As one of the largest franchisees, WOA was hit particularly hard by this arrangement. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. The other victims were identified by the Texas . Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. Police found two dead people inside the. There was an error deleting this problem. After handling freight to pay for his travel, nineteen-year-old Abel Head Pierce, a native of Little Compton, Rhode Island, landed at the Texas port of Indianola five months after leaving home. Whataburger was a burgeoning business, but profits were minimal. Normally, they look at me skeptically as if to say,Yeah, Right!! If they cant settle their differences, its not clear where theyll be tomorrow. Today, in 2019, it has been 69 years since the first Whataburger opened up. [8] The crash killed Dobson and his business associate. She did not like to drive, so for years he picked her up and drove her to monthly USO meetings. This was interesting article especially since it was about a burger that is highly famous here in Texas. Numbers went from 600 to 950 burgers per day.10, August 4, 1951- Proud to be the beginning of what may be a lifelong business. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. GREAT NEWS! It amazes me how many people talk about whataburger and that those burgers are probably the best they have ever tried because of their unique taste, but I have never tasted one. The pragmatic Lady Grace rolled up her sleeves and got to work, teaching her children the family business along the way. Having lived in Texas for the 18 years of my life, I found it really interesting to finally know the full history of Whataburger. As a team, they expanded the Whataburger chain and had a family. I like to write, listen to music, and read about fashion. 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed In June Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chilis and Maggianos Little Italy, unveiled a plan to buy franchises to boost earnings. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. harmon dobson plane crash. . Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3151 Reid Drive. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. She lived simply and seldom spent the Whataburger money, aside from the many charities to which she contributed. harmon dobson plane crash. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He was able to please his customers with a five-inch burger by making special arrangements with the Rainbo Bread Company to develop five-inch buns, which were an inch larger than the standard bun. [1] In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? The larger burgers that could be found back in the 1950s were served on 4-inch buns. Peterson resigned in 1993. The first drive-thru was installed in 1971. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. Whatabusiness! - Texas Monthly But in April of that year, a plane accident cut short Harmon's life, leaving her with three . List of fatalities from aviation accidents - Wikipedia To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. This tiny burger stand offered something people had never seen: a burger that was so big, they had to hold its five-inch bun with two hands. By 1990 Whataburger had 475 locations across the southern United States; WOA was running more than 30 of them, in Bexar, Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties. 0 cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. He had $2500 to invest in the right deal involving oil, and eventually, he became partners with Henry Mode on an oil lease in Loving County, Texas.2 Yet, this investment did not lead to success. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. Whataburger is so common to me, as a Texan, that I forget not every state has one. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. They have also hosted Wow fund-raising events where they combine fun community activities with charitable giving. In short, Whataburger made it very plain that its position is that Whataburger never intended WOA would have the benefits that the 1993 Agreement clearly states that it does, the lawsuit says. Grace Williamson and her 5-year-old son, Tom, rented a home owned by Dobsons brother Coy. Tom officially took over Whataburger in 1993 and is still company chairman today. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu. In the summer of 1854, a destitute stowaway on a Texas-bound schooner was discovered and forced to work for his passage. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 10 Infamous US Plane Crashes | Smithsonian Channel - YouTube The very first WhataGames, the company's biennial burger Olympic competition for Team Members, was held. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' A year later, the first of the familiar orange and white striped A-frames was built in Odessa, Texas. Today, more than seven-hundred of the distinctive orange and white WHATABURGER restaurants can be found in eleven states, and total more than $1billion is sales annually. Insiders still refer to this time in the companys history as the dead zone. Profits fell as the company overreached by opening stores in saturated markets like Las Vegas and adding menu items, like popcorn shrimp salad, that customers didnt want. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. It was fascinating to see that the burger/fast food chain that Dobson created (along with other people) would end up becoming the most notable food item in Texas. Whataburger is more than a burger chain. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? I have so much fun talking to the young employees about the early Whataburger. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in . Dobson then bounced around a lot after that work on the Suez Canal in Egypt, and then in Bahrain where he was in charge of a construction of a mess hall. Learn more about merges. Were not making much profit but at least they are going fast for our product.7, August 12, 1950- Big Day 141.80 What a workhouse 551 hamburgers.8, Dobson realized the presentation of his burgers mattered. One year, 24 weddings were held at a Dallas Whataburger. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. Im glad to read that Tom Dobson, his son, was able to continue the legacy that was left by his father. [5] In 1963, Whataburger opened its first location in Arizona totaling the number of stores 26. He had $2500 to invest in the right deal involving oil, and eventually, he became partners with Henry Mode on an oil lease in Loving County, Texas.2 Yet, this investment did not lead to success. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The menu grew as well, with French fries and hot pies being added in 1962. Whataburgers affairs were more and more being turned over to the professionals, all of whom wanted to participate in what by now had ceased to be a family business and had become simply a large corporate entity, WOA claims in its lawsuit. I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. Spicing Things Up: Whataburger Buffalo Ranch Chicken Lineup Returns for a Limited Time, Get Ready for More Bold Flavors: Whataburger is Growing in Memphis, Whataburger Celebrates One Year of Delicious Dining in Colorful Colorado, MyWhataburger I thought it was only a Texas thing and never heard of them existing anywhere else. In 1952 Andrews, who lived in Alice, brought his family to eat at the Kingsville branch and was so impressed that he contacted Dobson about buying a franchise. Today, Whataburger is a big part of Texas culture, and families all over the Lone Star State can say thank you to Harmon Dobson for helping them to celebrate some of the best moments of their lives. Franchisees also sued over a mandatory rebate plan, which WOA claims amounted to forcing vendors to pay illegal rebates, kickbacks, and bribes to Whataburger and its executives. DeLaughters Is the Little Grocery Store That Could, The Daughter of a Barbecue Family Takes Tradition in a New Direction, The Old Orange Cafe Is a Piece of Local History, Gen Zs Homemade Tortillas Could Use an Upgrade. Family members linked to this person will appear here. This is a great article and very informative! Failed to delete memorial. Along the way she made lifelong friends, including Bill Sheka Sr., 83, who knew her for 50 years. Whataburger Field, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony with Grace throwing out the first pitch. Its hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. Leave them blank to get signed up. Two people killed in plane crash near Thorsby: RCMP It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. I share with Whataburger employees how my brothers and I would have 35 cent Whataburgers from the original Ayers street store before going to the picture show. Whataburger moved its Home Office to San Antonio from Corpus Christi in 2009. The. In addition to a legacy of giving, Lady Grace made sure to instill her children with hard work and Whataburger values. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. Earlier in the year, Harmon had crashed in Dutch Guiana at the northern tip of South America while en route to North Africa. Please try again later. The company also said it didnt intend for the 1993 settlement to give WOA exclusive rights or lower royalties. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal. With time, they started to expand more outside Texas because Texans gave this restaurant a gold star.