"Stack 'Em High and Sell 'Em Cheap": James "Doc" Webb and Webb's City, St. Petersburg, Florida
This study documents the story of James Earl "Doc" Webb and his business, Webb's City, between the years 1926-1982. Starting in 1926 as a small 17 by 28 foot store, Webb's City soon grew to a multi-million dollar business known as "The World's Most Unusual Drug Store.&q...
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| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
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Florida State University
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| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1832 |
| Summary: | This study documents the story of James Earl "Doc" Webb and his business, Webb's City, between the years 1926-1982. Starting in 1926 as a small 17 by 28 foot store, Webb's City soon grew to a multi-million dollar business known as "The World's Most Unusual Drug Store." By 1970, the business grew to encompass ten city blocks, with seventy-two individual stores therein, including parking for 3,000 cars. Doc Webb's business empire included gas stations, an Outpost in Tampa, and a second "city" in Pinellas Park. At its peak it employed over 1,700 people. This work focuses on Doc Webb's innovation in the business field, his fight against price-fixing and Fair Trade Laws, his influence on St. Petersburg, his customers –primarily African Americans and the elderly –and his role in advertising and self-promotion. Doc Webb and Webb's City's long lasting legacy in St. Petersburg and in business history is also discussed in this study. === A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Fall Semester, 2003. === October 27, 2003. === James === Includes bibliographical references. === Maxine D. Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine Montgomery, Outside Committee Member; Valerie Jean Connor, Committee Member; Joe M. Richardson, Committee Member; James P. Jones, Committee Member. |
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