November Surratt Courier

[Gene C]

I appreciate and am amazed at what YOU ALL can find. I don't have that skill. You also make it seem so easy, and I know it's not. So for all of us who enjoy reading about the latest things you have uncovered, a big THANK YOU

[Susan Higginbotham]

Thanks, all! Some of the more interesting things I found were too tangential to Nora to be included in the article. Her stepdaughter Mary Catherine Whelan, for instance, operated a corset shop with her husband, then after her marriage ended, started her own rival corset shop and went to court to try to get the postmaster to deliver mail to her that her husband was withholding (she lost, but her business thrived). After Mary Catherine's death, her Whelan's Corset business continued to operate until the 1940's or 1950's--some of our mothers or grandmothers might have shopped there.

[L Verge]

(12-02-2014 12:50 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  Thanks, all! Some of the more interesting things I found were too tangential to Nora to be included in the article. Her stepdaughter Mary Catherine Whelan, for instance, operated a corset shop with her husband, then after her marriage ended, started her own rival corset shop and went to court to try to get the postmaster to deliver mail to her that her husband was withholding (she lost, but her business thrived). After Mary Catherine's death, her Whelan's Corset business continued to operate until the 1940's or 1950's--some of our mothers or grandmothers might have shopped there.

I thought the same thing as I read about her corset shop on F Street. That was THE shopping district in D.C. up until the decline of downtown businesses after the 1969 riots. I spent many a pleasant hour strolling in and out of shops on F Street until I went away to college. Don't remember a corset shop, however, and only remember women like my mother and grandmother wearing girdles.

Just a side note since the Christmas season is upon us. I will never forgive those who contributed to the death of the wonderful, big, downtown stores like Kann's, Landsburgh's, Woodward & Lothrop, Jelleff's, Garfinkels' and others. Those stores had the most wonderful Christmas displays in their front windows and down their main aisles. And they had the magnificent Victorian architecture that you don't find in the big box stores now. Somehow Walmart just lacks charm...

[HerbS]

I agree 100%.We lost 2 big downtown stores in Rochester[Sibley's-now Macy-McCurdy's+Nationals-now nothing].But we do have-Lord+Taylor and Von Maer in the Mall!

[BettyO]

Our major downtown losses were big department chains Miller and Rhoads (1990) and Thalhimers..... (1992) - both with WONDERFUL window displays at Christmas time - always a Thanksgiving night treat when Dad and Mom would take us uptown to see the windows. Miller and Rhoads sponsored the Santa parade.

   

   

   

[Gene C]

I miss Woolworth's

[BettyO]

I miss Woolworth's too! We had a great one on Broad Street with a mezzanine cafeteria - and their grilled cheese sandwiches were to die for!

[Susan Higginbotham]

(12-02-2014 07:08 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I miss Woolworth's too! We had a great one on Broad Street with a mezzanine cafeteria - and their grilled cheese sandwiches were to die for!

I loved that cafeteria--not so much the food, because all I really had there was a glass of Coke, but that mezzanine! I miss the department stores too.

[L Verge]

(12-02-2014 07:02 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I miss Woolworth's

OMG! Me, too. And, I loved spinning around on their counter stools - despite my mother telling me to sit still and behave myself.

[Susan Higginbotham]

There was one dime store where you could sit at the counter and watch the tray with your order come down to the waitress on a conveyor belt. They need to bring that back.

[Hess1865]

In New Haven CT we had Malley's Dept Store and Shartenbergs.
And I used to get hot dogs for lunch at the downtown Woolworths.

[HerbS]

Let's bring back Woolworths!

[Rsmyth]

Hey Herb, the first Woolworths was very close to you in Utica.
Betty, a woman I know modeled at Miller and Rhoads as a teenager (circa 1974 - 75). She said the ladies had tea wearing their Sunday finest as the models displayed the latest fashions walking between the tables. She was also used in their print ads for local newspapers before going on to a very successful modeling career in NYC.

[HerbS]

Thanks Rsmyth,Utica is 100 miles away,but,did you ever hear of Niseners?

[RJNorton]

Herb, there was a Neisner's where I grew up (Oak Park, Illinois)