A Store Grows in Brooklyn!

In a way, I feel sorry for Brooklyn, NY. In the past century, they have been losing their most precious resources to the bigger and more powerful cities. The Dodgers are long gone, Brooklyn-ese is a dying dialect. Coney Island lost its grandeur of days gone by. They only have one tree! OK, I'm kidding about the tree! And, to make matters worse, Abraham & Straus is now a Macy's!

In 1862, Abraham Abraham, yes, yes, that's his name clerked in Newark's Bettlebeck & Company dry goods store -- along with the future store founders Benjamin Altman & Lyman Bloomingdale. Three years later, he partnered with Joseph Wechesler and opened a dry goods store in Brooklyn. After the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, the partners moved their location to Fulton Street, which was housed in the 5 story Wheeler building. Known simply as "Wheeler's Folly", because of the location being so far away from any contemporary commercial center, Abraham sensed that the new bridge would change the business topography of Brooklyn. He was right of course. Abraham also lobbied to bring the New York Subway into Brooklyn, and in 1908 the first subway shoppers from NYC paid their nickles to head to W&A's bargain basement.

Wechesler sold his interest in W&A to the 3 Macy's partners, Isador & Nathan Straus, as well as Charles Webster. Although the store didn't become part of Macy's, it had a close association with the New York giant and shared overseas offices, but Isador Straus kept his eye on A&S. Isador along with his wife Ida, refusing to separate during the crisis, perished on the Titanic's maiden voyage in 1912.

A&S became one of the founding companies of Federated Department Stores in 1929. It expanded across southern New York and New Jersey, as well as Long Island and CT. In 1985 it even opened up in the old Gimbel's building and rivaled its neighbor Macy's one block up. It was the first full line department store opening that New York City has seen in 100 years.

During the late 1980's however, Federated, after absorbing much of the Allied Stores chain, and in 1994 after helping Macy's out of bankruptcy, decided to merge the 2 companies into one. The results obviously phasing out the A&S name for good. Although the Fulton Street store is still functioning as a Macy's today, I think it lacks some of the charm of Abraham & Straus of years gone by.