The I & N Quality Store is Now the Cahaba Lily Center in West Blocton, Alabama

Here is an update from our reader with more information on the I&N Quality Store. This comment comes from the son of Elmo (Israel) Ellis who adds:

"At 10:51 PM, JFIEB said...
Originally there were two I&N Quality Stores, one in West Blocton and another one in Centreville. My grandfather, Samuel B. Israel was the proprietor of the West Blocton branch. His sister's husband, Isaac Nathews oversaw the Centreville location. In later years, "Mr. Sam" became the sole owner when the Centreville store was closed. In the early 1970's my dad, Elmo Ellis, and his sister, Libby Israel Caplan, sold their father's building to people who used it for a home appliance business. It was many years later that it became The Cahaba Lily Center."


The owners of the I&N Quality Store were Mr. Israel and Mr. Nathan (or is it Nathews ?). Mr. Israel was Elmo Israel's father, and Elmo Israel went on to become Elmo Ellis of Atlanta, Georgia. Elmo changed his name to Ellis, and had a long, successful career as a reporter, editor, writer, broadcaster, and finally as General Manager for WSB TV/Radio in Atlanta.

Elmo's cousin was Melvin Israel, later known as Mel Allen.

Jerry recalls that at the height of the fire, when it was certain that the downtown business district would be destroyed, Elmo's father told the other son, Frank, to lock the doors to his store, so that nothing would be saved or looted, and so that he could collect the entire loss from his insurance policy. And that is what happened.

Frank Israel went on to career at a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Years later, Elmo Israel (Ellis) arranged for the Cahaba Lily Center and the West Blocton Improvement Committee to be housed at the site of his father's former dry goods store.