1890- The Beginning
On April 25, 1890, Reverend King wrote a letter to his son asking him to sell out his holdings in Kansas and come south to Lake Charles, Louisiana. The letter instructed George to use the money gained from selling his holdings to book a railroad boxcar. In this boxcar, they could transport the family’s belongings and livestock, as well as grain, (including corn, oats, and other grain products), from Kansas, where it was less expensive. Upon arrival in Lake Charles, the grain could be sold for enough profit to pay the freight and provide enough money for the family to survive their first winter in the South.
This letter from Reverend King planted the idea that resulted in the move of two families from Kansas to Louisiana. It inspired not only George to head south, but also George’s friend Willis Weber. Reverend King’s last piece of encouragement to the men was, “One thing more, we are sure to have deep water, and that makes Lake Charles the next future great city of the Southwest.” So in anticipation of future opportunities, both men and their families headed south to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
1895- Palace Grocery Store
Once in Lake Charles, George and Willis worked at various occupations, including farming in the Fenton area, setting type for the local newspaper, and clerking in local dry goods stores until they had saved enough capital to form the Palace Grocery Store as a partnership in 1895. After Palace Grocery Store proved to be successful, George and Willis found themselves delving even deeper into the food retail industry, eventually owning four different grocery companies.
1902- Kelly, Weber, and Company
While the food distribution industry was very profitable for these men, in the long run the competition of mass retailers led them to switch their focus to other industries. In 1902, they joined with D. A. Kelly to organize Kelly, Weber, and Company.
1917- Farmers Rice Milling Company
Mr. Weber and Mr. King’s next big prospect occurred on August 3, 1917, when they saw potential in a deserted plant and purchased it. They quickly turned the empty plant into a thriving rice mill. The mill was located on the banks of a main irrigation canal and utilized the same steam engine that drove the irrigation pump. After the crop was harvested, the belts on the engine were reversed, powering the entire rice mill.
