Central Department Store later became Morganstern’s, with a flair for style

The Central Department Store opened in Ashland in January 1913. More than 2,000 people attended the grand opening in one of the storefronts in a new building owned by J.W. Myers next door to the YMCA.

Samuel L. Morganstern was the proprietor of the store that advertised itself as “where the crowds go” because of its low prices. Morganstern was born in New York City in 1889. His parents were immigrants, his father from Russia and his mother from Austria.

The Central Department store flourished in Ashland, and the city appreciated the way his modern store boosted the east end of Main Street, which was less commercially developed at that time.

Morganstern implemented some novel ideas that helped his store grow so quickly that by 1915 he moved to larger quarters across the street in the Reeb building (which is now the site of Foundation Plaza.) This thoroughly modern store carried men, women and children's apparel and shoes.

Style shows come to Central Department store

One of his ideas was the fashion show he first put on in the fall of 1914. This was the very first style show ever put on in Ashland, and it became something of a tradition.

In the spring of 1924, Morganstern hosted another style show in the opera house. The Central Department store was known for carrying stylish, high class merchandise at moderate prices. In that spirit, all of the clothing featured in the style shows could be purchased from the general stock of the store.

The clothing was modeled by local people, and featured “stylish and becoming garments for stout models, older folks, and children.” The showcased fashions included gowns for graduation, evening gowns, party gowns, street wear and dinner dresses.

Morganstern also sponsored a local baseball team for some years. In 1913, the Central Department Store “Athletics” were the city’s champions. They competed against other teams sponsored by the YMCA, the Reliable Match Company and Faultless Rubber. In 1924, Morganstern revived the baseball team by sponsoring a class-A team under management of “Pop” Burns.

More: Ashland Memories: Battle of turn-of-the-century clothing stores on Main Street

A move and name change comes in 1927

In October 1927, exciting news broke that Morganstern had signed a five-year lease on the Bowman block at the corner of Main and Orange. The move came with a name change, to the Sam L. Morganstern Department Store, or more familiarly, Morganstern’s.

The new store opened March 16, 1928, following a complete renovation. The store filled the first floor and the basement of the busy corner building. A grand entrance on Main and a second entrance on Orange street opened on an ivory and mahogany color scheme throughout the store. Glass display cases protected wares from dust, while electric lights provided visibility.

The Orange street entrance opened onto the ladies’ ready-to-wear department, which featured three large fitting rooms equipped with three-way mirrors. The bargain basement also housed a shoe department, men’s work clothes, luggage, and yard goods, as well as a brand new furnace.

The staff was increased from 14 to 30 employees. Mr. Morganstern remained as store manager, while his wife, Anna, worked as the buyer for the ready-to-wear department.

By 1935, the Morganstern store had moved to 47 W. Main St. It was at that location through 1940, but seems to have closed around that time, probably due to Sam Morganstern’s death on Dec. 30, 1941, at the young age of 52.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland department stores had a flair for style, grew quickly