USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Connellsville > Centennial history of the borough of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1806-1906 > Part 21
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Among the shoemakers who felt the competition of the eastern factories most sharply were Aaron Bishop and his two brothers, George and John. Stephen Bishop, the „father of these three boys, had settled in Connellsville on Trump run at a very early date and the boys had all learned the shoemaking trade when quite young. Aaron had his shop where "The News" now has its office, and here, about
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1861, he laid in a stock of the factory-made shoes. As a matter of business policy he sold the factory shoes only when compelled to do so, claiming that it would take two pairs of them to outwear one pair made at his bench. Many people agreed with him and said that the factory shoes could never be made to fit properly, but in spite of every- thing more and more of them were sold. The low price won the day. Mr. Bishop, yielding to the inevitable, came down the hill in 1879, entered into partnership with Lloyd Johnson, and established the shoe store of Bishop and John- son, adjoining Brimstone corner. In the spring of 1880, Robert Norris, then a young man, started to work for them as a clerk, and rendered such efficient service that in 1883 he became a member of the firm of Bishop, Johnson and Norris. In 188? the firm was changed to Johnson and Norris, and again in 1900 to Norris and Hooper.
One of the most successful pioneer shoe men was Lewis A. Wetherell. He was born in Athol, Mass., in 1812, and came to Connellsville in 1850. A few months after his coming he formed, with two other eastern men, a partnership known as Malindy, Davis and Wetherell. They purchased a lot racing 66 feet on Main street and 165 feet on North Pittsburgh street, on the corner of which stood a two-story brick dwelling house, for about $1200. In this building the firm opened up its business; but a few months after starting, Mr. Davis died and then Mr. Malindy wanted to dissolve the partnership. Mr. Wetherell bought the interest of both men in the firm and carried on the business alone. He started by employing a few shoemakers in the brick building, but business soon increased under his skillful management to such an extent that he was compelled to build a special workshop adjoining the brick building on the east. It was a two-story building, modeled after the eastern factories, with every convenience for the accommo- dation of the workmen. In this shop he employed at times from twenty-five to thirty-five men. In addition to these he employed quite a number of women around the town as
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binders and finishers. A large part of the shoe business in those days was done in the fall of the year. At that time every man bought a pair of good boots, expecting to make them last for a full year. Often the country people would come in by families, each one being measured for a pair of boots or shoes, as the choice might be. The former gener- ally had the first choice, even among the women. When the order was finished and the father of the house called to take them home, it is said that he furnished a good illustration of a traveling shoe store. For a while there were quite a number of peripatetic shoemakers, who roamed about the country, boarding with the people for whom they worked until they had made a pair of shoes for each member of the family. When J. D. Boyle introduced the factory-made shoes to the trade, Mr. Wetherell was quick to see the results. About the year 1861 he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Willard B. Drury, of Worcester, Mass., in order to handle the new style of footwear. Two stores were opened in western Pennsylvania, one in Greensburg under the management of Mr. Drury, and the other in Con- nellsville under the care of Mr. Wetherell. This partnership was dissolved four years later, when the stock of the Greens- burg store was removed to Connellsville. Mr. Wetherell remained in the shoe business here until 1874, when he sold out and retired. He died in Connellsville, November 16, 1881.
One of his strong New England traits was a love for the beautiful. His large, well-kept yard on North Pitts- burgh street, extending all the way from the corner building to Orchard alley, with its beautiful green banks, rich flower beds, and fine fruit trees, is still remembered as one of the beauty spots of the Connellsville of 1860. Every inch of this ground is now occupied by business blocks. A. A. Wetherell, son of the pioneer, had a shoe store in the corner building for a number of years.
Other pioneers of the shoe trade in Connellsville were David Blackburn, who opened a store in 1868,
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and continued until 1876, John Rutherford, who kept a store in the Kilpatrick block from 1871 to 1874, and Richard S. Paine, son of a veteran shoemaker, who started in business in 1875, and conducted a very success- full store for twenty-four years, when he sold out to Mitch- ener and Hormel. Among the other shoe firms of the town we note the names of J. S. Shively, R. M. Sibbett, Richard Campbell, J. C. Lytle, Lytle and Soisson, James N. Frew, son, Donnelly and Irwin, John Irwin, W. C. Downs and Gorman and Co. After the year 1865 most of the gen- eral stores kept a full line of shoes. The large department stores have also claimed a share of the trade.
Another branch of trade that has passed through changes very similar to those of the shoe business is that of men's clothing. In early days this business was entirely in the hands of the tailors. The first man to bring the factory-made clothing to town was Gustavus Bash, a Jewish peddler, who came here in 1853 and opened up a store in the old Page House on East Main street. Bash had been a ped- dler in France and Switzerland before coming to this coun- try, and then carried a pack through western Pennsylvania for several years before settling down in business in Con- nellsville. He was a man of considerable intelligence and good humor, and did quite a successful business, yet he was a true son of Israel and drove many shrewd bargains with the country folk who brought him all kinds of country pro- duce for exchange. Many interesting stories are told of his business experiences. As an expert trader he rarely got the short end of any kind of a deal. After a few years he removed his store from the Page House to an old frame building on the opposite side of the street, and later to the Wilkey building, where he did a large business. In 1868 Henry Goldsmith came to Connellsville and started to work for Mr. Bash, but in 1870 started up in business for himself. With characteristic enterprise he painted the front of his store in stripes and called it the "Red, White and Blue" to attract attention. In 1876 he gave to his store the name of Oak Hall. He was one of the most successful early mer-
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chants of town, remaining in business until 1897, when he retired in favor of Goldsmith Brothers. For several years Mr. Bash was the only dealer in ready-made clothing in town. Many people regarded the factory goods as decidedly inferior, and stuck to the merchant tailors. About the year 1860, Henry Heffley came to Connellsville and established himself in the tailoring business in the Reisinger building, keeping a small line of ready-made clothing at the same time. In 1868, Marcus Goldsmith started up in business in the Newcomer building. In 1879 he sold out and started to work for Henry Goldsmith.
Another early clothier was Jacob Reffner, who kept a store on Brimstone corner. About the year 1874 no less than sixteen of the local merchants kept more or less ready- made clothing for sale. During the panic this number was reduced to four or five.
H. C. Horner, father of E. W. Horner, entered the merchant tailoring business here in 1877. His first shop was on North Pittsburgh street, where Scott's grocery is now located. When he came here the tailoring business was chiefly in the hands of Samuel Cox and Henry Heffley. The latter was very much put out because of his coming, and issued a circular letter in which he warned the public not to give the new comer any of their patronage. This was the best kind of an advertisement for Mr. Horner, who took the matter good-naturedly, and, being something of a wit himself, issued a reply in the form of a jocular poem, signed Hans Hogelspitzen, the first verse of which read as follows :
"Now you know dot naughty old tailor So talk about mine peezness und sich
Und says to der peebles all round here Dot me noddings don't know how to stich."
The result of the incident was a windfall of trade for Mr. Horner, and he had a thriving business for a number of years. His son, E. W. Horner, succeeded him in busi-
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ness in 1891, and in 1895 formed a partnership with J. W. McClaren which continued until 1901, when Mr. McClaren purchased the entire control of the store. Some time later Mr. Horner again established himself in business in the Marietta block, where he still conducts a general men's clothing and furnishing store.
About the year 1880, a Jewish lad not more than thir- teen years of age began to carry a pack through the coke region, selling dry goods and clothing. In spite of his youth and inexperience he had a good trade, and, on New Year's Day, 1888, opened up a store of his own in Connellsville. The boy was Sam Goodman. He had natural business qualifications, was quite a strong advertiser, and in a short time occupied three rooms with his business. In 1896 he removed his store to the Newcomer building on North Pittsburgh street. A partial list of the merchant tailors and clothiers of Connellsville whose names have not already been mentioned, is as follows: Henry Weihe, Morris Ko- backer, Reuben Miller, John F. Norcross, Charles Norcross, C. A. Pool, D. Cohen, Levinson and Cohen, Harry Mervis, Max Tumpson, Jacob and Samuel Kinsburski, Henry Hus- ton, Clabaugh Brothers, H. J. Boslett, J. R. Nelson, H. E. Penn, Harry Victor, William Herzberg, P. Bellano and L. Ruttenberg. The large department stores also carry a full line of men's clothing.
The first photographer of town was Byron Porter, who established his business in 1869.
The first baker was William Templeton, a Scotchman, followed by John Weller, Conrad Hoop, Hamilton Graham, Edward White and others.
The first butcher was Elijah Crossland, who found such a light demand for fresh meat in the town in 1806 that he made and sold wooden plows as a side line. Frederick Bierer, a German, succeeded Mr. Crossland, and did a good business. Valentine Coughanour, George McCormick, Wil- liam McCue and John Hetzel Sr. were other pioneers of the trade. Up to the time of building the first City Hall, the
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meat business was carried on in the old Market House on the corner of Pittsburgh and Main streets, after that it was done in private shops.
The first man to give his entire attention to the hard- ware business was Joshua M. Dushane. As a boy in his Westmoreland county home, Mr. Dushane was impressed with the cook stove business, believing that he could make his fortune in it. He picked out Connellsville as an ideal business center, and, coming here in 1850, started up a store in the old log house that had been built by the Trevors. He sold cook stoves and a general line of hardware, and en- gaged also in the tinning business, sometimes employing four or five men. His principal tinners were James Robb and Samuel Kurtz. He remained in this business until 1858, when he sold out to Samuel Kurtz and went to Somerset. The outbreak of the war spoiled all his business plans, and, in the summer of 1862, he returned to Connellsville, raised a full company of men in six days, and marched to the front. Taken prisoner at the battle of Gettysburg, he was reduced to a physical wreck in southern prison pens, and for several years after the war was not able to re-engage active- ly in business. Five or six years were spent in the revenue service. In May, 1872, he purchased the interest of Forrey and Reisinger in the firm of Francis, Forrey and Reisinger, which had been established in 1864, and conducted a general store for twelve years under the firm name of Francis and Dushane. He then retired from active business life.
Another pioneer hardware man was J. D. Stillwagon, a Connellsville man by birth and training, who kept a store on Brimstone corner for more than twenty years. After Mr. Dushane's first retirement in 1858, Samuel Kurtz was the town's tinner until 1864; then in 1867 Mr. Stillwagon started up in business. About the same time, in company with Captain Lloyd Johnson, he purchased this valuable corner lot for $1,800 from John D. Frisbee. One-half of it could not be purchased to-day for less than $50,000. Upon the rear of this lot, fronting on North Pittsburgh street,
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Mr. Stillwagon erected what was then considered a fine brick dwelling house. This corner hardware store, for a number of years, was headquarters for Democratic news. In the evening, after the mail came in, all the old Democratic war horses of the town would gather in the store and listen to Mr. Stillwagon reading the Pittsburgh Post in his inimi- table way. During election times his store was always crowded in the evenings. He was quite a humorist, and his salt river tickets and funny papers are still vividly remem- bered. He retired from business a few years before his death, which occurred June 8, 1893.
Other firms who have engaged in the hardware busi- ness here are: J. R. Balsley, Fayette Lumber Company, J. B. Skinner (the pioneer plumber), Munson Brothers, Tur- ner Hardware Company, Frisbee Hardware Company, Schell Hardware Company and the Hoop Hardware Com- pany.
The grocery business of the town from the beginning was in the hands of the general merchants. The first man to give his attention exclusively to high-class groceries was Captain Edmund Dunn, who came to Connellsville in 1873 and opened up an attractive store on East Main street, in partnership with P. J. Stouffer. In 1874 he removed to the Odd Fellows' building and conducted the store under his own name. In 1881 N. B. Harding became a partner, and a full line of dry goods was added to the stock. In 1884 this partnership was dissolved and the store removed to the Newcomer building. In 1894 the groceries were sold out, and the store given up exclusively to dry goods, carpets, etc. In 1897 the store was removed to the commodious rooms of the Dunn-Paine building, on the east side of the street, where it still remains.
Harry Dunn entered the store as a clerk in 1890, and, in spite of many flattering offers, has stuck to his post and done much to make the Dunn store the splendid emporium of high-class goods that it now is.
Another veteran merchant, now retired, is A. W. Hood,
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who has spent his life in Connellsville. His early experi- ence was received in the Johnston store; later he worked for seventeen years in the store of John D. Frisbee. In 1882 he established a general store in the Casino building, under the firm name of Hood Brothers and Company, the members of the firm being A. W. Hood, W. S. Hood and P. S. Newmyer. In 1890 this partnership was dissolved, A. W. Hood retaining the dry goods and continuing in busi- ness until 1896, when he retired. His brother retained the groceries and remained in business at the same place until 1896.
Another of the older grocery men of town is J. V. Percy, who started a general store on the corner of Pros- pect and Main streets in 1865. It was he who started the movement of business away from the West Main street cen- ter ; it is claimed also that he was the first man to establish a local delivery wagon.
The first grocery store of the South Side was started by Mrs. James Darr (Mrs. Anna Clark) ; the pioneer grocer of the Pinnacle district was Peter Martin. To give a full list of the retail grocers who have been in business in Con- nellsville during all these years would be quite difficult, inasmuch as many of them were here for but a very short time. A partial list, omitting those whose names are men- tioned elsewhere, is as follows: Adam Armstrong, John Rigley, John Porter, J. B. Skinner, James A. Zimmerman, Swartzwelder and Miller, Mrs. S. A. Marietta, Sembower and Wortman, J. M. Sembower, J. R. Wortman, John Davidson, Jr., S. A. Davidson, M. J. Davidson, George W. Brickmann Company, W. R. Scott, J. M. Herpick, H. J. Wells, John Campbell, F. B. Luteman, W. H. Showman, J. H. Hoover, D. J. Hoover, A. M. Lyons, Charles Echard, James Nickelson, Strickler Stacy, F. C. Rose, Rose and Her- rington, Nickelson and Edenbo, Daniel Sinclair, J. E. Col- lins, Clarence Stillwagon, Berg Brothers, W. H. Friend, J. A. Rankin, Patrick May, Nicolay and May, Asa Steyer, Michael Rendine, Mrs. J. N. Trump, H. M. Powell, R. B.
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A MODERN BUSINESS BLOCK
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
Shaw, Keagy Brothers, Paul Beighley, J. E. Palmer, J. S. Patterson, Hileman and Richter, J. M. Young, B. F. Ru- dolph, George Hileman, John T. Kooser, A. Gigliotti, Italo- American Grocery Company.
The wholesale grocery business was established in Con- nellsville in January, 1898, when Robert Felty and others organized the Connellsville Grocery Company. Doyle, Brill and Company, wholesale confections, etc., were established in 1893; Bixler and Company in 1906. The wholesale fruit and produce business is in the hands of F. T. Adams, R. J. Welsh and L. Raimondio. The first 5- and 10-cent store in town was established by Abe May in the Soisson building. His successor was C. C. Crill, who in turn sold out to D. K. Artman in 1887, who has carried on the business ever since.
It is difficult to give a complete list of the notion mer- chants of town, since nearly all of the larger stores keep some lines of these goods, and the trade cannot be classified.
The first furniture stores of Connellsville were found in the cabinet-maker shops, of which there were quite a number. Some of these cabinet makers were carpenters, who naturally drifted into the furniture-making business because of their skill in fine wood work. Among the best chair-makers of early days were John Turner, Moses Mc- Cormick, Andrew Stillwagon and Thomas Boley. John W. Phillips, son-in-law of Zachariah Connell, was a cabinet maker, and employed a number of workmen in his shop on lower Fairview avenue. Matthew Seaton and George W. Herbert were the men who made the coffins and took care of the undertaking.
About the year 1872, Thomas Porter and his brother opened an undertaker's establishment on West Main street. Little by little, as the demand for it increased, they added a large stock of factory made furniture, and the business of the cabinet makers soon came to an end. This store after a time passed into the hands of Samuel Porter, a brother of Thomas. For a number of years the Porters enjoyed a monopoly of the furniture business in the community. Their
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MERCHANTS OF FOUR GENERATIONS
first local competitors were G. B. Conn and Thomas W. Morris, who opened undertaking rooms on the corner of North Pittsburgh and Peach streets, about the year 1879, under the firm name of G. B. Conn and Company. Three years later this partnership was dissolved; Mr. Morris took the business into his own hands and added a full line of furniture. After the death of Mr. Morris, which occurred in July, 1890, G. C. Armstrong, L. L. West and Mrs. Morris each took a third interest in the business and carried it on as Morris and Company. J. E. Sims became the practical undertaker of this firm in 1893, succeeding W. H. Barnes, and held the position until 1902, when he went into business for himself. In 1903 the partnership of West and Sidersky was formed, handling furniture alone, which continued for about a year, when J. E. Sidersky took the business into his own hands. Morris and Company still continue the un- dertaking with Charles C. Mitchell as their director.
In 1892, J. B. Stader came to Connellsville from Lat- robe, and opened up a furniture and undertaking business in the room adjoining the Yough House. In 1894 he ac- cepted a position with the firm of Samuel Porter, and a year later purchased the undertaking part of the business for himself, the furniture being bought by the Standard Furniture Company. Mr. Strader then stocked his store with new furniture but in 1897 sold it out and kept the un- dertaking alone. The large furniture house of B. P. Wal- lace was established in 1899.
From 1895 to 1899 Mr. Wallace had been in the piano business in New Haven, but on coming to Connellsville soon enlarged his store to its present proportions. The Rosenblum Furniture Company started in business in a modest way in the Odd Fellows' building in 1894, under the firm name of Rosenblum and Silverman. It has occupied the present quarters in the McClenathan block since March 1906.
The Odd Fellows' building also witnessed the founding of, the Aaron store in the year 1892. From 1893 to 1897
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the store was located in the Newmyer building; then it was removed to the McClenathan block where it remained until the present fine building was occupied, March 16, 1906. On the morning of May 2, a disastrous fire burned out the three highest stories of the building, but the lower floors were protected by a temporary roof and business was pushed on while the upper part was torn down and rebuilt.
One of the early general stores of the town, not yet mentioned, was that of the Newcomers. John and Joseph Newcomer opened up this store about the year 1854. From 1857 to 1863, John Taylor was a member of the firm, and the Taylor tanneries and the store were operated together. To meet the money question, this firm issued scrip of the value of 25 c, 50 c, and $1.00, payable at the store, which circulated among the tannery men and also to some extent among the people of the town. In 1863 this firm dissolved and John Newcomer continued in business alone for about two years longer, when he sold out and retired.
Prominent among the early merchants of the town were Henry Shaw and Samuel Reisinger. Samuel Reisin- ger and Josiah Kurtz were partners in the hatter's trade, the former peddling the hats through all the surrounding country. Henry Shaw first kept a little general store of his own on West Main street, and then went into partner- ship with Mr. Reisinger. In 1862, Josiah Kurtz bought out the interest of Mr. Reisinger in the store and formed the partnership of Shaw and Kurtz. This was the beginning of the Kurtz store.
In 1865, Henry J. Kurtz entered this store as a clerk ; in 1867 he secured an interest in the firm, and, although · there have been a number of changes in the make-up of the firm since that time, he is still actively engaged in busi- ness at the same stand. From 1862 to 1867, it was Shaw and Kurtz; from 1867 to 1870, Josiah Kurtz and Sons; from 1870 to 1875, J. and H. Kurtz, (Josiah M. Kurtz be- ing the senior partner) ; from 1875 to 1888, Henry and Josiah B. Kurtz; from 1888 to 1896, Kurtz and Freed;
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from 1896 to the present, H. and J. Kurtz. Since the time of Kurtz and Freed, the store has carried only dry goods and notions.
During his long service, Mr. Kurtz has seen many changes in the business life of the town. In the early years the hatters controlled the hat business, the cabinet makers the furniture business, the potters the crockery business, the tailors the clothing business, etc., while the general stores carried only such things as the specialists could not supply. In course of time the centralization of labor and the invention of modern machinery enabled the general stores to undersell the specialists on their own ground. This in turn made the business of the general stores so large that only the brightest of business men could manage them to advantage. Young men starting out in life, made a spe- cialty of certain lines of trade and did it so effectively that business again was thoroughly divided. For a period of fifteen or twenty years the specialists held the field, and then reaction brought about another concentration of busi- ness in the modern department stores. The father of this movement in Connellsville was Morris Kobacker, who came here in October, 1889, and opened up a miniature depart- ment store on the Stillwagon corner, under the firm name of Kobacker and Company. Business was good and a sec- ond room was rented for the dry goods department in the Greenland block. When this company dissolved partner- ship Morris Kobacker retained the clothing and men's fur- nishings, renting a room in the Weihe building. When the Porter building was erected on North Pittsburgh street, Mr. Kobacker saw his opportunity and established "The Fa- mous" department store. This was the first store of its kind in the town and employed from twenty to forty people. Since December 31, 1901, this store has been operated by the firm of Mace and Company.
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