The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company the then-new concept of prepackaged tea under the "Thea-Nector" name. The tea company continued to use the "Great American" name for mail-order purposes. In 1871, A&P introduced another concept when it offered premiums, such as lithographs, china, and glassware with the purchase of coffee and/or tea at its stores. These premiums are now collectibles. George Huntington Hartford joined Gilman & Company as a clerk perhaps in the late 1850s; Hartford later was promoted to bookkeeper, then cashier, in 1866. By 1871 Hartford was in a position of authority and was responsible for expanding A&P to Chicago after its great fire.
The Great Fire of Key West The Great Fire of Key West The Great Fire of Key West was a major fire that destroyed a significant portion of the city of Key West in 1886. It was the largest and most devastating fire in Key West history. The fire began in a coffee shop next to the San Carlos Institute. It burned for 12 hours over 50 acres, destroyed most of the commercial area of the city, killed seven people, injured 15 more, and cost one and a half million dollars in property damage. There were several compounding factors that caused the fire to burn for