Historic Hood River
New York Racket Store
Notes
This image of the New York Racket Store is pretty beat up, but it’s made it through almost 120 years to tell us its story. In an era of credit based general stores, the “racket” was that the merchant would go to big cities like New York or Chicago to purchase lots of goods for cash, and then sell them for cash, theoretically passing on the savings to the consumer. There were “racket stores” in cities all over the country, though it’s not clear how popular this concept was in Hood River. In less than ten years this store was gone.
There were some very talented commercial sign painters in Hood River during this era. I’ll be posting some more great examples in coming weeks.
This store was on the north side of Oak Street between Second and Third, right next door to the Williams and Brosius Drug Store. Here’s a more recent view.
Charlott
Though some of the proprietors of this type store did in fact go east to get goods, a lot of times it was done by a "drummer." This was a man who went around the country representing these companies in the east, drumming up busiess for them, thus the name "drummers." Wonder if the person in the photo had something to do with the business or just wished to have his picture taken?
Connie
I’d love to see what exactly they sold in this shop. Arthur can you zoom in on the window at all to see what’s there?
Arthur
Connie, when we rescan this image I’ll see if I can tease out some details. This is a low res scan which will be redone for our digital archive.
Jennifer Taylor
I just learned a New York Racket Store opened in New Philadelphia, OH in 1909. I’d never heard of it. It later became a popular variety store like WW Grant’s or Newberry’s and that one lasted many, many years.
Wystan Stevens
I have seen "New York Racket Store"s in postcard street scenes from Ypsilanti and Traverse City, Michigan.
Marc Cohen
My great grandfather Joseph Cohen is listed in The Dalles Daily Chronicle, September 9, 1899 as living in the ‘old Harris House’ and running a ‘racket store’ in the East End. His first born son, my grandfather Max and uncles Harry, Si, Julius, and Ben all worked at ‘Papas’ stores in The Dalles until depression era hard times. I hope this is a photo of his first store. One of the later stores was ‘The Toggery’. The Cohen family began peddling out of wagons and another Jewish merchant rented Joe space in the back of his own store.
Debbie D
I have found in my aunt’s things, a 1909 advertising china plate from New York Racket Store, Cheboygan, MI. This was a small rural town with access to Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinaw. It had lumber, a tannery, and railroad access and transportation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Bill Huddleston
I have a post card with a one cent stamp from Allen Bros to another resipenent in Ionia Mich. Post marked December 30 1909 at 7pm. Wondering if it’s any significant to owners or relatives of The Racket Club Store. I’d had posted a picture but it’s not offering any ways to download here. Oh, it’s a “Happy New Year” card.