News & announcements Saving your history Early accounts Maps Nearby towns People Churches Schools Municipal Organizations Businesses The mines Transportation Streets Buildings Entertainment Celebrations Sports Ethnic groups	Home -:- Site map -:- Links -:- Print resources -:- Contact
	History of Freeland, Pa. General stores, variety stores, department stores
	What's on this page: 20th-century general stores, variety stores, department stores, from memory and ads General stores, variety stores, department stores listed in directories, 1900-1940 On related pages: 19th-century general stores, variety stores, department stores The photo of Newberry's at top left comes from Ed Merrick who took it in 1966. Shown below is the very short and incomplete list that has been posted on this site for awhile. More to come - please send additions and corrections. [Thanks to Pat Ferko Miller, Ed Merrick for additions and corrections.] Flash Variety Shop - Centre St., between Main and South Streets (see also The Treasure Shop, below) Freeland Dry Goods Store - Centre St., Nassan building - Having retired the previous year from his own variety store, Harry Zimmerman went back to work, taking over the Freeland Dry Goods Store in the Nassan building on Centre St. (1932 notice at left from Charlie Stumpf) Fritz's store - (From Charlie Rudewick: Fritz's store was taken over by the Anthony family and at one time was a pet store then hobbies, and all kinds of other products.) Gyp's - 1015 Dewey St. (1998 ad from Ed Merrick) Klingel's - 632 Centre St. (previous site of Freeland Hall and Neuberger's; later site of Fairchild's and then Woodie's) - General store, "5c to $1.00 Store" - their 1925 ad included blankets, thread, talcum power, babies' rubber pants, scarves, cups and saucers, toilet tissue, candy (from Ed Merrick, 1925 ad) J. J. Newberry's - 532 Centre St., later the site of Videomania (Mr. Murphey, manager in 1925; Irma Haraschak was the last store manager; Helen Popick also worked here for many years) - Clothing, toys, cosmetics, candy, household goods - Quality, Service, Courtesy (1924 ad, 1925 newspaper notice) - Ladies' rayon slips, white or pink, huge selection of styles, weekend sale special (1953 ad) - Ladies & misses wool gloves on sale, and free movie tickets to the first 200 customers to make a purchase of 50 cents or more (1958 ad) - Charlie Stumpf had made this note: "1913 J. J. Newberry Co. opened "five and dime" store on Centre Street. (store closed Dec. 31, 1985) after 72 yrs. Of service to community. Décor never changed much. Plain wooden floor. My favorite spot in store the candy counter. Sold by the pound, also pretzels and potato chips. Saved pennies for the post-Easter sale of jelly beans which went for five cents a pound." Nocchi's Variety Store - Centre & South Streets (Nicky Nocchi, proprietor; candy, sundries, and later a pharmacy) (From Barbara Nocchi Adomshick: His first business venture began in 1939 as Nicky Nocchi's hot dog store in a building which was owned at the time by Marchetti's on the east side of Centre Street between Luzerne and South Streets. It was here that five cent hot dogs, penny cigarettes, ice cream and onc-cent candy were the main fare. His second move was in the building formerly known as Nassan's. Because of his expanding business and his desire to have a larger store, he purchased his final location in 1951 at the corner of Centre and South Streets. A soda fountain, jewelry, cosmetics, children's clothing and cards were added as a few more offerings of the store. A Lucky Bucks Club was born in the mid-1950s. For each purchase, one was able to play a lucky bucks number and had a chance to win money. Everyone in the family at one point or another had the opportunity to work in the store.) (Please also see a special page on Nocchi's Variety Store.) The Treasure Shop - Centre St., between Main and South Streets (From Mike Bobby: The former W.T. Grant store briefly became a junk/antique store known as "The Treasure Shop" sometime in the mid-1970s. I rarely remember this store being open and it was replaced a few years later by the Flash Variety store which thrived for at least 15 years.) Will's Novelties - 348 Centre St. (1956 ad from Ed Merrick) Wolfe's 5c and 10c Store - 625 Centre St., in the Koons building (Charles H. Wolfe, proprietor) For a while he and Walter Fairchild were in business together, and you see their names together on the store front here. Wolfe was a news dealer, sold postcards and candy, and I'm not sure what else. This photo at right is from John Zubach and shows Charles Wolfe's 5 & 10c Store in the Koons Building, which later contained Charlie Coxe's Men's and Boys' Clothing Store. I have seen a copy labeled Harry Zimmerman's Store, but that's incorrect -- compare the detailing of the building under and alongside the window, and the fact that Harry's store was a 3 and 9 cents store, not a 5 and 10.  For a while Wolfe and Fairchild were in business together at this location, and you see their names on the awning on this postcard. See below in the directory lists for one of Wolfe's ad cards. Zadra's - 413 Centre, later 401 Centre - Frank Zadra, Dry Goods at 413 Center in the 1921-1922 directory; Olive Zadra, Dry Goods at 401 Centre in the 1928-1929 directory, and in 1940 she is listed as selling Notions there rather than Dry Goods. Elizabeth Zadra was listed at 401 Centre as a music teacher in 1940. (1936 ad from Ed Merrick) Harry Zimmerman's 3 and 9 Cent Store - 513 and 515 Centre St. (Harry Zimmerman, proprietor) The 1920s photo at left from Charlie Gallagher shows the east side of the 500 block of Centre St., including a bit of Zimmerman's store an the left side of the photo. At right is an ad card that includes his photo and a summary of the kinds of goods he sold; it gives the old address number of 72 Centre St. Harry also sold ladies' clothing at his variety store (1924 ad at left). Charlie Stumpf had 3 Zimmerman items in his files. One was a copy of a 1931 Thank You ad announcing Mr. and Mrs. Harry Zimmerman's retirement and closing of their store after 25 years of being in business. Charlie also had a copy of Harry's father Adolph Zimmerman's burial announcement, which said that Adolph had died at his business place at the corner of Main and Washington streets (his grocery store at 700 Main St. is listed in the 1928-1929 directory). The third item was a 1932 announcement (at right) of a new business for Harry! Having retired the previous year, he must have missed the work, because he took over the Freeland Dry Goods Store in the Nassan building on Centre St. - Charlie Stumpf had made this note: "Harry Zimmerman went into business circa 1906. Zimmerman's Variety Store went out of business fall (Oct) 1931)." General stores, variety stores, department stores listed in directories, 1900-1940 1900-1901 city directory In business listings: Berner, J. C., groceries and dry goods, Centre Campbell, T., dry goods and groceries, Centre Curry, E. J., dry goods and groceries, 91 Centre Gill, Daniel, dry goods and notions, Centre Gross, D., clothing and general merchandise, Centre Koons, H. C., general merchandise, Centre Moses, Norris, dry goods, 131 Centre Neuburger, Joseph, Estate of, dry goods, clothing, furniture and shoes, Centre Oswald, A., general merchandise, Centre Riebold, Henry, carpet weaving, dry goods, carpets, window shades, &c., Centre Rudewick, Anthony, general merchandise, Birkbeck Shigo, John, dry goods and steamship agent Thomas, F., dry goods, 141 Centre Thompson, Mrs. R., dressmaker and dry goods Wenner, S. & Sons, groceries and dry goods, 125 Centre Two ads at right above from the 1901 Freeland Tribune. Campbell's was at the SW corner of Centre and Main, also known as the Campbell building for years, until it became Dan Gallagher's lunch restraurant and was known as the Gallagher building; I knew it in the 1950s-1960s as Bertha's. Today it's Adam's antique store. Amandus Oswald's dry goods and grocery store was at the NW corner of Front and Centre; more images on the 19th-century General stores page. 1912 telephone directory In general listings: Edwards & Co, E J, Genl Store – Main, Drifton Freeland Supply Co – 41 Centre Hayne Frank, General Store – 169 S Centre Oberrender W E, Genl Store – S Centre Reese E C, General Store – Eckley Shigo John, Dry Goods – Centre 1917 telephone directory In general listings: Barezofsky, Ben, dry goods, 312 Centre Boyle, Con. J., Gen. Mdse., Walnut Edwards, E. J. & Co., Gen. Store, Drifton Fairchilds, W. H., Art & Variety, 627 N. Centre Hayne, Frank, Gen. Store, Washington & Carbon Newberry, J. J. & Co., 460 Centre Oberrender, W. E., Gen. Store, 532 S. Centre Reese, E. C., Gen. Store, Eckley Shigo, John, dry goods, 322 Centre Thomas, F., Gen Mdse, 329 Centre Wolfe, Charles H., 5 & 10c Store, 623 Centre The advertising card for Wolfe's 5c and 10c Store comes from Joe Moore and says "Anything and everything -- Nothing over 10 cents". 1921-22 city directory In business listings: Barezofsky, Benjamin, Dry Goods, 312 Centre Bereznack, John, Dry Goods, 246 Centre Brobst, James J., Dry Goods, 445 Centre Brueningsen Bros., General Store, 800 Birkbeck Chazen, Harry, Dry Goods, 507 Centre Gallagher, James M., General Store, 359 Centre Gauz, Abraham, Dry Goods, 441 Centre Hudack, George B., Dry Goods, 329 Centre Johnson, James M., General Store, 1131 Birkbeck Moss, Dora, Dry Goods, 627 Centre Newberry, J. J. & Co., Five and Ten Cent Store, 532 Centre Norris, James H., General Store, 701 Walnut Oswald, A. & Son, General Store, 702 Centre Sasso Department Store, 27-29 N. Wyoming, Hazleton Shigo’s Department Store, also Dry Goods, 324 Centre Wolf Supply Store, General Store, 801 Birkbeck Wolfe, Charles H., Five and Ten Cent Store, 632 Centre Zadra, Frank, Dry Goods, 413 Centre Zimmerman, Harry, Variety Store, 513-515 Centre These photos of James J. Brobst's Dry Goods Store came from John Zubach. 1928-29 city directory In business listings: Bereznak, John, General Stores, 246 Center Bon Ton Department Store, 130-136 W. Broad, Hazleton Boyle, Con. J., General Stores, 727 Walnut Deisroth's, P., Sons, Department Store, 48 W. Broad, Hazleton Gallagher, James M., General Merchandise, 359 Center Goldberger, Rudolph J., Department Store, 627 Center Hudack, George B., Dry Goods, 329 Center Johnson, James M., General Stores, 1129 Birkbeck Leader, The, Department Store, 41-43 W. Broad, Hazleton Newberry, J. J., Co., Department Store, 532 Center Newberry, J. J., Co., Five and Ten Cent Store, 532 Center Norris, J. H. Estate, General Merchandise, 701 Walnut Oleyar, Michael, Department Store, 427 Center Oleyar, Michael, Dry Goods, 427 Center Oswald, Amandus, General Merchandise, 702 Center Swingles 5c to $1.00 Stores, Inc., Department Store, 632 Center 1940 city directory In business listings: Deisenroth's P. Sons, department store, 102 W. Broad, Hazleton, Pa. Grant, W. T. Co., department store, 520 Centre Newberry, J. J. Co., department store, 532 Centre Oleyar, Michael Estate, department store, also dry goods, 427 Centre Racusin, Myer H., department store, 521 Centre Sears-Roebuck & Co., department store, 138 W. Broad, Hazleton, Pa.

--- TOP OF PAGE ---

Site contructed by C. Tancin.
The URL for this page is: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/frld-general-stores.html