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==History==
[[Image:LewisBearCo-1882Ad.gif|thumb|right|1882 advertisement]]
Founded by Bavarian immigrant [[Lewis Bear]] in [[1876]], '''Lewis Bear & Company''' was originally located at 118 South [[Palafox Street]] (now the site of the [[Saenger Theatre]]) and served as a combination grocery and chandlery. Bear soon partnered with [[C. J. Heinberg]] to expand the business, and in [[1892]] the company moved into [[Lewis Bear BuildingBlock|its own building]] at the northeast corner of [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Main Street]]. The new, two-story warehouse and office building held a variety of groceries, building materials, animal feeds, liquor, and other merchandise.
Following Bear's death in [[1895]], the company was reorganized with his sons [[Morris Bear|Morris]] and [[Max L. Bear|Max]] as principals, as well as [[Adolph Greenhut]]. The company became a franchise for [[Wikipedia:Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser lager beer]], and on [[December 10]], [[1901]] it was restructured as a corporation.<ref>[http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=002325&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=LEWISBEAR&names_filing_type= SunBiz.org entry]</ref>