Grab It Here
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedGrab It Here was an American cash-and-carry grocery-store chain that operated primarily in Illinois and Indiana during the twentieth century.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Grab It Here was a regional American chain of cash-and-carry stores associated with C. Sherman Paxton and his family. Its origins date to 1903, when Paxton, a Kentucky native who had moved to Illinois to work as a coal miner, used his savings to open a small grocery store in Georgetown, Illinois. The original business was known as the C. S. Paxton Store and initially operated on credit while also providing deliveries to customers. A coal strike temporarily forced the store to close, but Paxton later reopened it and continued developing the business. The Grab-It-Here name emerged in 1919, when Paxton opened a cash-only store managed by his son Ernie. The cash-and-carry format represented a change from the original store's credit and delivery model: customers paid at the time of purchase and collected their goods themselves. This approach became the defining retail concept of the chain. During the 1930s, additional stores were established, and by 1941 the business had expanded to approximately 40 locations. Its network was concentrated in Illinois and Indiana, making it a significant regional rather than national retailer. The chain's development reflected the growth of self-service and cash-based grocery retailing in the United States. By using a recognizable name across multiple stores and emphasizing immediate payment and customer pickup, Grab It Here occupied a practical, value-oriented position in local communities. Available historical material identifies the Paxton family as central to the business, although detailed information about its later corporate structure, individual store locations, financial performance, and management is limited. In 1968, Grab-It-Here became affiliated with Dolly Madison Industries. The nature and full terms of that affiliation are not specified in the available reference material, so it should not automatically be treated as a complete acquisition. By the 1980s, the chain was described as defunct, although the broader historical account also characterizes the business as having existed into the end of the twentieth century. The exact date of the final store closure is therefore unclear. C. Sherman Paxton died in 1950. Historical references to the chain include anniversary booklets from the 1950s and 1960s held by the Vermilion County Historical Society and material published by the Vermilion County Museum Society.
History
Grab It Here developed from a small grocery operation founded by C. Sherman Paxton in Georgetown, Illinois. Paxton had moved from Kentucky to Illinois around 1901 to work as a coal miner and saved enough money to establish a store. In 1903, he opened the C. S. Paxton Store with savings reported as $185. The original business used credit sales and deliveries, distinguishing it from the later cash-and-carry format. A coal strike caused a temporary closure, but Paxton subsequently resumed operations. The Grab-It-Here identity appeared in 1919, when Paxton opened a cash-only outlet under the management of his son Ernie. This store gave the later chain its name and established its core operating model. Customers paid immediately and carried their purchases away, avoiding the credit and delivery practices associated with the earlier C. S. Paxton Store. The format was extended to additional locations during the 1930s, turning the business into a regional chain. By 1941, Grab-It-Here reportedly operated 40 stores. Its footprint was concentrated in Illinois and Indiana, and the chain remained a regional retailer rather than developing into a nationwide supermarket business. The available historical record does not provide a complete account of its merchandise assortment, store design, advertising, or financial performance, but its identity was closely tied to cash-based shopping and local convenience. C. Sherman Paxton died in 1950, while the business continued to be documented in anniversary materials during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, the chain became affiliated with Dolly Madison Industries. The sources do not specify the legal structure or commercial terms of that relationship. By the 1980s, Grab-It-Here was described as defunct. A broader account says that the chain existed from 1903 until the end of the twentieth century, creating uncertainty about the exact date of its final operations. The chain is now principally of regional retail and local-business historical interest. Surviving anniversary booklets and county-history publications provide important documentation of its development and store network.
- 1980
Chain ceases operations
[1]The available reference describes the chain as defunct by the 1980s, although the exact final closure date remains uncertain.
- 1968
Affiliation with Dolly Madison Industries
[1]Grab-It-Here became affiliated with Dolly Madison Industries; the precise corporate structure of the affiliation is not specified.
- 1950
Death of C. Sherman Paxton
[1]Founder C. Sherman Paxton died, while the chain continued to be documented in later anniversary publications.
- 1941
Chain reaches approximately 40 stores
[1]The business had grown to about 40 stores across its regional operating area.
- 1930
Regional chain develops
[1]Several Grab-It-Here cash-and-carry stores were operating by the 1930s.
- 1919
Grab-It-Here name introduced
[1]Paxton opened a cash-only store managed by his son Ernie, and the Grab-It-Here name first appeared.
- 1903
C. S. Paxton Store opens
[1]Paxton opened a small grocery store in Georgetown, Illinois, using the name C. S. Paxton Store.
- 1901
Paxton moves to Illinois
[1]C. Sherman Paxton moved from Kentucky to Illinois and worked as a coal miner while saving money to start a grocery business.
Products and positioning
A regional, value-oriented cash-and-carry retailer built around immediate payment and customer pickup rather than traditional credit sales and home delivery.
Grocery retail · 1919
Cash-and-carry groceries
The defining offering of Grab It Here was grocery shopping through a cash-and-carry format. Customers paid at the store and took their purchases with them, contrasting with the credit sales and delivery service associated with the earlier C. S. Paxton Store. The available sources do not identify specific branded product lines or detailed categories.
General retail · 1903
General store merchandise
As a regional grocery and general-merchandise chain, Grab It Here stores likely served everyday household shopping needs, but the available reference material does not provide a sufficiently detailed catalog to identify individual merchandise lines. This entry therefore describes the store format rather than asserting specific products.
Brand decisions
1968
Affiliation with Dolly Madison IndustriesM&ABackground
After decades of regional expansion and continued operation under the Grab-It-Here name, the chain entered an affiliation with Dolly Madison Industries.
Action taken
Grab-It-Here became affiliated with Dolly Madison Industries. The available sources do not clarify whether this involved an acquisition, a holding-company relationship, or another arrangement.
Aftermath
No reliable source in the supplied material specifies the operational or ownership consequences of the affiliation.
1919
Shift to a cash-and-carry formatStrategyBackground
The original Paxton store operated on credit and made deliveries. A new store managed by Ernie Paxton introduced a cash-only model and the Grab-It-Here name.
Action taken
The business established a store format based on immediate payment and customer pickup.
Aftermath
The cash-and-carry concept became the basis for the subsequent regional chain, which had expanded to approximately 40 stores by 1941.
Sources3 sources
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