40 Years of service
At the start of
World War II Niceville played an important but little known role in
building up Eglin Air Force Base, literally, from a small Army Air
Corps gunnery range dating back to the late 1930’s to the world’s
largest air base, and home to tens of thousands of military and
civilian workers.
The federal
government had a portable sawmill on what is today’s Eglin Air Force
Base reservation since 1908. That’s when most of the present
military reservation was part of the Choctawhatchee National Forest,
When the national forest was given to the military June 27, 1940,
the Army Air Corps assumed ownership.
In 1940, the
government set up the mill at the Mullet Festival site, at the
corner of Highway 85 and College Boulevard in Niceville, to help
build up Eglin Air Force Base.
By producing its
own lumber from the abundant forests on the reservation, the
military hoped to save money as it built what became the largest air
base in the free world. There were a few smaller mills in operation
throughout the reservation, but the only government owned mill was
in Niceville, the main supplier of lumber during the World War II
build-up at Eglin.
The
government-owned sawmill covered 23 acres and produced about 20,000
board-feet per day in the 1950’s.
The government
continued to operate the Niceville Sawmill until 1958 when the Bay
Lumber Company, Niceville, took it on with a five year lease. That
private group apparently got assistance from the late Congressman
Bob Sikes. Ownership changed again in 1968, when a second group took
over the lease.
The new group,
Jerry Hodges, along with Tommy McCall opened Hodges Cash & Carry of
DeFuniak Springs in 1968, Jerry Hodges & Tommy McCall who later
partnered with Larry Paulk, ran the mill for several years.
Niceville at the time, was a fairly small community with lots of
potential growth. McCall, Hodges and Paulk thought that such a
beautiful area, with a fast growing military base, was sure to
thrive with growth and building supplies would be needed. So on Nov.
1, 1970, the doors of Niceville Cash & Carry opened on Niceville
Avenue, just a short distance from the sawmill site. The main idea
was to offer plywood to their customers because they had nowhere to
store these types of products at the sawmill. So the offerings in
hardware grew from there. Jerry Hodges & Tommy McCall along with
Larry Paulk partnered
with Buddy Supple in 1977. All total the participating partners
opened six stores in a few short years. Hodges Cash & Carry,
Niceville Cash & Carry, Crestview Lumber, Destin Lumber, Mariana
Lumber and Graceville Lumber, , Niceville Cash & Carry is still
owned by the same group.
In 1973 the
government closed the out-of-date and unprofitable mill. However
Niceville Cash & Carry was already established and continued
supplying building supplies and other goods to the growing
community. Niceville Cash & Carry started out with the participating
partners and a delivery truck. It was decided help was needed and
one of the very first
employees, was Evelyn Reese
who was hired as the bookkeeper In 1971. She was the mother of eight
children the wife of Ralph Reese. Mrs. Reese became a local fixture
in the budding new lumber and hardware store, taking orders and
selling extra supplies to the rapidly growing area. She remained in
the business for 37 years until her passing Nov. 8, 2008. Former
Managers Donnie Howell who worked at the mill and later became
manager at Niceville Cash & Carry. Howell was employed for more than
15 years Till 1985. Then Bob Cooper became manager from 1985 until
he retired of 24 years, in 2009. The current manager is Danny
Taylor, who was hired by Donnie Howell in April of 1981 as a yard
helper.
Niceville Cash &
Carry employs nine full-time and four part-time employees. We
operate twelve trucks, one is a 32’ conveying boom for shingle
deliveries, five 16’ dump beds, three pickup trucks, one pickup that
pulls a 20’ enclosed trailer and three fork lifts.
For over 40 years Niceville Cash & Carry has
been helping build our beautiful area. Others stores have come and
gone, but the vision of, Mr. Hodges, Mr. McCall, Mr. Paulk and Mr.
Supple, and all of its employees, that Niceville is a growing
community lives on.