Lincoln Sydnor Spainhour

Year Inducted: 2018

Lincoln (Linc) Sydnor Spainhour was born February 19, 1908 to James Edgar and Ruby Onyx Sydnor Spainhour. Spainhour had four brothers and one sister, all of whom worked in the Spainhour’s retail stores at one time or the other. Linc attended school in Wilkesboro, played football at Wilkesboro High School, and joined the family business following high school.

Linc’s father, James Edgar, was the son of Spainhour’s stores founder, Rufus Alfred Spainhour; his mother, Ruby, was the daughter of the Sydnor family of Williamsburg, Virginia, who were also retailers. Linc, along with his brothers, operated and expanded the Spainhour’s business from the humble general mercantile beginnings to operating eleven locations throughout western North Carolina. When his brothers moved away as the business expanded, Linc took over operation of the North Wilkesboro Spainhour’s store, and later the Lenoir and two Winston-Salem locations.

Linc Spainhour enjoyed horseback riding whenever he could at his farm in North Wilkesboro. He was also a pilot in his younger years. Many knew Linc as a horse trader, literally and figuratively. When he and his brothers would bargain for a new store location, Linc always did the negotiating. He maintained that “a deal isn’t good if it doesn’t work for both parties.” 

The store and family were his life. North Wilkesboro provided him the opportunity to create a store where people felt welcomed and respected. Spainhour was always willing to stay late to provide a customer extra time to shop and make sure the customer was satisfied with the purchase. Spainhour always went the extra mile when times were tough for customers to pay their bills, instructing his employees to extend credit, or allow for additional time to pay. Spainhour was a friend to all, and was a fixture at funeral visitations honoring those who had been customers, business associates, or friends.

Linc has been described as “truly a remarkable man who chose to use his God-given gifts for the benefit of others.” Linc married Mozelle Cochran in 1934 and they spent 58 years together. They had three children, Mary Cochran, James Edgar, and Lincoln Sydnor Spainhour, Jr., eight grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.