping center in 1961, and another store was opened at Reynolda Manor Shopping Center.
In a 1941 interview with Mr. Stith, he recalled the changes he had seen in clothing stores over the years. He remembered how the clothing was piled onto tables in the early days, making items difficult to remove from the bottom of the stack. He also recalled how dirty and dusty the clothing became when it was placed on counters or shelves. He thought that the improvement in display equipment made a positive impact on this problem, and he said that his firm was the first in the city to install individual hanging suit display cases.
With over 50 years as a Winston-Salem retailer, Mr. Stith was one of six North Carolina merchants honored in 1955 for distinguished service to retailing. He was invited to Raleigh and was recognized by Governor Luther Hodges with a plaque at a special luncheon.
Mr. Stith was an active participant in Burkhead Methodist Church, and served on various church boards and taught a men’s Bible Class. He passed away in 1964.
The ad shown above was published in the Winston-Salem Journal in 1916. Mr. Stith originated his slogan, “Follow the Arrow,” from a personal experience.
Both images are from the Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
