One never knows what surprises lie ahead when researching the history of a particular business. This was the case with the Triangle Shoe Store, which opened at 147 High Street in 1934.
The history of the Triangle Shoe Store founders, Walter F. Kida and Adam A. Kurnik, predates this by many years.
John R. Kurnik, Adam Kurnik's brother, was listed in the Holyoke City Directory as a shoemaker in 1908. He continued along this path until 1916, when he was employed by Thomas S. Childs Shoes at 275 High Street from 1916 to 1920.
In 1921, John R. Kurnik started his business, Kurnik Shoe Dealer, at 125 High Street, and Walter F. Kida worked as a clerk.
Mr. Kida had previously worked in the early 1910s at Lyman Mills, subsequently as a driver, and then from 1918 to 1920, worked in the shoe department for Stanley Golon Clothier at 125 High Street.
In 1922, John Kurnik and Walter Kida became partners in a shoe business called Kurnik and Kida, which operated at 125 High Street. This partnership continued at this location until 1934. No record of the business name Triangle Shoe Store during these twelve years was discovered.
The Triangle Shoe Store's grand opening at 147 High Street occurred on April 4, 1935. Adam A. Kurnik, brother of John R. Kurnick, was shown as the proprietor in the store's initial advertisement.
The new store advertised shoes, various men's apparel, and limited selections for women. In the late 1930s, some children's footwear was added.
In early 1936, Walter F. Kida became a business partner with Adam A. Kurnik in the shoe store.
The partners purchased the Crafts Building at 141-147 High Street in 1947. The sellers were Louis Dydek and the estates of Charles Dydek and Dr. Julia Bauman. The Triangle Shoe Store's location at 147 High Street was previously The Star Theater from 1908 to 1920. The new owners planned to remove the third story of the building. However, this did not come to pass.
Adam A. Kurnik died on January 1, 1949. A new partnership was formed with Walter Kida and Carl Lukasiewicz. A year later, the store was incorporated. Mr. Kida was named president, Mr. Lukasiewicz, treasurer, and Evelyn Kida, clerk. She was Walter Kida's daughter, an active employee and owner until the store closed in the next century.
The product line appeared to transition from shoes and clothes to more of shoes and shoe accessories in the 1960s. In the 1970s and beyond, the products advertised leaned more toward work shoes and boots. The store touted that it was one of the remaining few that measured the foot for a proper fit.
In 1977, Evelyn (Kida) Augustyniak and her husband, Edmund, a Holyoke Police Officer, operated the Triangle Shoe Store. Walter Kida was 86 years old then, and the corporate treasurer, Carl Lukasiewicz, died that year. The couple continued the business until Edmund Augustyniak's death in May 2006.
A retirement sale was conducted, and the business closed on September 16, 2006.
Thinking of Walter Kida and his daughter Evelyn, the two generations were involved in the retail shoe business for 88 years. Theirs was a remarkable accomplishment over this period, given the exodus or closings of retail shops in the downtown area, the onset of shopping plazas and later mall competition, and economic downturns.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke (Massachusetts) Public Library
Photo: September 29, 2018
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