Rayford Florist and Gifts - Henderson, TX

123 E. Main Street, Henderson, TX 75652

http://www.rayfordflorist.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rayfordflorist

In 1843, two years before Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, Henderson, Texas – named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor – was designated as the county seat of Rusk County, making it one of the oldest towns in the state.

At 123 E. Main Street, a jewelry store was opened in the mid-1800s. In 1878, a fire destroyed most of downtown, including the courthouse. In 1905, a fire hit the block with the jewelry store. When it burned, the safe crashed through the weakened floor. “That safe is still down there,” says James Nicholson, current owner of Rayford Florist and Gifts, now located at 123 E. Main Street. “It was too heavy to move and they couldn’t get it opened, so they left it and built over it.”

The rich history of the building as well as the picturesque small town lured James and his partner, Jon, to move from Louisiana back to James’ native East Texas. For 10 years, the couple ran a busy floral shop near New Orleans. In 2014, they wanted to slow down their life’s pace and started looking to open a shop in Texas. After researching areas around Houston, Austin and Dallas, they found a posting on Craigslist for the shop in Henderson. They fell in love with the tall ceilings and squeaky floors of the only art deco building in town. “There’s just a feeling that an old building has,” James said. They opened their doors in June 2014. Three months later, they were voted “Best Florist in Henderson” by the Henderson Daily News. (There are three other florists in town.)

In 1987, Henderson was accepted by the Texas Historic Commissions as an official project for the Texas Main Street Project City, a reinvestment into the state’s historic downtowns. In fact, the entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the buildings have both a National Register Marker and Texas Historical Marker. In Henderson, there are four “Main Streets”: North, South, East and West. “The north and south were once named Broadway a long time ago, but they renamed it,” said James.

Rayford Floral was originally founded in 1921 by the Rayford family. James and Jon are the fourth owners of the business. Originally located in a building across town, the floral shop moved into the East Main Street location once occupied by Reed’s Jewelry.

Although it is the smallest place the Nicholsons have ever lived, James says, “It’s a wonderful environment…when you walk around downtown, you feel the pride people have in their small businesses. If you’re outside [your shop], people honk their horns and wave at you.”

While a good deal of their business is from the town’s residents, James says they get a number of tourists who like the “cute downtown look” of the historic town and come to shop. He points out that the “enormous” annual Heritage Syrup Festival held every November typically increases the population from 14,000 to 30,000 during that one weekend.

His returning locals like to tell stories about when the business was owned by a jeweler. “I’ve had people tell me they bought their wedding ring in the store. They also ask whether we’ve ever found any gems. They say that Reed’s used to make custom jewelry and if a gem fell on the floor, sometimes they’d [purposely] drop another one to see if it would roll near the first so they could find it,” says James. He adds, “I’ve been down on my hands and knees looking, but haven’t found anything yet.”

M.J. Miller & Co. - Barrington, IL

123 W. Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010

www.mjmillerjewelers.com

Michael Miller has been fascinated with gems since he was a child. He took a correspondence course about diamonds at age 10. By 15, he was traveling from his home in North Dakota to New York to visit diamond cutters.

When it came to choosing a profession, his father encouraged him to get a career in pharmacy. So he did. By 1970, he had established himself in Barrington, Illinois as a pharmacist, but he also sold jewelry in the back of Esh Pharmacy.

In June 2000, just as his extensive jewelry stock was growing and he needed more room, a customer came in and told him about their business space on Main Street. She and her husband were moving to Naples, Florida, and the building they had constructed at 123 West Main Street was available.

With 16 parking spaces right in front of the building and a location on the village’s major street of commerce (with a major grocery store chain directly across the street), Miller knew it was just what he needed. He bought the building on the spot.

Main Street is also the area’s county divider. The north side of Main Street sits in Illinois’ Lake County; the south side is Cook County. According to the Internal Revenue Service, Barrington, Illinois is the seventh wealthiest zip code in the United States.

These affluent customers are the ones who come into one of the largest privately-owned jewelry retail organizations in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Miller prides himself on the fact that clients trust him and know that he will often have unique gems in stock. And if he doesn’t have something, “I know exactly where to get it,” he says. In fact, Miller travels extensively to find the gems for his custom designs. As his website proclaims, “We strive everyday to earn the confidence of our clients by exceeding their expectations.”

In addition to local customers, Miller has amassed celebrity clients including royalty, television stars and professional athletes. One of the most memorable pieces: Maya Angelou’s 75th birthday present commissioned by Oprah Winfrey. Miller designed a brooch that featured an 18-carat gold birdcage with a platinum canary and a ruby heart. The piece was inspired by one of Angelou’s most famous works, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”