Wichita State University - Parnassus Yearbook (Wichita, KS)

Page 16 text:

Photo courtesy of the Wichita Historical Museum Family Businesses Resist A Slow Decline Stanley Goldstein took over Sam's Sample Shoes in the '50s. He got his degree in geology in from the University of Wichita in 1951, and, after going to Korea, could not find work as a geologist. So he joined the family business of selling top name-brand shoes, 'slightly usedf' inexpensively. 'l just more or less worked into it,' he said. 'My mother was get- ting old - she, my sister and brother-in-law ran the place since my father died. So l came and sent her homef' Goldstein and his wife, ldell, are in many ways typical of the older established merchants whose stores are in the Old Town area. They work nine-hour days, six days a week: depend on a host of customers who have been coming in for yearsg and have been having a rough time financially. The stores are neat but decaying. Most of the inventory is stored in the heads of the merchants. Goldstein's father, Sam, started the business in 1929 and established his reputation on selling name-brand shoes at a discount. Goldstein has continued the tradition of relying on the store's reputa- tion - he does little advertising, instead depending on word of mouth. Goldstein joined the business just as the shopping malls started springing up, pulling all the customers from downtown. While he suffered from not getting many new customers, business remained pretty good with his established customers, from car dealers f'They buy a lot of cowboy boots l to county and ci- ty commissioners. 'We deal mainly in close-outs, factory re- jects and returns. That's quite a bit less ex- pensive than regular shoe stores. l guess it's tradition, 'Go down to Sam's and save some moneyf Everybody wants a bargain. 'Twenty-five years ago all this was full and people walked more - this area was quite boomingf' Like most of the older merchants along East Douglas, the Goldsteins quietly acknowledge that Old Town's development would help their business by bringing in more people and increasing property values. But, despite receiving flyers announcing meetings, they feel outside of the Old Town Association, the organization committed to rebuilding the area. Up the street from Sam's is Zelman's Clothing Store, owned by Herbert and Esther Moses. They were more noncommittal about the prospects for Old Townftand what it would mean to their store. They had been in business together for nearly 40 years, since Herbert Moses came over from Germany to escape Nazi persecu- tion. He married Esther, whose father was the original owner of the store. While the thought of more business was appealing to them, especially after having had a slow year, the thought of change made them wary. The Goldsteins' business hasnit changed much over the years, ex- cept for some expansion and they no longer do shoe repairs. Golds- tein's brother-in-law, Barney Nash, retired six years ago, leaving the Goldsteins to run the business alone. 'I wonder if he didn't know whether things were going to turn, Goldstein said. 'Times were good, but now, l don't know. lt's a lean period and it should be a good period. People are looking to save money and we can sell new shoes for 5535 to 340. There's a lot of tension with business quiet like it is right now, worrying about paying bills, sen- ding my daughter to collegef' At 55, he has 10 more years to go before retiring and closing the business forever. 'When we decide to quit, we'd just sell everything out. There doesrft seem to be anyone interested in the business - family businesses are hard to sell.' But there is interest in the building. One speculator wants to buy the entire block to develop it, Goldstein said. 'Our best years were the '60s. Now, we'll wait and see if they can get some more retail stores in the area. We'll be very happy about that. Hopefully it will get better. Let's hope it doesn't get any worse, let's put it that way.

Page 15 text:

8413 . -V.A ,fl photos by Madeline McCullough CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Early morning crowds gathered at Union Station for a chance to see Vlfoodrow Wilson as he passed through town. Wilson did not make it to Wichita due to illness. Photo taken 1919 Eddy Jensen, who has sold newspapers in downtown Wichita for years, gets a little help making his way through the snow from the ldagfe- BFOf07l office. 1!29fS5 Park security patrolman William Bill McGee, a night student at WSU, tries to keep the winos out of Naftzger Park. 1!22!85 Union Station has been purchased by Multimedia Cablevision and the old train ports have become car ports. 1!25!85 Nina Ligon frames her shot through n used camera at the Amvets Value Center. l!Z8f85

Page 17 text:

' . ' me l . ,,,...-1 ' H , k--....,.. A 1 : I K 1 Y Q I O fi I l A, ap-u--qc-vs inf, 42 4 ,c,,. m r-4 ln, BRAND WIS YERN H0015 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: During the 1904 flood, Mrs. J.P, Parrot and com- panion, Mrs. Drake, arrive by boat to visit the Parrot family's interior decorating shop in downtown Wichita. Photo taken 1904 Stanley Goldstein helps a customer with some cowboy boots. 1!28!8S This Cat's Paw clock was a premium given to Sam's Sample Shoe Store in the early '50s for sell- ing a quota of Cat's Paw rubber heels and soles. 1128785 Shoes are stacked in every corner of this 1910 building, home of the Goldsteins' store. 1!28!8S Stanley Goldstein grew up on the 800 block of east Douglas. His father opened the original store, Shustorman's, just two doors east of its pre- sent location. l!29!85 This Singer sewing machine was used to do repairs from 1935 until 1979, when the Golds- teins discontinued their repair service. 1!28!85 photos hy Madeline McCullough