Toklas & Singerman
Named in 13 stories. Back to all names
- Feb 10, 1877The Ghost of the Sound: A Swindler’s Vanishing ActA glib salesman charms his way into the good graces of a prominent Seattle firm, only to disappear with their funds and a trail of aliases.Seattle, WA
- Jun 25, 1886The Great Seattle Retail War of 1886As Seattle merchants faced an economic downturn, a fierce 'price war' erupted between downtown clothiers, with competing shops slashing prices and using aggressive marketing to survive the season.Commercial Street, Seattle, WA
- Feb 11, 1887The 'Dead Line' at the San Francisco StoreBefore it became a retail hub, the basement of the San Francisco store in Seattle served as a federal jail where prisoners waited for trial while playing cards and bartering for tobacco.Seattle, WA
- Feb 20, 1887The Transformation of Front StreetAs property values soar in 1887, Seattle’s downtown business district begins a rapid transition from wood to brick, signaling a new era of permanence.Seattle, WA
- Apr 28, 1887The Great Seattle Oyster WarWhen Colonel Jim Steel discovered a legal loophole to seize Seattle’s tide flats for private oyster farming, he triggered a chaotic race against a major land company.Pacific Avenue, Seattle, WA
- Oct 30, 1887The Balloon-Powered Park PlanA satirical interview with a Seattle developer reveals the absurd lengths civic boosters would go to inflate the value of local land.Commercial St, Seattle, WA
- Jun 26, 1888The Department Store Revolution in Pioneer SquareBefore the mall, there was the 'mercantile establishment'—a 19th-century retail behemoth that promised the modern consumer everything from tailor-made suits to beaded capes under a single Seattle roof.Seattle, WA
- Aug 18, 1888The Great Seattle Retail Fire Sale of 1885Toklas, Singerman & Co. issues a city-wide 'panic' announcement to clear out summer stock to make room for fall shipments.Seattle, WA
- Sep 8, 1889Rising from the Ashes: A Retail Giant’s RebirthAfter the Great Seattle Fire destroyed their store, Toklas, Singerman Co. pledges to build a new retail empire in a city still cleaning up the soot.Seattle, WA
- Sep 9, 1889After the Great Fire: A Retail Giant Rises from the AshesHow Seattle merchant Toklas, Singerman & Co. leveraged the trauma of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 to expand and dominate the regional market.Seattle, WA
- Sep 11, 1889Seattle Firm Builds Temporary Store After Great FireAfter the catastrophic 1889 fire destroyed their downtown store, the merchants of Toklas, Singerman & Co. share a testament of resilience and their plans for a new, larger establishment.Great Seattle Fire, Seattle, WA
- Sep 13, 1889The Great Fire of 1889: Seattle’s Retail PhoenixAfter the Great Seattle Fire leveled the city’s business district, Toklas, Singerman Co. rebuilt their massive dry-goods emporium, vowing to anchor the city’s economic recovery.Seattle, WA
- Jan 1, 1891The Retail Empire of Front StreetHow Toklas, Singerman & Co. transformed a Seattle storefront into a massive, booming mercantile powerhouse at the dawn of 1891.1st Avenue, Seattle, WA