Amy,
Since you are interested in the clothing industry for that period, here is what I found out specifically about McFarlin's;
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Founder of McFarlin's Clothing Store:
Francis Marion; d Aug 3, 1905 @ 67y
Euretta Ann, wife of Francis M.; 1840 - 1927
Frankie, son of Francis & Euretta; d July 30, 1862 @ 6m 1d
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The company dates back to 1860 when Francis Marion
McFarlin (1838?-1905) began a men's clothing and haberdashery shop. It operated at various locations until 1897 when it moved to 110 E. Main, where it remained until 1925.
The decade of the 1880s was one of enormous growth and prosperity for the men's clothing industry of
Rochester, NY. Thirty-three new firms were formed, twenty-five of which were doing business on a national scale by the end of the decade. Rochester was to become the manufacturing rival of the industries in
New York City,
Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Chicago. The city was recognized as the unquestionable leader in quality of all clothing manufacturing cities in the country.
In 1895, L. Adler
Bros. & Co. was incorporated, and the firm quickly prospered to become one of Rochester's most nationally known quality men's clothing manufacturers, with offices in
New York City,
Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. The company produced high quality, high priced clothing under the name "Adler-Rochester Clothes," with its logo as a bald eagle ("
Adler" means eagle in
German). During the 1890s, L. Adler
Bros. & Co. invested in McFarlins Clothing Co., a high quality retail-clothing store, creating a long business association between the two companies. For over fifty years, McFarlins was an extensive seller and promoter of the Adler-Rochester label. So popular was the clothing label that L. Adler
Bros. & Co. was awarded contracts for U.S. Army officers' overcoats during World War I.
Timely Clothes Inc. purchased
McFarlin Clothing Co. in 1956-1959. They bought stores in
California and
New York City, as well as several stores in the
Rochester area. As the 1950s began, however, their profits steadily declined. Timely Clothes owned twelve retail stores and employed over 1,000 people by 1959, but profits continued to shrink.
In 1966, Timely Clothes was sold to and became a subsidiary of BVD, makers of undergarments. BVD tried to move the company to
Virginia, where labor costs were lower, but the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America (ACWA) refused to concede. In 1968, BVD merged Timely with another of its subsidiaries, the Alligator Company. Failing to make a profit, BVD closed Timely’s operations in 1969. R.C. Shaheen, a
Rochester paint distributor, took over Timely’s operations in 1971 and reopened manufacturing. Again, the company failed, and in 1973 all assets of Timely Clothes Inc. were liquidated.
The last area
McFarlin store closed in 1983.
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As an interesting side note, I contacted
Rochester University and inquired about the
McFarlin Tog Shop that was located in the Todd Union building at one time. Here is the answer I received;
(From Email dated 06JAN2004)
Dear Glenn,
You have asked a most interesting question. I can partially answer it now:
1. The Toggery Shop was located in Todd Union. This building was one of the eleven original buildings on the River campus which was the home of the
College for Men of the University of
Rochester. It was designed as a college club for men. Among other features it contained a lobby desk service, dining services, game room, barber shop, laundry service and lounge. It opened in 1930.
2. The first reference I come upon placing an apparel store in Todd Union is in the fall of 1935. "The
McFarlin Clothing Company introduces its new manager of their University Shop." This implies that the shop already existed, but previous issues of the student newspaper contain ads for the McFarlin's store on East Main St.
3. A publication describing Todd Union which we date approximately as 1937 or 1938 contains this description: "By arrangement with McFarlin's, one of the leading downtown clothing stores, a "tog shop" with a complete line of haberdashery is operated on the ground floor. Valet service is also provided by the McFarlin's Tog Shop."
It appears that the McFarlin's Tog Shop in Todd Union succumbed during the second World War. We found references to it in the student handbook's up until 1943. I tried calling
Russ Anderson who was the manager during the late 1930s and sadly, he passed away a year ago, but his wife told me that he was always very proud of his work at the Tog Shop.
Nancy Martin
Manuscripts Librarian/Archivist
Rare
Books and Special Collections
Rush Rhees Library
University of
Rochester Rochester, NY 14627-0055
(585) 275-9337
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I do know a large number of my direct ancestors were listed in various census documents as "tailor", "seamstress" and "cloth cutter". Considering the status of
Rochester as the fine clothing manufacturing capital of the country at that time, its not surprising so many worked in the industry. But none, that I am aware of, had anything to do with McFarlin's.