It’s Friday, so it’s time to visit Winchester in 1914 with another historical and trade supplement to the Evening Star paper. Headlining the section is a half page article on Winchester’s greatest benefactor, Charles Broadway Rouss. The story of Rouss will be familiar to anyone who has attended any Rouss Day celebrations, but it bears repeating that his generosity to the city and its citizens is a rare and special thing.
Below the fold is another half page article on the Dunsmore Business College located in Staunton, touted as “none better in the United States.” The college, founded in 1872, was the first business school of its kind in Virginia or West Virginia. It remained in operation for 100 years, closing permanently in 1972. A collection of memories from past graduates can be found at newsleader.com.
On the next page, R.M. Swimley’s store at 117 E. Piccadilly St. was highlighted, noted for specializing in Thornhill wagons, Standard sewing machines, White Lily washers and wringers, a full line of farm equipment, and buggies by Buckeye and Blue Ribbon. The second floor of the store carried furniture and rugs and even musical instruments. The article takes pains to note Mr. Swimley made every effort to stock high quality Christmas presents for the holiday season instead of “trashy” ones that would be soon discarded by the recipients.
At the corner of Cameron and Baker Street was Robert W. Schultz’s farm supplies store. Mr. Schultz is said to have taken over the business from Lohr Capper about four years earlier (1910). Not to be outdone, there are articles featuring the J.T. Brown and Son’s stoves and ranges store at 133 North Loudoun St. and J.F. Kremer’s groceries, glass and woodenwares store at 10 South Loudoun St. Aikin and Taylor also grabbed a spot to promote their relatively new granite and marbleworks yard on East Boscawen St., located just before the Mt. Hebron Cemetery gatehouse.
Rounding out the page are two articles on restaurants downtown. One features Barker’s Restaurant at 168 North Loudoun St., open just six weeks at the time of publication. The proprietor, R. P. Barker, had recently returned from working at Child’s Restaurant of New York, and his mother was noted as being the proprietress of Jordan White Sulphur Springs. Perhaps the best photograph of the set, however, can be found advertising the Dellis & Pappas authentic Greek restaurant at 151 North Loudoun Street, which opened about eight years ago (1907). The image shows the owners inside of their store, which was noted for several innovations. A section was set aside for ladies and their escorts so they could dine while shopping downtown. The restaurant was also noted for never closing, a “greatest convenience, especially for the travelling public and to automobilists, many of whom make it their headquarters.”
View the full set of photos at Flickr.