The library was originally Sears Roebuck. It featured Jackson’s first escalators! Near the escalators and known by children for its tremendous size, was the candy department.
From the street you couldn’t tell there was basement (unusual around here), and it was surprising how large the basement was! The store opened on Mar 20, 1947, having moved from a 3-story wooden building on Capitol St, across from the Walthall Hotel (Walthall Lofts today on Capital St.). The store was in the same class as San Diego, CA.
These two stores often ranked first and second in sales in their class. The store always seemed modern and spacious inside and out. The large parking areas were landscaped nicely. Original property included area across the street where a church skywalk connects. This was Sear's Auto Service. The store opened with Coldspot appliances as the home brand. Later the Kenmore name would come along. Refrigerators came in two sizes in those days, 9 and 11 cubic feet! The building looks so modern that it is hard to believe that when the store opened neither freezers nor air conditioners had been invented! The first air conditioners went on sale here around 1951, with the “Mitchell” as the first brand at Sears.
After 30 years at this location, the store was replaced in 1978 with the Metro Center Mall store. Sears actually built this entire mall. It was one of ten malls across the country built by Sears that year and they were exactly alike. This cookie-cutter approach saved a lot money and Sears made more from development than retail sales that year! Sears had wanted to build Mississippi’s largest mall on Lakeland Dr. along with a 20 story office building. The city was planning a park for the property (now Smith Wills Stadium and Ag Museum). Sears tried their best to get their hands on it. They finally gave up and sold their old building to the city instead.
The City of Jackson proudly began moving the library from directly across State St. An engineering study said because of the weight of the books the book shelves must be spaced out twice as much as planned! This might be considered as Roebuck’s Revenge for not relinquishing the Lakeland property! Thanks to Mr. Jack Bowles for this valuable history lesson. Jack was employed by Sears for 40 years, including the entire 30 years of operation at this location! Can you guess what department?
Today the Welty Library is the main library of the City of Jackson. It is named for Eudora Welty (1909-2001), the renowned Jackson author. In 1973 she won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel “The Optimist’s Daughter”. Her stories have been described as dark and mysterious.