The company was started by Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg. They had opened a general store in Beaconsfield, Iowa, in 1930. In 1938, the company changed their name to Hyde &amp; Vredenburg, Inc. Hyde &amp; Vredenburg had 15 stores in Iowa and Missouri at that time. In 1945, Hyde &amp; Vredenburg moved its headquarters from Lamoni to Chariton, Iowa, after buying the Chariton Wholesale Company. 