General Photographic Agency,Getty Images
General Photographic Agency,Getty Images
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Yesterday marked the anniversary of the final Woolworth store to close in the United States. It happened on July 17, 1997. It was on July 18, 1879 that F.W. Woolworth opened his first 5 and 10 cent store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He sold no items for more than a dime. Unfortunately, he went broke a short time later. He didn’t give up, though.  He opened another store in a better location and went on to become one of America’s richest men.

I remember coming to Quincy in 1978 and Woolworth’s was preparing to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary. The store was located next to the Western Catholic Union Building which happened to be the building I worked in at KHQA, WTAD and WQCY. It made it convenient to slip down to Woolworth’s for lunch or a mid afternoon milk shake. They had the fountain area in the store which was popular with a lot of people in the downtown area.

It was a sad day when they announced they were closing that store. Unfortunately there are no more Woolworth stores in America. Another sad sign of the times. It would have been nice to take my daughter and grand kids to a soda fountain. Something they have never experienced and probably never will.

So do you remember the Woolworth's store in Quincy?

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