A history of the establishment of Mr. William S. Hutt would be of interest to any of the reading public, and space permitting, a long and pleasant story might be told concerning the life of this business. Suffice it to say, however, that the business was first established in 1846, by Mr. A. J. Hutt, the father of the present proprietor. Mr. Hutt managed the place by himself, holding it up and winning the confidence of the public, and on the 12th day of November, 1868, he took his son unto the business with him, and it was henceforth known under the new style of W. S. Hutt.

The son displayed the same excellent business qualifications which had characterized the father, and the wholesale and retail grocery establishment of W. S. Hutt has continued to grow in public favor even to the present day. Mr. Hutt is a native of Little Rock, all his interests are identified with those of the City of Roses, and every effort he can put forth to advance the city is not spared. His father, though not a native of the State, lived here since 1838, and when he left his Virginia home and came to Arkansas, he came with a determination to win success in the State of his adoption, and from his arrival in this city he was one of its foremost citizens, serving in various positions of public trust from mayor of the city to sheriff of the county. Taking his son into one of the best established business houses in the State, and endowing him with his own energy and ability, the business has never flagged. One of the largest stocks in the State is stowed away at W. S. Hutt's, filling two floors of the store, which being a building 23x140 feet is indeed a handsome and commodious place. In that stock is embraced every thing known to the grocery trade, from the celebrated Blue Grass Whiskey, which is old enough to vote, never fails, always takes the cake, and can't be surpassed for medicinal purposes, to a barrel of pickels. Mr. Hutt is proud of his place, and justly so. [The City of Roses. A Story of a Southern City: Robert J. Brown, Little Rock, Ark., 1886, pages 73 and 75.]

W. S. Hutt, one of the leading grocery merchants of Little Rock, Ark., is a native-born resident of this city, and a man whose honesty and integrity is unquestioned. He attended Commercial College in Lexington, Ky., and soon after the war he and his father engaged in business in Little Rock. Although the father died but recently, the business has been in W. S. Hutt's name, and greatly under his control, since that time. He does an extensive business, and is a young man in whom all the people of Little Rock place implicit trust. This is the oldest retail establishment in the city, and one of the most prosperous. The building, of two stories, is 150x25 feet. W. S. Hutt is the son of A. J. and Francissa E. (Gaines) Hutt, both honored and respected citizens. The father was born in Charleston, Kanawha County, W. Va., and when a young man went to Pittsburgh, Penn., where he remained until about 1837, and then came to Little Rock. He saw true pioneer life in Little Rock, and many a time has he hunted game over the present location of the city. He had amassed considerable money up to the time of the breaking out of the Civil War, but lost considerable during that eventful period. He was a man respected and esteemed for his sterling integrity, sober, sound judgment, broad intelligence and liberal progressive ideas. He was married in Little Rock, and reared a family of several children. His wife, and the mother of the subject of this sketch, is still living, and resides in Little Rock. Mr. [A. J.] Hutt became well known all over the State, and became Grand Master of the I. O. O. F. of the State. He took an active interest in political affairs, and held many positions of trust and honor in the city of Little Rock, of which he served as mayor. [from Goodspeed's?]

This three inch tall bottle found about 30 miles northeast of Little Rock in Beebe, Arkansas by Mel Stratton. He found the jug painted over with flowers. Mr. Stratton cleaned the bottle and offered it for sale on eBay in June of 2002.
It is now in my Hutt Family collection.

William Spence Hutt was born February 14, 1848 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Andre' Joseph Hutt and Francisa E. Gaines. He died May 30, 1901 in Little Rock, unmarried, leaving his mother Francisa and his sister Mollie Hutt Newton as administrators of his estate.