1913 Conshohocken Christmas

1913 Christmas

 Christmas Shopping A Century Ago

By Jack Coll

     As we rush out to do our Christmas Shopping I’ve noticed the many different directions we travel to accomplish checking things off our list.  We travel to the Mall, King of Prussia, Plymouth Meeting, the strip shopping centers offer as many deals, and bargains as the mall.  Target, The Gap, Best Buy, Barnes and Nobel, J C Penny’s, Sears, and a thousand other stores and outlets can provide the many needed Christmas items.  Then we have cyber shopping, all you need is a cart and a credit card. 

     On a cool December Saturday night my mind drifts off to another time, maybe a hundred years ago, Main Street in Norristown and Fayette Street in Conshohocken where the sidewalks were jammed with holiday shoppers this time of year.  Every window of the nearly 200 retail Conshohocken outlets were decorated for the holidays.  Back in 1913 automobiles were slowly becoming a presence in the borough, horse and wagon’s were still a main means of transportation back then, the trolley cars clanging up and down Fayette Street were beyond crowded.

     Bill Katz, who owned and operated The Guarantee Shop at 53 Fayette Street, had a lot of bargains in 1913.  Katz offered Men’s Suits and Overcoats for $7.50, Silk Neckwear that were regularly $1.00 were going for fifty cents.   Over at Messinger’s Hardware Store at the corner of Elm and Fayette Streets you could pick through a number of bargains including pocket knives from twenty five cents to $2.50.  Harmonicas made great gifts ranging from five cents to $1.25, and they were the good ones.  The old strap on roller skates ranged from fifty cents to $1.50, while supplies lasted.

     A hundred years ago back in 1913 there was plenty of Christmas spirit at the Conshohocken Free Library.  The interior of the library had been decorated with ropes of laurel and in the second floor a large Christmas tree was placed and trimmed with toys, by Friends of the Library.  Following the Children’s Story Hour just two days before Christmas, the youngsters were invited to view the beautiful tree.  Each child was presented with a candy toy and a Christmas Card.  A good time was had by all as more than 350 children had viewed the tree and received presents.  When the library staff installed the tree word spread quickly and every afternoon and evening many adults and children had viewed the tree and expressed their appreciation of the work of those who believe in spreading the Christmas spirit to the whole community.

     On Christmas Day in 1913 the First Baptist Church held a 6:30 A. M. Christmas service attended by a very large congregation.  Rev. A. J. Davies, Pastor of the Church preached a great sermon, and at the conclusion of the service members of the church presented Rev. Davies with a purse as a token of appreciation for his faithful ministrations.

     One block away at Fourth Avenue and Fayette Street members of Calvary P. E. Church also held a 6:30 A. M. service with Rev. J. Kennedy Moorhouse, rector delivered a special sermon.  Rev. J. T. Fox did the honor at Christmas morning services held at St. Mark’s Church and St. Matthew’s Church held three morning services.

     At 10:00 A. M. on Christmas morning at the home of the Loyal Order of Moose on Hector Street the borough’s children were invited to the Moose Home for a free Christmas box of candy.  The crowd of youngsters was so large that the Moose ran out of candy and had to send out for more.  Even with the additional supply it was not enough so the Moose members sent out for a couple cases of oranges.  A real live Santa Clause presented the children with the candy and oranges.

     Perhaps a few Christmas gifts came from the shop of Bill Cook, a furniture maker once located at 67 Harry Street.  Maybe more than a few residents shopped at Pedricks Store once located at 521 Fayette Street, after all they advertised themselves as the “Headquarters for Christmas Toys” with dolls, games, blocks, trains, and mechanical toys.  I wonder if any of us were alive back then if we would have shopped for gifts at Bob Crawford’s Cigar Store once located at Second Avenue and Fayette Street, the current location of “The Great American Pub.”  I’m sure Mary A. Daly was very busy at Christmas a hundred years ago at her Millinery Shop once located at 122 Hector Street.  It’s no secret that Willis Baldwin and The Conshohocken Flower Shop sold a lot of holiday flowers back then. 

     Billed as a Stationery Store most of the year Graham & Johnson News Emporium became a Sporting Goods and Toy Center at Christmas time, anything you needed at 50 Fayette Street that was just above Marble Street. 

     And when you were done shopping, before you boarded the trolley for the long ride home, you might have stopped at Campbell’s Bakery located at 15 East First Avenue, man she had the best home-made breads, pies, and cakes.  Perhaps the two best meals in town at that time came from the Oyster and Eating House once located at 48 Fayette Street, Mr. Long sold the best seafood in the borough.  If you wanted to sit in well Thomas Silk’s Restaurant and Oyster House located at 303 Hector Street offered meals from twenty five cents and up.  If you were doing all that shopping today perhaps you would stop at the Boathouse for the best seafood in town, perhaps the Great American Pub, or Spamps, or Tony and Joe’s.  One thing for sure, if you were to need baked goods there’s only one stop, the Conshohocken Italian Bakery on Jones Street, Dominick knows, the best ingredients provides quality goods, and every shopper appreciates that.

     That my friends is the way it was 100 years ago, if you were shopping Fayette Street today, well Flocco’s is a great holiday stop, I just love all the sports jerseys and shirts, they make for great gifts.  Always busy at this time of year is Coll’s Custom Framing, when you care to give the very best, personal gift, custom framing sends it with love.  Feel free to custom frame a personal keep-sake, purchase a framed item from Coll’s Gallery, Conshohocken books are a great gift to give.  No matter what the gift, make an effort to shop local, the Conshohocken businesses contribute to everything that goes on in this borough, and very few mall stores can match up to that.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays