[Welland Telegraph, 14 September 1917]
The F.W. Woolworth 5-10-15 cent store opens for inspection this afternoon and evening and at eight o’clock on Saturday morning it opens for business. Thirty-eight years ago the Woolworth idea was born. Today in the United States and Canada nearly one thousand stores are the embodiment of that idea-and the latest of these is in Welland.
“The Welland store plant is the best we have in Canada,” said R.C. Walker, superintendent. And the statement may well be believed. The block was built especially for the purpose by Wm. Swayze, under plans furnished by the architect for the Woolworth Company. The entire ground floor of 4000 square feet is devoted to store purposes, and a splendid basement of the same size is devoted to storage. The store has a handsome front and the interior fittings are very pleasing to the eye.
On Saturday morning at eight o’clock thirty clerks will be ready to meet the buying public of Welland. This store is under the direction of W.R. McNeil, resident manager.
A wonderfully large and varied stock has been placed upon the shelves. “We asked the manager to give the new store the right of way on all orders,” said Mr. Walker. “The result is we are going to open in Welland on Saturday morning with a more complete stock than we have in any other Woolworth store.”
[Welland Tribune, 13 September 1917]
The new Woolworth Store which replaces the old Mansion House is now complete and the formal opening taking place tomorrow (Friday) from 3 to 5 in the afternoon and 7 to 9 in the evening. No goods will be sold on Friday; the store being open for public inspection only, but on Saturday morning business will be in full swing.
The building which is owned by Mr. Wm. Swayze is complete in every detail and is one of the biggest business premises in the city.
This marks the opening of the 954th store owned by the company and 84th in Canada. Having had such an extended experience in laying out stores for their special business it is easy to understand the complete detail to be found in every department.
There are eleven departments on the main floor and the sales ladies together with the office and managing staff will employ fifteen hands or more.
Every department shows the work of the company’s architect in designing special articles such as the neat safe which is oblong in shape and fits snugly under the counter. The candy showcase which is entirely constructed of glass so that even the bottom plates can be removed and polished to ensure perfect sanitation.
The basement floors a complete storage ware room, every article being stored in numerical order as it comes from the receiving and checking room which is in the basement rear. There are also complete lavatories and girls rest room.
Practically nothing in the store is sold for more than 15 cents and there are many big values in the stock which cannot again be replaced at the same price.
Mr. Ralph O’Neil will be manager of the Welland Store.
*Note: The first Woolworth’s store was founded in 1878 by Frank Winfield Woolworth.
That there were no Fatalities was Due to the Fact that Accident took Place at Noon Hour
[Welland Telegraph, 8 June 1917]
At a quarter past twelve, noon, on Thursday, the rear end of the Arlington Hotel block, the portion now being converted into a theatre, collapsed and that there no loss of life is a miracle.
The section referred to had a width of about thirty-five feet. All of the ground floor construction had been taken out leaving the upper floor still occupied. Excavation was in progress, apparently weakening the security of the walls which were built of concrete blocks.
Had the wreck happened fifteen minutes earlier, it would have fallen on horses and workmen making the excavation. When it did happen, workmen were in the excavated portion eating their dinners, but they got out when the first crack was heard.
Occupants of the rooms upstairs were not so fortunate. One man and his wife were in one of the rear rooms and went down in the debris. The woman was slightly injured and suffered a severe nervous shock.
The White livery barn next door was dislocated in the disaster and the rear end of the building is now several feet out of plumb.
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