A Walk Through History

By Mary Carpenter • Photos provided by Clinton County Historical Museum

The year was 1926. Calvin Coolidge was in the White House and the economy —

aptly dubbed “The Roaring Twenties” — was booming. It was a time of change; a time when new consumer goods were gaining popularity. The society of the early 1900s that was heavily dependent on horses was giving way to one led by the automobile.

The price of automobiles, introduced in the mid-1910s, dropped dramatically when the Ford Motor Company created an assembly line that increased production.

A Ford Model T cost $360 in 1926. If you wanted a more luxurious ride, you could purchase a Buick for $400. By the end of the decade, cars outnumbered horse-drawn vehicles.

Radios had become common as technology improved and costs dropped. Ownership climbed from a few hundred thousand units at the start of the decade to approximately five million devices by the end.

By 1926, societal changes included a transformed role for women, the effects of Prohibition, mass media growth, and significant racial tension — all impacted by the jazz music that had become the theme song of the era.

Moving on from this history lesson, let’s take a look at Plattsburgh, New York in 1926. With a population of approximately 11,000, the city was the commercial center of the region. Margaret Street was home to retail stores, banks and hotels.

To learn more, let’s take a walk from south to north through the business district starting at Margaret and Broad Streets. Our first stop would be F.W. Woolworth, a five and dime store that sold inexpensive household goods at fixed prices (five or 10 cents). It was one of the street’s largest commercial spaces at the time. Woolworth became one of the country’s largest and most successful retailers by introducing self-service displays and a cash-only policy. (Today the Plattsburgh Woolworth space is occupied by several small businesses including the restaurant SIP.)

City Landmarks

On the west side of the street is the Union Hotel and Restaurant (now Community Bank’s parking lot). A few hundred feet north is the Witherill Hotel, built by Hiram Witherill, opened in 1868 and later run by three generations of the Howell family (The hotel closed in 1968 and was demolished to make way for a Glens Falls National Bank branch. It is now the city’s Arnie Pavone Parking Lot). The Witherill had nearly 100 rooms (renting for $2.50/night), an elevator, its own barber shop, gift shop, news stand, a fountain room, and a spacious dining room. Its Fife and Drum restaurant, located in the basement, was a popular gathering place for locals and traveling salesmen. Drinks were available for 35 cents. Need a cab ride? Frank Fountain could be found parked out front at all hours.

At the northwest corner of Margaret and Brinkerhoff Streets was the Plattsburgh National Bank & Trust Company that offered four percent interest on deposits and served as the depository for Clinton County.

Crossing Margaret Street, we could visit one of several cigar manufacturers located in the downtown district. We would have no trouble finding one. The smell of cigars was noticeable to anyone walking down Margaret Street. What began as small businesses in the late 1860s, had turned into a major cigar manufacturing industry. Trains brought dried and cured bundles of tobacco to the city where “rollers” were expected to produce 95 to 130 cigars a day depending on the size. By 1926 hundreds of workers were turning out millions of handmade cigars. (When the Great Depression began in 1930, smoking habits changed and cigar making became more mechanized. After 75 years, Plattsburgh was no longer known for its handmade cigars.)

The next stop on our walking tour of Margaret Street would be Merkel’s, founded in 1910. By 1926 customers were flocking to what had become known as the area’s finest department store — “Merkel’s, the Store of Cheerful Service.” The atmosphere is decidedly upscale. Quality misses wear, millinery, undergarments, and cosmetics were available for women. A men’s department had recently been added. Counter service was provided by young women, always fashionably dressed, and men in suits and ties. Soft music played and there wasn’t a cash register in sight. Instead, payments were whisked to the accounting department by a brass pneumatic tube system. (Merkel’s remained a mainstay in downtown Plattsburgh until it closed in 1993.)

Continuing our walk north, we would stop at A.H. Marshall Co. at the intersection of Margaret and Bridge Streets. The business originally offered traditional hardware and household items, but by 1926 it had diversified to include automobile showrooms offering brands like Ford, Buick and Dodge as well as tires and service. A large freight elevator was used to lift cars to upper floor repair shops. (Marshall eventually reverted to its original product line of hardware, then closed in 1962. Its location is now occupied by Ashley Furniture.)

The last stop on our tour of downtown Plattsburgh, circa 1926, would be the Cumberland Hotel, located on the corner of Margaret and Court Streets. First opened as the Cumberland House in 1854, it was the oldest of the city’s grand Victorian hotels. During the time when horse-drawn vehicles dominated, it offered a stable and livery service for guests’ horses. When the automobile became preeminent, the stable was converted to a parking garage. In its heyday, the Cumberland, with its well appointed rooms, two large dining rooms and a tavern, was a destination for travelers and local residents. (Sadly, the historic landmark was destroyed by a fire that burned it to the ground in 1978. Today it is a parking lot.)

And So Much More

While our downtown tour has taken us to the largest businesses, Margaret Street was home to an assortment of small establishments as well ­— Plattsburgh Furniture, a bicycle shop, two drug stores, the Monopole Bar & Restaurant, Singer Sewing Center, the Leonard Dancing Academy, Beemer’s Book and Stationary Store, Gordon’s Boot Shop, the Post Office, and — not to be missed — Miss Cora T. Ellsbury’s Beauty Shop offering permanent waves and facials.

Missing From Downtown

One product/service notably absent from the downtown district of 1926 was groceries. For most Americans of the era, grocery shopping was a “personal, service-oriented experience.” Stores were generally small and often located within walking distance of people’s homes. Customers would provide a list of items, a store clerk would pick them, calculate the total, and cash them out. Stores seldom sold fresh meat so an additional stop at a butcher shop was required. Peddlers often went door to door offering fresh produce off the back of a truck.

Going Dry

On the surface, life in the North Country was running smoothly in 1926, but unanticipated consequences of Prohibition were spreading. Legislation, which closed “every tavern, bar and saloon in the country, and banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors” has created a growing battle between smugglers moving liquor from Canada and U.S. Customs agents.

Widespread bootlegging (making or selling illegal goods, especially liquor), speakeasies (secret illegal bars that offered alcohol, live music and dancing) led to violent shootouts, increased smuggling and created a surge in alcohol production. (Prohibition proved to be a failure. It fueled organized crime, widespread corruption and disrespect for the law. When the Great Depression created a desperate need for increased tax revenue, the economy became a priority and the legislation was repealed in 1933.)

Warning Signs Appear

In 1926 Plattsburgh was an active and developing community, with a solid infrastructure that included a thriving downtown, not one but two hospitals — Champlain Valley and Physicians, connections to a strong railroad system and a developing highway network. Homes had begun to shift to electricity, but economic warning signs were beginning to emerge. (The Great Depression in America officially began with the Stock Market crash of 1929, creating a period of severe economic hardship and high unemployment that extended through the 1930s. Economic recovery wasn't complete until the early 1940s.)

Surviving and Thriving

Like many cities across the United States, Plattsburgh experienced the challenges of the Depression, but residents and local institutions demonstrated a “can-do-attitude” that helped them navigate the economic hardships and later the demands of World War II. Today the city is a resilient and economically diverse community poised for growth and success. The region’s “can-do-attitude” is alive and well.

Clinton County Historical Museum

98 Ohio Avenue

Plattsburgh, NY 12903

518 561-0340

www.clintoncountyhistorical.org