While many have come and gone, one retail firm, Burnett's Furniture, has remained and this year marks 113 years of service to customers. Of that century-plus operation, 51 have been in the same location.
The Burnett name has been in Henryetta since 1903 when Gilbert Burnett came to town in a covered wagon.The horse-drawn wagon held merchandise that was promptly put into a 25-foot-wide building on the north side of Main Street and the doors opened to sell housewares and hardware to the booming industrial area.
Gilbert and brother Bob are still recalled in an early day photo of the store surrounded by walls and display cases filled with everything from needles to early washing machines.
In 1955, after sailing through the Roaring 20s, weathering the Depression and war years, the family decided it was time to move to a larger location.
Bob and Joe Burnett bought the three-story brick building at the corner of Fifth and Main. It had been the Clark-Darling furniture and hardware store.
That building filled up with furniture tang the top floors and the bottom holding hardware, sporting goods, housewares and the ever-increasing popular televisions."I remember televisions lining the entire wall," Phil Agee said, pointing to the west side of the present store.
Joe and Bob Burnett operated the store for years then passed the torch on to Phil and Diana Agee. Phil had been working in Oklahoma City but returned in 1958 to help in the store.
In 1975 the store became solely devoted to furniture, appliances and televisions when Burnett's bought the hardware store a block away.
Everything moved except the store mascot that has been looking down on customers for well over 70 years.
A large stuffed elk found its home in the building after an angry wife refused to let it in her house.
Agee said the unnamed hunter struck a deal with the Clark-Darling owners and the elk head put in place. It has not moved except when it was rescued when fire threatened in the 1980s. The blaze destroyed the old McAtee's store two doors down and volunteers were busy making sure Burnett's merchandise would be safe. The elk head was taken down then, when danger had passed, replaced.
It was in the 1970s that Burnett's started the annual night sale and it proved so popular that they moved it to twice a year.
The sale includes all three Burnett locations: furniture, hardware and boutique.
Granddaughter Natalie started the Burnett Boutique five years ago and splits time between all three businesses."She started working here in high school then came back every weekend while she was a student at OU," said Diana.
Natalie smiles as she points out another generation of Burnett employees will be greeted this summer.
