Born a Georgia boy, Hoyt. E Thurmond had found a wife in Minnie Lee and was living at 425 West 23rd Street in the “Sunshine State” by 1933.  Hoyt was born on December 8, 1889. After leaving Georgia, he married Minnie and they moved to the Springfield area in Jacksonville, Florida.

Just around the corner in Springfield area in Jacksonville, he opened a cone company supplying fresh ice cream cones to small mom and pop parlours; crispy and fresh . Hoyt’s business license was filed in 1933 with the state of Florida.

Linda Lee, one of his granddaughters says she remembers eating the small broken pieces left inside of the machine from the freshly-made cones.  It was “oh-so good” she remembers after reminiscing about her Papa’s cone business. Gail, another granddaughter said they would often ride in a delivery truck being a part of the distribution process that came with expanding the business throughout the city of Jacksonville.  That trip always resulted in the treat of “eating a broken cone or two”, she said.

The Purity Cone Company of Jacksonville, was located on 20th Street in the Springfield area.  Springfield was established in Duval County in 1871 as an actual development of John Norton, builder and financier.  After the 1901 fire of Jacksonville, the city expanded its growth and Springfield was one area brought to life to include large stately homes and big beautiful facades and front porches with a variety of businesses to meet the needs of the growing population. It had its own “Main Street” and the area became popular as well as businesses and churches for residents of the city.  Lots were small but many homes were grandeur for that day and time.  Houses ranged in sizes from two  bedrooms to as many as 6 bedrooms. Some homes were two story including a wrap-around porch while others were one level The Thurmond’s  lived in a three bedroom home with a nice-sized front porch, on the west end of the street in a very nice single story small bungalow.

The Purity Cone Company was founded in Minneapolis 1929.  It appears Hoyt would contract with the company, get his own equipment and start his company in 1933 selling fresh cones from a batter “ consisting of cake flour, sugar, syrup, vanilla, shortening, and salt”.   Cones were made ranging in size from 4 to 5 inches.  They were made fresh in the Jacksonville location and distributed city-wide using a truck.

There have been other Purity businesses in the United States related to cones such as the Purity Ice Cream of Ithaca, New York, Tennessee and Minneapolis.  The Purity Cone business of Jacksonville appears to be an outgrowth for the cone business and not particularly ice cream.  Hoyt and Minnie had three daughters, Wilma Lee Beal, Gladys Elma Weathers, Alice,  and two sons, Jones and Tommy, all of Jacksonville, Florida.  He died March 26, 1958 and he and Minnie are buried in Evergreen Cemetery.

While currently driving around the Springfield neighborhood, the family home still stands.  The Purity Cone Company,  a well-remembered memory to the family is gone because of the 20th Street expressway that has taken it’s place.  The memories are still there with those who remember. “Cone crumbles are still good” said grandchild, Gail Thurmond.

See you tomorrow,

Nan