Description

The Arizona National Bank building housed The New York Store.

Blumberg emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in June, 1889. Between then and 1894, he lived in Baltimore, El Paso and finally Prescott, where he owned The New York Store and became one of the most respected retailers in town. Opening his store in a small rented room on the east side of the Plaza with only a few dollars in merchandise, Blumberg quickly became known for his excellent customer service. At one point, the store occupied the Knights of Pythias’s retail space.

In 1901, Blumberg moved his business from the Knights of Pythias space and made changes to his The New York Store. He leased two store rooms at the southeast corner of Cortez and Gurley streets from the Bank of Arizona at $125 per month for 5 years. The grand opening of A. Blumberg The New York Store in the Bank of Arizona building was front page news in the May 8, 1901 Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner. Calling Blumberg the “Merchant Prince of the Southwest,” the newspaper reported he had assembled merchandise to make The New York Store one of the most complete department stores in Arizona. It was modern, with hundreds of electric lights, large display windows and a soda fountain that was an immediate hit. Female customers were pleased to have dressmaking and millinery departments supervised by women. Three years later, Blumberg hired Miss Bottoms, an expert milliner from New York City, to head the millinery department.

 Two months after the grand opening, on July 14, 1901, fire swept through downtown Prescott destroying much of the business district. However, Blumberg’s store, along with the stores of the Goldwater Brothers, T.M. Otis, J.I. Gardner, Brown Brothers and Joseph Dougherty, were unscathed. The New York Store advertised in the local paper until early 1906, when the rental lease was up for renewal.

Photo courtesy of the Sharlot Hall Museum Research Center, call# 1400-8064-0000.