Hatchett Grocery, operated by Hart H. Hatchett, was a familiar neighborhood grocery on Henderson’s First Street during the late 1910s through the mid-20th century. Hatchett first appears in local advertising in 1917, operating a grocery at 918 First Street, where promotions highlighted everyday staples and brand-name goods like Heinz products and Sunshine cakes.
By 1918, Hatchett had established a larger and more permanent location at 837 First Street, operating as H. H. Hatchett’s Cash Grocery. Advertisements emphasized cash-and-carry savings, competitive pricing, home delivery, and a full line of groceries and meats. Period ads also note the presence of a dedicated meat department staffed by an experienced butcher, underscoring the store’s role as a full-service neighborhood market.
Hatchett continued operating at 837 First Street for many years before eventually selling the business. By the mid-1940s, the grocery passed to J. A. Metzger, who operated it as Metzger Market, and later the location was associated with Boone Tapp, who opened Tapp’s Grocery & Meat Market in the same building. The succession of grocers at 837 First Street reflects the long commercial life of the property and its importance to the surrounding neighborhood.
From its beginnings at 918 First Street to its long tenure at 837 First Street, Hatchett Grocery represents a classic example of Henderson’s early 20th-century independent groceries. Small, locally run businesses that served as daily gathering points and essential suppliers for the community.
