North Forty to close
Store will shut its doors after three decades
The journey of a Texarkana business couple is coming to an end this summer as The North Forty turns over the keys of its property to Ellis Home & Garden at the end of summer.
“There comes a time where you just know it is time to bring it to a close,” said Jim Morse, co-owner of The North Forty with his wife, Robin.
“It’s been quite a journey, but you start to know when it is time.”
“We’ve been thinking about this for the last three years,” said Robin Morse. “We’ve decided that it is time to retire. When you have grandkids, want to get in a little travel, are looking at lots of birthdays, you start to know.”
An official with Ellis Home & Garden said the Summerhill location will close and the company’s local presence will relocate to The North Forty site. However, further details were not immediately available.
The change will close a chapter of Texarkana’s retail history.
Over the threshhold of The North Forty hangs a sign stating, “Est. 1986” and that is when it all began.
“This was out in the boonies in 1986,” said Robin Morse. “It was nothing like it is today.”
“The idea for this business came to us while sitting out on the Cossatot River,” said Jim Morse. “So, we came out here to put it together. At the time, it was all trees and bushes, full of stickers and crawdad chimneys.”
Texarkana and the surrounding areas are loaded with farms and gardens and The North Forty stood out with focus on personal service and meeting its customers’ needs.
“We have been serving some
of the same customers this whole time,” said Robin Morse. “We’ve met lots of people, made lots of friends. We will miss them.”
The North Forty has offered the types of items the whole time, just expanding on its offerings.
The Morses are excited about Ellis taking over the store. They do acknowledge it will be different, however.
“They will keep the greenhouse side of things as well as lawn and garden needs,” Robin Morse said. “But they will do their customers right, take good care of them.”
Small business, family-owned operations are relatively uncommon now, the Morses acknowledge.
“”We were a mom-andpop business, the last of a breed,” Jim Morse said. “Originally, our backup business plan was to run a restaurant. We just didn’t want to cook.”