Sittin’ and thinkin’: While sorting though some old things this writer found the newspaper clipping reprinted below and it reminded her that many years later she was honored to be celebrated as the “Sweetheart of Cotton States Fashion Exhibitors” at the Honor’s Banquet at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Probably age 11 or12.
H.M. Loeb, one of Morton’s best citizens, was named president of the Cotton States Fashion Exhibitors at the spring fashion showing, held last week at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
This is the third time Mr. Loeb has served the association as president. Some years back on two different occasions, he was drafted to serve as president. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Exhibitors almost continuously since it was organized at the Peabody 27 years ago.
In reminiscing about the beginning of the Cotton States Fashion Exhibitors, Mr. Loeb said the first showing naturally was small and attendance even worse, and to add fuel to the hard knocks of that early day, he along with others responsible for the show, had overlooked the “Blue Laws” of Memphiss, and when the show opened up on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Loeb and others were arrested and taken down to the jail house and arraigned on charges of violating the city’s Blue Laws. A hearing the next day cleared the matter up and for several years the Cotton States Fashion Exhibitors opened the show on Mondays. It was until just a few years back that Blue Laws were rescinded and the show opened on Sunday.
There are three shows given each year. November is the showing for buyers over the South placing orders for Spring merchandise. January is for Summer and July is when the Fall merchandise goes on exhibition.
Mr. Loeb said merchandise brought from the leading markets throughout the United States featuring the newest fashions from Parisian styles, was exhibited last week for the spring market.
About 200 exhibitors and salesmen displayed the wares for buyers from Arkansas, Mississipi, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.
He said the response was “good for our show.” About 3,000 buyers were on hand for the first day...
Those were fun times growing up and memory of making the trips to the Peabody with her father are some this writer will always cherish.
