PERRY AND HUNTER STORE. The Perry and Hunter Store was established as a result of Stephen F. Austin's^qv writing his brother-in-law, James F. Perry,^qv that he thought there was a good opening for a store in San Felipe and urging him to come by November 1, 1830. Before that date goods could be introduced duty-free. During Perry's stay in New Orleans he bought merchandise for the store, and William W. Hunter, who had evidently been taken into partnership, bought more in Philadelphia while he was there in October. Hunter had charge of the store and received two-thirds of the profits, but he was forced to dissolve the partnership in the summer of 1832 because of his poor health. He continued, however, with collections until he left in the summer of 1833, when Moses Austin Bryan^qv took charge of the store. Alexander Somervell^qv came in the summer of 1833 to take Hunter's place in the partnership at the request of Perry. In 1834 Perry sold out to Dr. J. B. Miller because he wanted to devote full time to Peach Point Plantation.^qv The store represented an investment of more than $20,000, from which a good return had been made.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Eugene C. Barker, ed., The Austin Papers (3 vols., Washington: GPO, 1924-28).

Winnie Allen