Disappointed with the Plateau's poor soil, however, the Sterchis moved to the Beaver Creek Valley in north Knox County, where they established a farm called "Bellefontaine."

In 1896, Sterchi Brothers bought out furniture catalogue wholesaler King, Oates and Company, giving them access to a regional market.

[1] The Sterchi Brothers warehouse, initially located on Gay Street's 300-block, burned along with several other buildings in the so-called "Million Dollar Fire" on April 7, 1897.

Author James Agee, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Death in the Family, recalled the "great bright lights" of the "Sterchi's" sign while walking along Gay Street with his father in 1915.

In 1929, Sterchi Brothers was the largest furniture chain in world,[1] with 48 stores, five manufacturing plants, and forest land in Kentucky with which the company supplied lumber for its operations.

[1] During the 1920s, Sterchi Brothers played a role in the early development of country music by sponsoring regional musicians and local radio programs in hopes of boosting phonograph sales at its furniture stores.

Like fellow Knoxville businessman Cas Walker, Sterchi believed in the marketing potential of East and Middle Tennessee folk musicians.