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| | The '''Lewis Bear Company''' is a beverage distributorship founded in [[1876]] that holds the regional franchise for [[Wikipedia:Anheuser-Busch|Anheuser-Busch]]. The company is headquartered in Pensacola and maintains offices in [[DeFuniak Springs, Florida|DeFuniak Springs]] and [[Panama City, Florida|Panama City]]. The current president is [[Lewis Bear, Jr.]]. | | The '''Lewis Bear Company''' is a beverage distributorship founded in [[1876]] that holds the regional franchise for [[Wikipedia:Anheuser-Busch|Anheuser-Busch]]. The company is headquartered in Pensacola and maintains offices in [[DeFuniak Springs, Florida|DeFuniak Springs]] and [[Panama City, Florida|Panama City]]. The current president is [[Lewis Bear, Jr.]]. |
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| − | ==History==
| + | EFYm4V Wow! That's a really neat answer! |
| − | [[Image:LewisBearCo-1882Ad.gif|thumb|right|1882 advertisement]]
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| − | Founded by Bavarian immigrant [[Lewis Bear]] in [[1876]], '''Lewis Bear & Company''' was originally located at 118 South [[Palafox Street]] (now the site of the [[Saenger Theatre]]) and served as a combination grocery and chandlery. Bear soon partnered with [[C. J. Heinberg]] to expand the business, and in [[1892]] the company moved into [[Bear Block|its own building]] at the northeast corner of [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Main Street]]. The new, two-story warehouse and office building held a variety of groceries, building materials, animal feeds, liquor, and other merchandise.
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| − | Following Bear's death in [[1895]], the company was reorganized with his sons [[Morris Bear|Morris]] and [[Max L. Bear|Max]] as principals, as well as [[Adolph Greenhut]]. The company became a franchise for [[Wikipedia:Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser lager beer]], and on [[December 10]], [[1901]] it was restructured as a corporation.<ref>[http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=002325&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=LEWISBEAR&names_filing_type= SunBiz.org entry]</ref>
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| − | The Bears utilized newly-available regional transportation to expand sales territories and added several facilities, including a warehouse for animal feed and a stable for cartage mules. A coastal vessel enabled the company to deliver goods to small towns along the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and to [[Lumber industry|lumber company]] commissaries.
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| − | The family business was joined by [[Robert H. Kahn]] (who married Morris's daughter [[Hilda Kahn|Hilda]]), [[Ben Goodman]] (who married Max's daughter [[Leomah Goodman|Leomah]]), and [[William Pollak]] (who married Max's daughter [[Elise Pollak|Elise]]), all of whom worked for the company in some capacity.
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| − | Morris died in [[1928]], and Max (who would later serve as [[mayor of Pensacola]]) took over as president. During the [[Prohibition]] era, the company focused on the distribution of non-alcoholic beverages, but returned to spirits in [[1933]]. Robert and [[Lewis Kahn]] became executives, and in [[1941]] they solidified the company's presence in [[downtown Pensacola]] by purchasing a [[Cedar Street Warehouse|warehouse building]] at [[Cedar Street|Cedar]] and [[Main Street|Main]] from the [[West Florida Grocery Company]].<ref>Mural inside the Cedar Street Warehouse]]</ref> After Max died in [[1956]], Morris's son [[Lewis Bear, Sr.|Lewis]] was named president. When health problems forced him to step down, [[Robert Kahn, Jr.]] became president and William Pollak became board chairman.
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| − | Having outgrown its downtown facilities by [[1957]], the company moved to a new headquarters at 4150 West [[Blount Street]]. The "[[Bear Block]]" at Palafox and Main was purchased by the [[Pensacola Restaurant Supply Company]], while other downtown warehouses would sit vacant for decades to come.
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| − | The company headquarters relocated again in 2004{{fact}} to 6120 [[Enterprise Drive]].
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| | ==Other images== | | ==Other images== |
