There are times when a topic of interest drives the blog, yet occasionally, it's what is seen in a photograph that creates the interest. The photo below of the Marble Hall building at the northeast corner of High and Dwight Streets shows a barely discernible name above the corner entryway. On further inspection, the name Dickieson is evident, which is the topic of today's story.
Andrew E. (A.E.) Dickinson was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1845. Census records reveal he arrived in the United States in 1864. Around 1874, he married Eliza Adelaline Snow of New Hampshire.
The earliest sighting of Mr. Dickieson in Holyoke was in the 1879 Price & Lee City Directory, where he was shown as living at 23 Newton Street. He was shown as a partner with Robert Dempster in the dry goods store selling clothing, textiles and other related items. It is believed Dickieson & Dempster started that year and was located at 187 High Street in the Craft's Block, and two years later, moved into the Windsor Hotel building at 49-51 Dwight Street.
The partnership dissolved soon after the move, and in 1882, Mr. Dickieson operated the business under his own name. In March 1883, a new partnership was formed with William Reid. As was the custom in many stores, the owners' surnames were used as the business name. In this case, the new firm was Dickieson & Reid, also a dry goods and millinery store. The store remained at 49-51 Dwight Street.
In December 1884, a second branch of the store was opened in the Kendall Block in Chicopee. The store, as well as the partnership, was soon headed for failure. Barely two months into its Chicopee run, the store held an ongoing liquidation sale of its inventory because it needed to vacate the premises by March 30. The partnership dissolved in late February 1885.
On March 6, 1885, Andrew Dickinson purchased the assets of the A. L. Shumway dry goods store at 173 High Street. The store was intended as a temporary location, as Mr. Dickieson planned to move to the city center.
On April 5, 1886, Andrew Dickinson entered into a partnership with William Morrison to form Dickieson & Morrison, a dry goods store in the newly built Marble Hall building (first photo below), constructed by John Delaney. The store's address was 202-210 High Street. The store was 100 feet long, with three storefronts along High Street and one on Dwight Street, providing ample space for window displays. It was 20 feet deep and had basement space available. The $6,000-per-annum lease was the greatest rental charge paid by a merchant in the city. At the time, the store had more floor space than any retailer.
In January 1889, this partnership dissolved, and the store thereafter was Dickieson's & Company, the sole proprietorship of Andrew Dickieson. During the 1890s, the shop added to its inventory of clothing for men, women and children, as well as millinery items. Books, greeting cards, toys and games, a kitchen department, and an array of candy items were added. At one point, an ad showed Dickieson's Department Store.
Andrew and Eliza Dickieson spent many of their Holyoke years residing at 57 Fairfield Ave before moving to Springfield in the early 1900s.
In February 1898, Mr. Dickieson leased commercial space for his store in Springfield. There were rumors that he would close his Marble Building department store.
In May 1898, Mr. Dickieson added a branch store in the Roberts building at 346 Main Street in South Holyoke. This was the location of the former Moses King & Company, a dry goods retailer that had recently retired.
The kitchen department was removed from Dickieson's in August 2000, and in December, the store advertised a removal sale in anticipation of its closure. On February 28, 1901, it was reported that the store's Marble Building location was vacant. Andrew Dickieson consolidated his business in Springfield, where he operated for the next 15 years.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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