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Eldridge
Supply Company was founded in April 1933 by Rolfe Eldridge
in Augusta, Arkansas. Since that time, the business has been
owned and operated by the Eldridge family. In 2008, Eldridge
Supply Company will celebrate its 75th Anniversary.
In 1933, an unemployed Rolfe Eldridge was presented with a
career opportunity. The previous owner of the IH dealership
went bankrupt during The Depression. Rolfe Eldridge acquired
the dealership from International Harvester with $65
borrowed from his father, John D. Eldridge, Sr.
Eldridge Supply Company was first located in downtown
Augusta, and the original structure still stands today.
Rolfe and his employees began with one goal - provide the
farmer with quality equipment, parts, and service.
During the depression and the flood of 1927, many farmers
were crippled financially. “Farm motorization” was an
encouraging step forward in their economic recovery. Farmers
began “tractor farming” as a way to keep their family farms
in operation.
Equipment sold by Eldridge Supply Company during the 30's
was some of the most innovative and productive. The
International Harvester Company produced Farmall tractors
and other McCormick equipment.
In December 1945, International Harvester revolutionized
cotton farming with the introduction of the first
mass-produced mechanical cotton picker. The M-10-H
Cotton Picker signaled the beginning of the end of the share
cropper system in the South. Eldridge Supply Company
received one of three allocated to Arkansas. Rolfe Eldridge
operated the new picker that year on his farm.
The year 1948 brought significant changes for Eldridge
Supply. Rolfe’s son, John Rolfe Eldridge, Jr. joined the
business as store manager, and the dealership moved into a
new building. For the next few years, the change from horses
to tractors characterized a growing trend in farming, and
the purchase of farm equipment began to rise.
Twenty-two years later, in 1970, Eldridge Supply Company
moved to its current Augusta store location. With locations
in Augusta, Brinkley, and West Helena, and on the world wide
web, Eldridge Supply Company is able to serve farmers in
every state in the US and the world. For 75 years, the goal
has been the same - provide customers with quality
equipment, parts, and service. |
