By Pat Culverhouse
It’s 1936 and Americans are struggling. This thing called the Great Depression has many wondering what the next day will bring.
In Waco, Texas, Mrs. A.J. Price saw an ad in a Houston newspaper. Business opportunity, it said. She showed it to her husband and the pair trekked from their home to Minden to investigate. That trip marked the beginning of a new day, and legacy, for Price.
“It was the teeth of the Depression and he had a good job in Waco,” said John Price Collins, grandson of A.J. Price, and the third generation owner of what has become a Minden business stalwart for four score and 10.
“He came to Minden, went to church and met H.O. West who encouraged him to do it,” Collins said. “Some people thought he had lost his mind to leave a good job during this Depression and go into business, but he liked Minden immediately, met some really good people and thought ‘I can do this.’ He did, and here we are.”
On the window of the Main St. storefront the sign reads “A.J. Price Tire.” Just above the awning, with neon lights still operating, it says Western Auto. That’s the legacy of A.J. Price.
Friday marks the 90th anniversary of A.J. Price’s dream and a celebration is planned that will extend into the early evening hours, a celebration that will include food, drinks and music provided by long-time friend (and surrogate son) Mitch Fussell. Part of the celebration includes shutting down Broadway in order to make room for an expected large crowd.
Starting time for the major celebration is 5 p.m. with activities scheduled to continue until 8. Everyone is invited.
Minden’s Western Auto was the first dealer store in the state of Louisiana. A.J. Price ran the business until he retired for health reasons in the early 1960s. He turned the reins over to his daughter, Evelyn Price Collins, who had worked for her dad since 1954. She was 86 years old when she turned over the operation to John.
John Collins came into the business after he graduated from Louisiana Tech with a business degree in 1970. After 56 years in the family business, he can’t see himself anywhere else.
“I had a couple of pretty good job offers after I graduated, but I looked at what our store was doing and decided this is where I wanted to be,” he said. “I’ve never regretted it. I might retire, but not until I’m at least 90…unless I decide not to.”
Western Auto officially ceased operations around 2000 to 2001. That left the Minden store, one of the oldest dealers in the nation, looking for a new name.
“My grandfather said once that he had raised three daughters, had a good wife and that God would take care of him. And, He had. That’s why I kept the store name A.J. Price,” Collins said.
Joining the celebration, and most likely doing the lion’s share of planning, will be John’s son, Alex. He represents the fourth generation to manage a successful A.J. Price store, located on Hwy. 531. It’s a location that wasn’t…until it was.
“I had some property on 531 and one day I noticed there was equipment all over it. I started getting phone calls saying congratulations on your new store,” John said. “I called Alex and asked what’s going on, do you have a contract? He said, ‘No, I don’t have a contract. We just decided we’d get started.’ Our lawyer almost had a cat.”
With two stores, and a fourth generation, the A.J. Price name might be around for awhile.
“We’ve been so blessed, and Alex has done very well,” John said. “I think there’s a good chance we’ll be around for a little while longer.”
