The Legend And History of Fuller Brothers/Jitney Jungle

                                         The Legend And History of Fuller Brothers/Jitney Jungle
                                                                   Written by: Grady Ellis
                                                                    Photo by: Grady Ellis
                                                       Vintage Photos courtesy of Webb Fuller

Former Home to Fuller Brothers/Jitney Jungle. Taken in 2017

From 1948, until the early 1990s, the corner of Maple Street and Matthews Street in Carrollton Georgia was known as a grocery hotspot. Although most would remember the days of A&P, in this article of The Ellispedia blog, we're taking a look at the grocery store that as Webb Fuller, the Son of one of the three owners said was "Similar to a Tractor Supply, with groceries." Now let's go back to 1948 and tell this wonderful story of a store that still holds a special place in many hearts of this era.


After World War 2 had ended, Webb's Father, and two of his Brothers, all of whom had served in WW2, took a risk with their GI Loan and started up a small corner store at Maple Street and Matthews Street in 1948 under the name of Fuller Brothers General Merchandise. The store would be the only place in the immediate area for many years to buy groceries. Also in this era, other local corner grocery stores that would appear were Copeland's Grocery, located on Newnan Road, and Perry's Red Dot, located on Dixie Street. Each store served its respective area well and Fuller Brothers would begin to gain traction, as they'd expand by the mid 1950s by adding onto their building to carry more merchandise. By 1960, Fuller Brothers would become a co-op with Jitney Jungle, a grocery chain that was founded in Jackson Mississippi in 1919, to compete with rivals Kroger, Colonial, and A&P, which would help the Fullers, as they now could carry the in-house brands the three chains carried, and charge for a lower price. This would be a great move overall, and in the 1960s, Jitney Jungle was the sole Grocer on Maple Street. For the next decade they had the market in the palms of their hands.

Fuller Brothers in the late 1940s.

Courtesy of Webb Fuller

Also in the early days while getting groceries, and more, you could also get your tank filled.
Courtesy of Webb Fuller
    

Jesse Fuller (Webb's Uncle), and  another employee stops for a moment for a photo.
Inside Fuller Brothers General Merchandise.
All vintage photos taken in the late 1940s, early 1950s.
Courtesy of Webb Fuller

As many could tell you when running a business, running a co-op can be difficult. Until around 1970, the Jitney Jungle was a huge success, but across Matthews Street would be the downfall of the Jitney Jungle, its name being A&P. In this era, A&P was ready to move from its second location at Newnan and White Street, and built a larger location just across the street, the same side of the road as Jitney Jungle. By this time, Colonial had relocated down to Rome Street, and expanded by 1965. New arrivals by the names of Winn Dixie and Big Apple would open on the "four lane", in West Georgia Shopping Center, which wouldn't help things. By this point, Jitney Jungle would once again become Fuller Brothers, as mentioned it's not easy being a co-op/franchise; but at this point, it was a "David and Goliath" battle. A&P and Fuller Brothers, and by the early 1970s, an era would end as the Fuller Brothers would close its doors, and A&P would reign until the 1990s as the sole Grocery store on the Maple Street corridor, before it'd too close its doors in the early 1990s, and presently Club Fitness.

After closing the grocery store at Maple and Matthews Street, the Fuller Brothers would run the Maple Street Shoppette for a time, an open-air market which was also popular but would eventually close, thus an era ended. In regards to other local grocers Copeland's, and Perry's Red Dot. It's unknown when Copeland's and Red Dot closed, but likely sometime too in the 1970s for Red Dot, as Warehouse Groceries would open in 1972, and well once again, we know that outcome. Copeland's would remain in operation for the longest time as a grocery store, and changed names. It was by then a large convenience store, serving the area around Griffin Homes, and the Newnan Road area. It'd close by the turn of the century, and the building would be torn down in 2002 for a park. The Red Dot was torn down in the 2000s, and now an entrance into Southwire. The last building of the three standing is the former Fuller Brothers building. It was a CARQUEST for many years, and presently a local business known as Jules & James, a local boutique.

NOTES: Jitney Jungle were also located in Bowdon and Villa Rica. The Bowdon location was located on Wedowee Street (Hwy 100), and would move later to the present site of Dollar General, as both locations have been demolished. The Villa Rica location was located on Bankhead Hwy (U.S. 78), and for many years home to a Dollar General, presently home to ACRA Office Products.