Thursday, October 4, 2012

Hudson in 1905: Part 38

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

FRANK K. WALSH--Groceries. At the corner of Third and Diamond streets. Telephone, Columbia 156. For the past twenty-two years the above enterprise has been identified with the business interests of the city, and has been under the management of a man perfectly capable of carrying on and increasing constantly the trade of the store. The headquarters of the business are located in one of the best trade sections of the town, where a great many transient customers are gained. Mr. Walsh carries a large stock, consisting of heavy and fancy groceries, teas, coffees, spices, vegetables, and canned and bottled goods, provisions, etc., and is prepared at all times to supply his patrons under the most favorable conditions, since he keeps himself entirely familiar with the demands of the markets. The business done requires the services of two men in the store and one on the wagon to see to the delivery of orders, which are taken care of with the greatest promptness and accuracy. Mr. Walsh is a native resident of Hudson.

The corner of Third and Diamond [now Columbia] streets today
Gossips Note: Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., and the Hudson directories for the 19th and early 20th centuries have the annoying practice of giving the addresses of businesses located on corners as simply "Corner of [something] and [something] streets." That's not very helpful when you're trying to pinpoint a location a hundred years later, especially when buildings are missing. At the corner of Third and Diamond streets, there are buildings missing on three of the four corners. So why choose the northwest corner as the site when there is currently a store on the northeast corner and we know there was a store on the southwest corner later on in the 20th century?

Here's the rationale. According to the Hudson directory for 1905, Frank L. Walsh lived at 27 North Third Street--a  house that like whatever stood on the corner is now gone. Walsh's house would have been on the west side of Third Street north of Diamond Street. I liked the idea of the diligent and attentive grocer living right next door to his store. 

1 comment:

  1. The empty corner of 3rd & Columbia as shown in your pic was the sight of The Nabozny Press, a printing press business owned & operated by the Nabozny family up unitl the mid to late 1970's I believe.
    They moved the business to the 500 block of Warren St in the area across from Mexican Radio.
    Across the street at 3rd & Columbia from the empty lot, that would be the Southwest corner, was a 3 story building that housed apartments on the 2nd & 3rd floors w/ a small Mom & Pop grocery on the street level.
    In the late 60's or early 70's it became a restaurant know as the 5 Star aka as Pop's & was popular as a late night early morning place for breakfast for Hudson's bar customers.
    Remember, at one time Hudson had approx 50 "bars" for one's social life.
    The corner across from there, the Southeast corner, there was a 2 story apartment building that was demolished either from a fire or structural issues. It was owned by Anna Finkelstein, who at the time, 50's? 60's & 70's, owned a quantity of buildings throughout Hudson until her death.

    ReplyDelete