Isn't it wonderful how a seemingly simple question can take us on a trip down memory lane? Thought I would throw in my two cents on this one. My memories of downtown extend back only to the mid to late 1950s, when I sold the Pioneer Press newspaper, after school in downtown businesses, and on downtown street corners. Much of my time was spent in the "lower" part of St. Paul - which basically refers to Lowertown - named originally for the lower (most southern) steamboat landing at the foot of Jackson St. (The Uppertown neighborhood was named for the upper (northern most) landing at the foot of Chestnut St., near Irvine Park.) Historically, the "Lowertown" neighborhood started at Jackson St., and extended east to the Trout Brook valley, a couple blocks beyond Lafayette St. The neighborhood's southern boundary was the Mississippi River, and the northern boundary - 15th St. (now University Ave.). All of the original residential portion of Lowertown (which dated from the 1850s) is gone, all of its schools, and most of its churches have also disappeared. Only two of the original Lowertown congregations remain - the First Baptist Church, and St. Mary's Catholic Church. When a person uses the word "lower" to describe a part of downtown, they are also likely referring to the fact that downtown is separated topographically into a lower, and an upper part. Along several blocks of N. Wabasha St., (which runs north from the Mississippi River), there is a natural shelf formed by the limestone, which the central business district is built on. East of Wabasha St., the paths of Kellogg Blvd. (old Third St.), Fourth St., Fifth St., Sixth St., and Seventh St., descend hills to a lower part of the downtown district. So if you are anywhere east of Cedar Street in the downtown area, you would be in the "lower" part of St. Paul. As far as the furniture stores in the 1930s and 1940s, they were concentrated in the "lower" part of downtown St. Paul, and the most popular address was on E. 7th St. (a major thoroughfare and streetcar route). You could have your pick of more than a dozen stores to purchase new furniture, and another dozen or more to purchase "second hand" furniture. Many of the most popular stores have been mentioned in previous posted messages, during the last couple days, but you may find others (some long forgotten) on the lists below. As a downtown paperboy during the late 1950s, I witnessed the closing of many of these shops, and the demolition of the buildings which housed them. 1930 Retail Furniture Stores in "Lower" St. Paul: Annex Furniture Co., 181 E. 7th St. Borg & Powers Furniture Co., 8th cor Minnesota R. N. Cardozo & Bro., Inc., 140-144 E. 7th St. Emporium Mercantile Co., (Dept. Store), 7th & Robert Aaron Freeman Furniture, 385 E. 7th St. Golden Rule (Department Store), 7th & Robert Imperial Furniture Co., 7th cor Sibley Jacobs Furniture, 44 8th St. Jameson-Hevener Co., 461 Temperance St. Clarence H. Johnson, 639 Jackson St. Lovich Bros., 197 E. 7th Minnesota Furniture Co., 170 E. 7th St. St. Paul House Furnishing Co., Inc., 6th & Minnesota Standard Furniture Co., 208 E. 7th St. Michael Sullivan, 224 E. 7th St. Weyand Furniture Co., 156-160 E. 7th, cor Jackson 1944 Retail Furniture Stores in "Lower" St. Paul: B & M Furniture Mart, 109 E. 6th St. Borg & Powers Furniture, Inc., 81 8th cor Minnesota Butwinick Bros., 224 E. 7th Cardozo's, 7th & Minnesota Emporium (Dept. Store), 7th & Robert Golden Rule (Dept. Store), 7th & Robert Edward Hoffman Co., 452 Robert cor 8th Minnesota Furniture Co., 170 E. 7th Paymar Furniture Co., 250 E. 7th St. St. Paul House Furnishing Co., Inc., 71-79 E. 6th St. Standard Furniture Co., 212 E. 7th St. (and 412 Cedar) Weyand Furniture Co., 156-160 E. 7th cor Jackson Hope this helps. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask. > Original query: > >>My mother, age 88+, refers to a furniture store in lower St. Paul > >>Time frame would be 1930s -40s > >>Not sure where to find this information as mother cannot remember a > >>name for the store just that it was in lower St. Paul. > >>Thanks for any help > >> > >>Jo Tambornino Chayer > >><mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] > >> > >>God give me the patience so that the experiences of my life will teach me > >>lessons you want me to learn... > >> > >> > >> > >> > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx