Joe C Thompson, Jr., who was better known as “Jodie Thompson”, would be the founder of what we know as 7-Eleven. How did he get there?
Jodie was born in Waxahachie but the family moved to Oak Cliff when he was a baby in 1901. They took up residence at Edgefield and Tenth. (Foreshadowing: Southland Ice Company would be built at Edgefield and Twelfth.) Their new living quarters were next door to Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Smith – the couple had no children. They also happened to own Consumers Ice (more foreshadowing!).
Jodie began mucking horse stalls for the Consumers Ice company, but was then was promoted to loading the ice wagons. He must have done alright for himself during those busy high school years, because he went to UTA and earned a business degree. He worked his way further up the company and was in charge of negotiations when Southland Ice bought up Consumers Ice. He then found himself as CEO of the entire Southland Ice Company chain.
The manager who worked the Southland Ice store at Edgefield and Twelfth made money during the slow winters by selling milk, bread, eggs, cigarettes and canned goods at his location. He brought this idea to Jodie Thompson and this was the true beginning of the 7-Eleven we all know as Thompson took the idea to heart and instituted it at all locations. (Both of these things, the merger and the grocery idea, were in 1927.)
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