Smith's Gardentown to celebrate 75th anniversary Saturday

Smith’s Gardentown of Wichita Falls will celebrate its 75th anniversary at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at their location at 4940 Seymour Highway.

Smith’s was founded by C.O. Smith Sr., his sons Curtis W. and his wife, Ruth, and C.O. Jr. in 1949.

The first storefront was located on Beverly Drive. It moved to 4100 Kemp across from Sikes Senter Mall in 1968 and in 2000 moved to its present location on Seymour Highway.

A third generation, Katherine, Steve and Doug Smith joined the business. Now, Katherine’s son, Michael Fiore, is the general manager, representing the fourth generation involved in the nursery.

In addition to its retail operation, Smith’s has a sizeable growing facility where most of the bedding plants and perennials sold at the nursery are produced. A Wild Birds Unlimited franchise was added to the store in 2009. In the past five years, the company has added a rock, sand and gravel operation and a unique small batch ready-mix concrete business.

A first-come, first served lunch will be offered Saturday, along with cake and commemorative handmade candies and free snow cones to the first 200 participants.

“We would especially like to invite our ‘alumni’, our former employees, to join us on Saturday,” Katherine Smith, the company’s president, said.

She said an announcement about the business will be made at noon.

“We are so grateful to the many people in the Wichita Falls area who have been our friends and customers, some for more than 50 years," she said.