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80 Years on Main Street
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: 2020/07 – July
Wit’s End, a family-owned and managed retail store opened in the summer of 1940, six months before the start of World War II. To say the business has weathered its share of economic storms during its 80 years is an understatement.
Susie Young explained that after closing for two months this year, Wit’s End, like other businesses in Highlands, reopened to a drastically altered environment.
“We are doing everything we can to maintain a safe environment for our customers and employees. We are constantly sanitizing hard surfaces and using disinfectant on all soft surfaces. We have hands-free sanitizer locations throughout the store and contact-free checkout. We require masks of our employees and customers and limit the number of customers in the store to just 12. We are also offering shopping by appointment to our customers who wish to shop privately.”
When Wit’s End opened on the eve of America’s involvement in the Second World War, a mass Depression had been overcome and people were optimistic about the country’s future.
“Margaret Suthard Young was a seasonal resident from West Palm Beach, Florida,” shared Susie. “Her husband had recently died and she purchased the old meat market building from Luke Rice and opened the shop to provide income for herself and two young children. The shop sold old English silver, European porcelain, needlepoint, linens, and old prints to “southern ladies and their families.”
Her son, Earle, worked in the shop from the age of 12 and took over the proprietorship with his wife, Mary Lu, in 1953. In 1960, Earle and Mary Lu opened a second location on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, which operated successfully for 22 years. In the 1970’s Wits’ End began carrying ladies clothing and gradually phased out of the gift and interiors business.”
Today, the family tradition is carried on by both Susie and David Young as well as their four children, specifically their daughters, Rebecca and Caroline, who have spent many summers working in the store.
“There have been many changes in Highlands over the last 80 years but our customers are always so happy to see that Wit’s End is a constant on Main Street!”
