Abstract:
Powell & Stokes, a farm supply business, was founded in Windsor in 1915 by brothers-in-law Luther Powell and Jonathan Stokes. After World War II, two Powell brothers took over the business, and now, a third generation of Powells runs the company. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jack Powell, Sr., created a recipe for frying what he called blister-fried peanuts. The business started as an off-season project, but the local demand for the peanuts became so great that Bill and Jack Powell, Jr., founded Bertie County Peanuts in 1994. The peanut business now accounts for 15 to 20 percent of the farm supply business.