Found this 1920's photo of the Federal Building on West Federal Street showing the Frankle Brothers Cigar Store.
Note that at the time the store was located on the corner. From older views this location can be seen, but old invoices put Frankle Brothers wholesale cigar further up North Phelps street to where Pig Iron Press is located.
It wasn't unusual for cigar stores to have more than one location one a retail store and one a wholesale house and since the corner storefront was too small to be a wholesale house it's safe to assume that this was the case with Frankle.
It must be borne in mind that cigar smoking was more popular than cigarettes, and there were a number of cigar shops in downtown Youngstown.
I worked at Anchor Cigar in the 60's and Frankle Bros. was on N. Phelps at that time.
Remember John that the photo was taken in the 1920's and over the years the building underwent a number of changes, Note the two doors on the Phelps side of the Cigar store and note the hand sign pointing toward Federal Street.
In the 1970's before the store that is Pig Iron Press today, I use to stop in to buy cigarettes and the store fixtures were old then which is why I think that at one time they had two locations as did the United Cigar Store ... one on the Square and one further up West Federal Street.
John, in a blowup of the picture the store in the picture was a 2nd store with the main wholesale and office facility was on South Hazel. Unfortunately the full size picture is too large to be posted here, but if you would like to see it in large format, I'd be happy to put it in my Webshots site for you.
According to the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for 1928 Frankle Cigar Wholesale and offices was located in the Knigts of Columbus Building at 23-25 South Hazel which conforms to the sign in the photo.
Here's a copy of a 1907 photograph of the Federal Building, taken from an old book I
found on Google Books online.
Towntalk, could you send me copies of the full sized photo scans? I started a gallery
for the Federal Building on the website, but thus far I only have two photos in it.
I'll gladly take copies of any photos you have, as well as any historical info on it.
:)
In 1996 we moved into the Frankle home on the Northside which is on the historical register as being built in 1920. We have done extensive research on the Frankles and have uncovered a wealth of history in Youngstown in doing so. The Frankles are buried in the Jewish cemetery behind the JCC. Yes, they made a fortune in Cigar sales back then and some of this wealth survives today in manufacturing in Warren. In 1999, I purchased a Frankle brothers cigar advertising sign on Ebay, I wasn't the only bidder. In 1998, officer Carbone of the YPD was dispatched to check on the vagrant Frankle who pushed around a grocery cart around town. Carbone entered the Frankle building and found Frankle dead, he observed tons of pack ratted items all over the premises. Several months latter, Carbone learned That the heirs auctioned priceless cigar items and a crane had to be brought in to retrieve a humidor from the basement. I was told some of the cigar signs sold for 10K.
At some point in time, maybe the 50's, the Shagrin Bros. bought the store. In the 60's, Anchor Cigar bought them out. Mr. Sam Shagrin went to work at Anchor Cigar as a salesman.
Allan I only have the picture I posted in this thread and you can save it from here. It should come out large enough to be useful.
John was that the same Shagrin family that was in the theater business? One of them, Max Shagrin was among other things an agent for some movie stars and worked for the Warner Brothers.
Early on, Frankle Brothers also manufactured cigars.
I would think so. Sam was in his 70's when I met him and he had several brothers. I believe that there are family members still in the area.
With all the 20 Federal Street tele-marketer smokers, maybe a new cigar/smoke shop needs to go in at the building again! :D
Towntalk,
Got the full sized photo - thank you! I'll add it to the gallery on the web site. I need to
get downtown again and take some more photos of the building. Maybe the gentleman
at Pig Iron Press can get me access to some of the interior. It would be great to get
some pics inside...
YoungstownShrimp -
Very interesting stuff about the Frankle Brothers... do you have any photos of the house
that you would feel comfortable with having on my web site? I would love to add a gallery
photo-documenting yet another historic Youngstown home...it would also be great to
do a write up on the Frankle family, since they were the builders/original owners of
the house.
Let me know if this would be okay with you - just shoot me a private message.
:)
Thank you Allan. I have to think about putting the house out in public, ever since Shar started cyberstocking me, I felt uncomfortable with a nameless person delving into my business. I really think this forum needs to identify haters here, they need to be held accountable for the mud they sling. The forum manager states that he does not keep records of identities, but since he has a new site here, I'm sure he has the capability. Nonetheless, unlike many of the larger homes on Fifth, I think the Frankle home is the only structure built as a duplex, and a large one at that. We show classic movies at The Yellow Creek Theatre for free and it is amazing to see the New York grand apartments and how the Frankle structure has the same Fifth Ave. architechture. Keeping up with these old structures is costly and it has always been a struggle for us but we love the old ladies.
Quote from: Youngstownshrimp on March 31, 2010, 01:46:50 PM
Thank you Allan. I have to think about putting the house out in public, ever since Shar started cyberstocking me, I felt uncomfortable with a nameless person delving into my business. I really think this forum needs to identify haters here, they need to be held accountable for the mud they sling. The forum manager states that he does not keep records of identities, but since he has a new site here, I'm sure he has the capability. Nonetheless, unlike many of the larger homes on Fifth, I think the Frankle home is the only structure built as a duplex, and a large one at that. We show classic movies at The Yellow Creek Theatre for free and it is amazing to see the New York grand apartments and how the Frankle structure has the same Fifth Ave. architechture. Keeping up with these old structures is costly and it has always been a struggle for us but we love the old ladies.
Shrimp...there is not a lot of delving required, your businessess is all over the internet. It looks like you are the one who is the "hater' now and slinging the mud as you call it, I haven't posted in days. I think you kind of enjoy the attention since you continue to bring it up.
Found this interior photo of Frankle Cigar Store.
Update on Frankle Brothers:
As the great depression set in, Frankle Brothers downsized their business and relocated to the store where the Pig Iron Press is today from their corner location.
According to sources the store on the corner was much larger than the one in the middle of the block.
Men were cutting back on their tobacco use due to the depression and that drastically effected all the cigar stores in town.
One of Frankle Brothers delivery trucks.
Towntalk - do you have the full sized version of that photo?
I haven't had time yet, but I want to add the info from this thread to the website, in the gallery
for the Federal Building, and if I have time before I leave for Maryland again I want to take
some photos of the building.
:)