Every business has story to tell

Tom and Louise Snell operated the Bible Book Store at 101 W. Fifth St. in Clovis for about 15 years.

Fifty years ago this week they were featured in the Clovis News-Journal’s “Business Review & Forecast” page, where “Every Business Has a Story To Tell.”

The Snells’ story began with a welcome to area residents interested in looking over their many new books and Bibles, sermon outlines, commentaries, Bible dictionaries and children’s books.

Bible Book Store also sold church supplies.

The store’s newspaper ad offered a personal approach.

“Lady,” it read, “if you have a son in the service, you will want to read this new book called ‘Beyond Combat.’”

Other new books on the Bible Book Store shelves included, “The Radiant Life,” “6,000 Miles of Fence,” “Space of Joy,” “When You are a Widow,” and “Then Sings My Soul.”

The Snells — also longtime farmers and ranchers in the Ranchvale community — took over the Bible Book Store from Virgile Hunton about 1965 and continued to run it until the early 1980s.

Both lived long, productive lives, active in the Ranchvale Baptist Church. Tom died in 1996 at age 84. Louise was 94 when she passed in 2013.

Cornerstone Christian Book Store succeeded the Bible Book Store before the building was vacated about 1984.

A few more businesses past, all featured on the newspaper’s “advertorial” business page on Feb. 24, 1969:

• Spudnut Shop at 121 E. Seventh: “Don’t say doughnuts; say spudnuts.”

• Enco at 21st and Thornton: It was open seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Enco offered free pickup and delivery, fixed flats, washed vehicles and tuned them up.

• Villa Restaurant at 12th and Thornton. The daily specials were 96 cents. Monday’s special was ham and beans.

• Highland Dry Cleaners at 2810 Main. It gave S&H Green Stamps and gave “free balloons for the kiddies.”

• Burger Chef at 501 W. Seventh. That week only, the special was four cheeseburgers for 88 cents.

• Leroy Nuzum sold Farmers’ Insurance. His office was at 919 Main.

• The Art Nook at 725 W. Manana offered classes in tole painting and decoupage.

David Stevens writes about regional history for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]