George Huntington Hartford
Encyclopedia
George Huntington Hartford (September 5, 1833 – August 29, 1917) founded The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
in 1859 with George Gilman
in Elmira, New York
.
He was born in Augusta, Maine
. George Huntington Hartford was the grandfather of Huntington Hartford
, developer of Paradise Island
in the Bahamas, founder of the Gallery of Modern Art, and famous as one of the world's wealthiest men in the 1960s.
Hartford died on August 29, 1917, aged 84, and was interred at Rosedale Cemetery
, in Orange, New Jersey
. Hartford’s estate was worth $125 million dollars. Business continued as usual after his death; the press respected that he was a private man, and there were few obituaries about him. His sons, George L. Hartford and John A. Hartford, involved in the business since the early 20th century, operated the company. Stores continued to expand. By the early 1930s, A&P was operating approximately 16,000 stores with a combined revenue of US$1 billion
. In the 1950s A&P was the world's largest grocer and, next to General Motors, sold more goods than any other company in the world. The Time magazine published on November 13, 1950 had both John Augustine Hartford
and George Ludlum Hartford
on its front cover. Time wrote that "the familiar red-front A & P store is the real melting pot of the community, patronized by the boss's wife and the baker's daughter, the priest and the policeman. To foreigners A & P's vast supermarkets are among the wonders of the age; to the US middle class, they are one of the direct roads to solvency. 'Going to the A & P' is almost an American tribal rite."
Time Magazine also wrote in 1950 that "Of every dollar the U.S. spends on food, about 10¢ is passed over A & P counters—a massive yearly total of $2.9 billion. Next to General Motors, the A & P sells more goods than any other company in the world."
. George received minimal formal education growing up and did not pursue higher education, opting instead to sail to Boston, Massachusetts, aged 18, where he worked as a dry goods store clerk. In 1858, while in New York City
, GHH met his future business partner George Gilman
.
and set up an extension of Gilman's leather company. In St. Louis, Hartford was successful in securing accounts for Gilman, and returned to New York in 1860 to help Gilman expand his business. The plan was to import quality tea and sell it below average prices. In 1863 their idea was successful and the Great American Tea Company was formed. With Hartford’s business savvy and Gilman’s flair, the duo had twenty five stores by 1865. The Great American Tea Company began offering other goods such as coffee, spices, and soaps, and business continued to increase. Due to the success of Hartford and Gilman’s company other similar companies appeared, and to distinguish themselves the Great American Tea Company was changed to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
or "A&P" in 1869 in honor of the new transcontinental railroad.
By 1878, A&P had grown to 70 stores stretching from many New England cities to Buffalo
, Cleveland, and Milwaukee. This same year George Gilman retired and Hartford became Mayor of Orange, New Jersey
.
In 1880, GHH's son, George Ludlum Hartford
, convinced his father to start A&P’s private label
food line, beginning with baking soda. Producing their own label, A&P was able to produce quality products and sell them below average prices, just as they had with tea. Soon after, Eight O'Clock Coffee
joined baking soda on A&P’s private label as well as their brand names Sunny Field and Sultan. These additions helped A&P reach 100 stores by 1880, and it also allowed for GHH to focus on being mayor. GHH served for twelve one-year terms and placed his sons, George Ludlum Hartford and John Augustine Hartford in charge.
In 1901, his business partner George Gilman
died, leaving the $5.5 million dollar A&P in limbo. Since there was no written agreement between Hartford and Gilman, only a gentleman’s bond, Gilman’s family pursued legal action to acquire A&P. It was at this time that George Huntington Hartford discovered a tactic allowing Gilman’s family to take half of the company outright, by taking the company public as a corporation in New Jersey.
By going public in 1902, in the state of New Jersey
, GHH avoided the large expenses of New York
, and was also able to buy the Gilman families’ half of the company allowing the Hartfords full control of the company.
As time went on GHH began to give more control of A&P to his sons. Both sons urged their father to approve of an economy store that would sell cash and carry groceries without frills. In 1913 this resulted in the creation of the first A&P economy store in Jersey City, New Jersey
. The store was so successful that the regular store next door went out of business in six months. By 1915 A&P had over five hundred stores and was making private label products for American favorites such as Cream of Wheat
.
In 1915 GHH also ceded full control to his sons, placing George in charge of finance, and John as manager of business operations.
In 1929 A&P registered sales of 1.05$ billion, with 15,389 stores. The brothers were successful, shown by A&P’s growth to 16,000 stores in 1930.
with his wife Josephine before he died on August 29, 1917, aged 83. Hartford’s estate was reportedly worth $125 million dollars.
and the Merchandise Mart
in downtown Chicago
. The Bronze busts were commissioned by Joseph Kennedy the father of President John Kennedy in 1953. Joseph Kennedy owned the Merchandise Mart
Building."To immortalize outstanding American
merchants", Joseph Kennedy in 1953 commissioned eight bronze busts
, four times life size, which would come to be known as the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame:
to the US. This allowed Hartford to sell tea at $.30 a pound rather than the regular price of $1. The process of eliminating the middle man was soon followed by many other companies attempting to duplicate the Great Atlantic Tea Company's success.
Hartford created his own tea called the Nectar that proved to be the signature product of the company.
Gilman and Hartford would take damaged tea that cost relatively nothing, and would mix it to create a black tea
with a green tea
taste that was considered by the public a specialty tea. In turn Hartford was then able to sell the Nectar for far less than the competitor’s special tea.
In the 1880s GHH revolutionized the food distribution industry in many ways besides private goods. The A&P devised clever and unique ways to advertise. In the beginning advertising in church ads, Hartford and Gilman's advertising evolved into a system of rewards for customer loyalty. Beginning with coupons and eventually into stamp books redeemable for household appliances by the 20th century Hartford came up with new ways of advertising that are used today.
The industrialization that accompanied the Gilded Age, specifically the development of railways, aided the Great American Tea Company's expansion. A&P pioneered the use of refrigerated rail cars, enabling them to transport fresh fruit and seafood to the Midwest.
Other companies learned of A&P strategies, and realized that advances in transportation could be employed.
Hartford’s innovations were also apparent in the methods A&P conducted its business after its large growth. A&P was always run like a small family business where no one was fired except for dishonesty or violence, and promotions exclusively took place from within the company. During the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871, Hartford sent food and workers to aid the recovery. This generosity continued into the later part of his life when he instituted a pension plan for employees without pressure from unions. The plan allowed employees to invest in company stock that they could retain after retirement.
and A&P has its own website. With 435 stores and 48,000 employees, A&P still brings in 9.5 billion dollars in retail.
A&P is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol GAP. There are stores in nine US states, with the names A&P Waldbaum's
, A&P Super Foodmart, The Food Emporium
, Super Fresh, Sav-A-Center
, Food Basics and Pathmark
.
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, is a supermarket and liquor store chain in the United States. Its supermarkets, which are under six different banners, are found in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. A&P's liquor stores, known as...
in 1859 with George Gilman
George Gilman
George Gilman founded The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in 1859 along with George Huntington Hartford. He retired from the company in 1878....
in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
.
He was born in Augusta, Maine
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
. George Huntington Hartford was the grandfather of Huntington Hartford
Huntington Hartford
George Huntington Hartford II was an American businessman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and art collector. The heir to the A&P supermarket fortune, he owned Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and had numerous other business and real estate interests over his lifetime including the Oil Shale Corporation...
, developer of Paradise Island
Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in the Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of New Providence. It is best known for the sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea resort' Atlantis.Paradise...
in the Bahamas, founder of the Gallery of Modern Art, and famous as one of the world's wealthiest men in the 1960s.
Hartford died on August 29, 1917, aged 84, and was interred at Rosedale Cemetery
Rosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey
Rosedale Cemetery is a cemetery located in Orange, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Cyrus Baldwin drew up the original plan for the cemetery in 1840. - Noted interments :* John L...
, in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
. Hartford’s estate was worth $125 million dollars. Business continued as usual after his death; the press respected that he was a private man, and there were few obituaries about him. His sons, George L. Hartford and John A. Hartford, involved in the business since the early 20th century, operated the company. Stores continued to expand. By the early 1930s, A&P was operating approximately 16,000 stores with a combined revenue of US$1 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
. In the 1950s A&P was the world's largest grocer and, next to General Motors, sold more goods than any other company in the world. The Time magazine published on November 13, 1950 had both John Augustine Hartford
John Augustine Hartford
John Augustine Hartford was an executive with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company and ran the company with his brother George Ludlum Hartford after the death of their father, George Huntington Hartford. Hartford ran the business operations side of the empire, while his brother George ran...
and George Ludlum Hartford
George Ludlum Hartford
George Ludlum Hartford was an executive with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company and successor to his father, George Huntington Hartford with brother John Augustine Hartford...
on its front cover. Time wrote that "the familiar red-front A & P store is the real melting pot of the community, patronized by the boss's wife and the baker's daughter, the priest and the policeman. To foreigners A & P's vast supermarkets are among the wonders of the age; to the US middle class, they are one of the direct roads to solvency. 'Going to the A & P' is almost an American tribal rite."
Time Magazine also wrote in 1950 that "Of every dollar the U.S. spends on food, about 10¢ is passed over A & P counters—a massive yearly total of $2.9 billion. Next to General Motors, the A & P sells more goods than any other company in the world."
Early years
Born to Joshua Brackett Hartford and Martha Soren, George Huntington Hartford (GHH) lived on a farm in Augusta, MaineAugusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the US state of Maine, county seat of Kennebec County, and center of population for Maine. The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-smallest state capital after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota...
. George received minimal formal education growing up and did not pursue higher education, opting instead to sail to Boston, Massachusetts, aged 18, where he worked as a dry goods store clerk. In 1858, while in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, GHH met his future business partner George Gilman
George Gilman
George Gilman founded The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in 1859 along with George Huntington Hartford. He retired from the company in 1878....
.
A&P
Gilman advised GHH to go to St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and set up an extension of Gilman's leather company. In St. Louis, Hartford was successful in securing accounts for Gilman, and returned to New York in 1860 to help Gilman expand his business. The plan was to import quality tea and sell it below average prices. In 1863 their idea was successful and the Great American Tea Company was formed. With Hartford’s business savvy and Gilman’s flair, the duo had twenty five stores by 1865. The Great American Tea Company began offering other goods such as coffee, spices, and soaps, and business continued to increase. Due to the success of Hartford and Gilman’s company other similar companies appeared, and to distinguish themselves the Great American Tea Company was changed to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, is a supermarket and liquor store chain in the United States. Its supermarkets, which are under six different banners, are found in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. A&P's liquor stores, known as...
or "A&P" in 1869 in honor of the new transcontinental railroad.
By 1878, A&P had grown to 70 stores stretching from many New England cities to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Cleveland, and Milwaukee. This same year George Gilman retired and Hartford became Mayor of Orange, New Jersey
Mayor of Orange, New Jersey
Mayor of Orange, New Jersey*Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. 2010 to present.*Daniel Francis Minahan 1914 to 1919.*George Huntington Hartford 1878 to ?...
.
In 1880, GHH's son, George Ludlum Hartford
George Ludlum Hartford
George Ludlum Hartford was an executive with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company and successor to his father, George Huntington Hartford with brother John Augustine Hartford...
, convinced his father to start A&P’s private label
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
food line, beginning with baking soda. Producing their own label, A&P was able to produce quality products and sell them below average prices, just as they had with tea. Soon after, Eight O'Clock Coffee
Eight O'Clock Coffee
Eight O'Clock Coffee is the brand name of the light roast of coffee introduced by the American supermarket chain A&P in 1859. In 1919, the roast was renamed and given its current trademark. According to legend, the company came up with the name by conducting a survey asking people what time of day...
joined baking soda on A&P’s private label as well as their brand names Sunny Field and Sultan. These additions helped A&P reach 100 stores by 1880, and it also allowed for GHH to focus on being mayor. GHH served for twelve one-year terms and placed his sons, George Ludlum Hartford and John Augustine Hartford in charge.
In 1901, his business partner George Gilman
George Gilman
George Gilman founded The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in 1859 along with George Huntington Hartford. He retired from the company in 1878....
died, leaving the $5.5 million dollar A&P in limbo. Since there was no written agreement between Hartford and Gilman, only a gentleman’s bond, Gilman’s family pursued legal action to acquire A&P. It was at this time that George Huntington Hartford discovered a tactic allowing Gilman’s family to take half of the company outright, by taking the company public as a corporation in New Jersey.
By going public in 1902, in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, GHH avoided the large expenses of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and was also able to buy the Gilman families’ half of the company allowing the Hartfords full control of the company.
As time went on GHH began to give more control of A&P to his sons. Both sons urged their father to approve of an economy store that would sell cash and carry groceries without frills. In 1913 this resulted in the creation of the first A&P economy store in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. The store was so successful that the regular store next door went out of business in six months. By 1915 A&P had over five hundred stores and was making private label products for American favorites such as Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat is a porridge-type breakfast food invented in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cereal is currently manufactured and sold by B&G Foods. Until 2007, it was the Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. It is similar in texture to grits, but made with farina instead...
.
In 1915 GHH also ceded full control to his sons, placing George in charge of finance, and John as manager of business operations.
In 1929 A&P registered sales of 1.05$ billion, with 15,389 stores. The brothers were successful, shown by A&P’s growth to 16,000 stores in 1930.
Death
George Huntington Hartford lived for two more years in Spring Lake, New JerseySpring Lake, New Jersey
Spring Lake is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,993....
with his wife Josephine before he died on August 29, 1917, aged 83. Hartford’s estate was reportedly worth $125 million dollars.
Legacy
Bronze busts honoring Hartford and seven other industry magnates stand between the Chicago RiverChicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
and the Merchandise Mart
Merchandise Mart
When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
in downtown Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The Bronze busts were commissioned by Joseph Kennedy the father of President John Kennedy in 1953. Joseph Kennedy owned the Merchandise Mart
Merchandise Mart
When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
Building."To immortalize outstanding American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchants", Joseph Kennedy in 1953 commissioned eight bronze busts
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
, four times life size, which would come to be known as the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame:
Business contributions
It is important to note the contributions GHH made to his industry. In the early 1860s when The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company was started Hartford and Gilman used ships owned by Gilman’s father to import tea from ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the US. This allowed Hartford to sell tea at $.30 a pound rather than the regular price of $1. The process of eliminating the middle man was soon followed by many other companies attempting to duplicate the Great Atlantic Tea Company's success.
Hartford created his own tea called the Nectar that proved to be the signature product of the company.
Gilman and Hartford would take damaged tea that cost relatively nothing, and would mix it to create a black tea
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
with a green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
taste that was considered by the public a specialty tea. In turn Hartford was then able to sell the Nectar for far less than the competitor’s special tea.
In the 1880s GHH revolutionized the food distribution industry in many ways besides private goods. The A&P devised clever and unique ways to advertise. In the beginning advertising in church ads, Hartford and Gilman's advertising evolved into a system of rewards for customer loyalty. Beginning with coupons and eventually into stamp books redeemable for household appliances by the 20th century Hartford came up with new ways of advertising that are used today.
The industrialization that accompanied the Gilded Age, specifically the development of railways, aided the Great American Tea Company's expansion. A&P pioneered the use of refrigerated rail cars, enabling them to transport fresh fruit and seafood to the Midwest.
Other companies learned of A&P strategies, and realized that advances in transportation could be employed.
Hartford’s innovations were also apparent in the methods A&P conducted its business after its large growth. A&P was always run like a small family business where no one was fired except for dishonesty or violence, and promotions exclusively took place from within the company. During the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871, Hartford sent food and workers to aid the recovery. This generosity continued into the later part of his life when he instituted a pension plan for employees without pressure from unions. The plan allowed employees to invest in company stock that they could retain after retirement.
A&P Today
GHH's company, A&P, still exists today. The headquarters is located in Montvale, New JerseyMontvale, New Jersey
Montvale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,844.Montvale was incorporated as a borough on August 31, 1894, from portions of Orvil Township and Washington Township, at the height of the "Boroughitis" craze then...
and A&P has its own website. With 435 stores and 48,000 employees, A&P still brings in 9.5 billion dollars in retail.
A&P is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol GAP. There are stores in nine US states, with the names A&P Waldbaum's
Waldbaum's
Waldbaum's is a supermarket chain with stores on Long Island, in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, and one store in Connecticut. It began in 1904 as a shop run by Sam and Wolf Waldbaum in Brooklyn. Their nephew, Izzy, emigrated to America and joined the business....
, A&P Super Foodmart, The Food Emporium
The Food Emporium
The Food Emporium is a chain of grocery stores originally part of Shopwell Inc. Acquired in 1986 by The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company , The Food Emporium operated approximately 30 stores as of December 31, 2010, in Manhattan, Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut...
, Super Fresh, Sav-A-Center
Sav-A-Center
Sav-A-Center was an A&P-owned chain of 20 supermarkets in the greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. The division operated throughout Louisiana, and had two stores in Mississippi...
, Food Basics and Pathmark
Pathmark
Pathmark is a supermarket chain headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. It was founded in 1968 when its then parent, Supermarkets General Corporation, pulled out of the ShopRite retailers' cooperative...
.
External links
- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company: Milestones by Decades
- Find-A-Grave information for George Huntington Hartford
- George Huntington Hartford II's official web site
- John A. Hartford Foundation
- John and George Hartford on cover of Time Magazine
- Time magazine archives on George Huntington Hartford II