Hello All. It sure makes a man smile when you see a crowd this large gathered. I want to thank everyone for coming…How can you tell a town thank you for the 100 years plus support that you have given to Seller Family businesses? Just how do you really do it.

Let me introduce myself. My name is John Sellers Jr. and my family came here, starting with my Grandpa Alex Sellers in the year 1889. He manufactured buggies and wagons and by the year 1904 he had enough to build the Sellers Hotel. It was opened in 1905. The hotel was just so beautiful and featured the latest in modern conveniences, like indoor plumbing and steam heat. Not to mention the native stone that they had built the hotel with. Eufaula had some of the finest native building stone in Eastern Oklahoma, quarried from the hill where the Eufaula dormitory and the old reservoir are located. The three story building was striking. It was built on the corner of Front and High Streets, where Sellers blacksmith and the Eufaula Drug Company were located. Both burned in the fire of 1904.

The dining room alone was 43 feet. Can you imagine paying the rate of $1.00 per day to stay the night? The hotel was the Seller's family pride and joy.

By the time I was born in 1917, my grandfather Alex and my father John Seller Sr. were operating a pharmacy building out of the old Sorbed Building on the corner of Foley and Main. By the way, did you know that the Sorbed Building was on the National Register

I was 5 when my dad died. He was killed by a drunk hotel patron, very unfortunate. My mother Lula (Kidd). was a very strong women. She took over the hotel for a few years then opened a mercantile business on mainstreet. That business was located where the old Sears catalogue store was located. She called it Lula Sellers Mercantile. She ran that store until her retirement in 1972. I'm proud to say that both the mercantile and the pharmacy business stayed in our family. After taking over the business from mom and running it for several more years, I sold it to John Sellers III and my son-in law George Huliby. You may remember the Ben Franklin and S&H Pharmacy.

I was lucky to have married Normagene Whitlow in the year 1940. She blessed me with 8 children. Kerry, Terry, Gates, Jill, Elysia, Johnny, Tony and Page. Try saying that three times fast. I am so proud of their own accomplishments.

I do miss the good ole' days, before the lake went it. I use to know everybody in town. If someone walked into the store I usually could call the by name, that's not the case now. There are lots of new folks.

But even still, how do you thank a community for 100 years plus of support. Thank you all and have a great evening.