Almost 46 years to the day of its opening, Northwest San Antonio staple Locke Hill Feed, Pet and Lawn Supply has shut down.
Before closing its doors March 20, the mom-and-pop operation at 4927 Golden Quail was one of San Antonio’s last remaining independent pet-supply retailers — and definitely one of the few that offered feed for horses, cattle and poultry. The building — notable for the purple martin houses nailed to its roof — offered both standard and niche pet and livestock products to up to 250 customers daily at its peak.
“We got what the customers wanted,” 78-year-old Locke Hill founder Bill Estes told the Current. “We wanted to be a success, and apparently we were.”
However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a dent in business. Around the same time, Estes’ wife, Kate, now 73, was diagnosed with cancer, and medical bills added up. By the time the couple returned to help run Locke Hill’s day-to-day operations in January 2025, they were behind.
“We fought all through ’25 … just pulling ourselves out of the hole we were in,” Estes said. “We finally got it, and we were bringing it up, but then a guy … offered us a price on it.”
The offer wasn’t for the business as a whole — just Locke Hill’s building — but the money was too good to pass up, Estes explained.
Even so, it was difficult to walk away from Locke Hill after 46 years, Estes said. In the midst of selling off and donating the last of the company’s supplies, he couldn’t watch the company truck drive away.
Keeping up with trends
Locke Hill offered more than just products on a shelf. Estes said he and his staff kept up with trends in animal food, fertilizers and other supplies. They talked with distributors, salespeople and manufacturers so they could better answer customers’ questions.
During his conversation with the Current, Estes explained Locke Hill’s evolution in dog food stock, from Purina and Science Diet to Nutro Max and endless hypoallergenic options. He also outlined the best options for cat food and discussed how customer demand for chicken feed evolved over the years.
Locke Hill’s customer base spanned generations, according to Estes, who said he’s helped the grandkids of some of his original customers. One of those patrons, who bought from Estes for an FFA grand championship, shared her memories of their interaction on the store’s Facebook page after he announced his retirement.
Even the martin houses on the building’s roof originated from a customer interaction. A carpenter who regularly visited the store began building the houses, and Locke Hill agreed to sell them. Estes displayed the merchandise out front, and a customer noticed birds around them.
“A lady walked in, and she goes, ‘Oh, there are some birds trying to land in your birdhouse.’ And we went, ‘What?’” Estes said. “So we went out there and looked, and there were purple martins. They were just sending their scouts up, so we took that martin house and put it on the roof.”
The building, which will be converted into an office warehouse, will retain the birdhouses on the roof, Estes said.
Lock Hill’s big move
Locke Hill didn’t always operate out of its building on Golden Quail.
Estes partnered with Edwin Ray on the original feed store, which operated from a corner of Fredericksburg and Huebner roads. The pair named the business “Locke Hill” because Henry Howell, a broadcaster for WOAI-TV and radio, mentioned the name, Estes said.
Just like the business’ eventual digs on Golden Quail, the store’s initial 2,000-square-foot location also turned out to be sought-after real estate, and the business partners accepted one of the offers for the property.
“We were just going to close down, but then we decided, gosh, we’re doing pretty good,” Estes said. “Let’s see if we can find a place.”
After a long search, Estes split with Ray and landed the 25,000-square-foot building that housed the feed store for the 29-year run he and Kate had at the helm. The customers made it a source of joy, he added.
“I think San Antonio is the center of the universe,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure.”
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