For Edna, Texas, Walmart Leaving Is A Turning Point

In big cities, businesses open and close all the time – usually with little fanfare. But when a retailer leaves a small town, it’s big news. Small town economies are fragile, and even one business packing its bags could spell major problems for locals. And that’s exactly what’s happening in Edna, Texas.

Edna is a town of a little less than 6,000 people. It’s located in Jackson County, 100 miles southwest of Houston. The area is mostly rural – farmers grow crops like cotton, corn and rice. And before we get to what’s happening in Edna today, let me tell you about what used to happen in Edna.

Joe Hermes has lived in Edna for over 60 years, and he’s been the town’s mayor for the last 32.

“When I was a youngster, the stores in this town stayed open on Saturdays from 7 in the morning to 10 at night,” Hermes says. “And people from outside the city would come in at 6:30 in the morning to get a parking place on Main Street. And they’d stay in town until 10 at night. People would sit on the hoods of their cars and as people walked up and down have big conversations. I mean, it was a different world.”

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