![On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 12, 1958
Boggs & Buhl, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest department stores, announced it would go out of business after 89 years of operation. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Russell H. Boggs and Henry Buhl, Jr., opened the store in the North Side in 1869. From the Pittsburgh Senior News, by Paul S. Korol:
In 1912, after 43 years in business, the two partners decided to retire, and sold the store to the May Company of Cleveland. Customer service, merchandise quality and profitability immediately began to decline. Neither retired partner could tolerate the loss of reputation in the store that bore their names. In a decisive move, they bought it back in 1915. The partners were once again in business.In 1921 Boggs & Buhl became the focal point of a two-week manhunt headlined by newspapers across the country. The theft of $45,000 in cash and the shooting death of the assistant building superintendent outraged the community. Within two weeks, three individuals including a husband-wife team were convicted of the theft and slaying. A fourth suspect who had masterminded the robbery eluded police for 13 years until his capture in 1934. All four received long prison sentences.Boggs continued as senior partner until his death in 1922, the same year in which Henry’s wife, Louise, died. In his 70s without heirs, Henry continued to operate the store and planned for the distribution of his estate. His will included $100,000 for the Boggs & Buhl Welfare Association that benefited retired employees. Henry died in 1927. […] By 1955, the death knell was being sounded for the store, which had been waging an unsuccessful battle to retain its business and reputation. The opening of North Hills Village Shopping Centerwas a crucial blow. Surveys had shown that up to 60 percent of those shoppers had been Boggs & Buhl customers before becoming suburban shopping center patrons. Federal Street, once the heartbeat of the North Side, was giving way to businesses of lesser caliber. The store survived until 1958 before closing with the loss of 400 jobs. On May 8, 1960, demolition crews began dismantling the store. Newspapers reported that there were many tear-filled eyes when the wrecking ball struck.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz4v1mtjCp1qakblyo1_500.png)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 12, 1958
Boggs & Buhl, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest department stores, announced it would go out of business after 89 years of operation. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Russell H. Boggs and Henry Buhl, Jr., opened the store in the North Side in 1869. From the Pittsburgh Senior News, by Paul S. Korol:
In 1912, after 43 years in business, the two partners decided to retire, and sold the store to the May Company of Cleveland. Customer service, merchandise quality and profitability immediately began to decline. Neither retired partner could tolerate the loss of reputation in the store that bore their names. In a decisive move, they bought it back in 1915. The partners were once again in business.
In 1921 Boggs & Buhl became the focal point of a two-week manhunt headlined by newspapers across the country. The theft of $45,000 in cash and the shooting death of the assistant building superintendent outraged the community. Within two weeks, three individuals including a husband-wife team were convicted of the theft and slaying. A fourth suspect who had masterminded the robbery eluded police for 13 years until his capture in 1934. All four received long prison sentences.
Boggs continued as senior partner until his death in 1922, the same year in which Henry’s wife, Louise, died. In his 70s without heirs, Henry continued to operate the store and planned for the distribution of his estate. His will included $100,000 for the Boggs & Buhl Welfare Association that benefited retired employees. Henry died in 1927. […]
By 1955, the death knell was being sounded for the store, which had been waging an unsuccessful battle to retain its business and reputation. The opening of North Hills Village Shopping Centerwas a crucial blow. Surveys had shown that up to 60 percent of those shoppers had been Boggs & Buhl customers before becoming suburban shopping center patrons. Federal Street, once the heartbeat of the North Side, was giving way to businesses of lesser caliber. The store survived until 1958 before closing with the loss of 400 jobs. On May 8, 1960, demolition crews began dismantling the store. Newspapers reported that there were many tear-filled eyes when the wrecking ball struck.
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 12, 1958
Boggs & Buhl, one of Pittsburgh’s oldest department stores, announced it would go out of business after 89 years of operation. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Russell H. Boggs and Henry Buhl, Jr., opened the store in the North Side in 1869. From the Pittsburgh Senior News, by Paul S. Korol:
In 1912, after 43 years in business, the two partners decided to retire, and sold the store to the May Company of Cleveland. Customer service, merchandise quality and profitability immediately began to decline. Neither retired partner could tolerate the loss of reputation in the store that bore their names. In a decisive move, they bought it back in 1915. The partners were once again in business.
In 1921 Boggs & Buhl became the focal point of a two-week manhunt headlined by newspapers across the country. The theft of $45,000 in cash and the shooting death of the assistant building superintendent outraged the community. Within two weeks, three individuals including a husband-wife team were convicted of the theft and slaying. A fourth suspect who had masterminded the robbery eluded police for 13 years until his capture in 1934. All four received long prison sentences.
Boggs continued as senior partner until his death in 1922, the same year in which Henry’s wife, Louise, died. In his 70s without heirs, Henry continued to operate the store and planned for the distribution of his estate. His will included $100,000 for the Boggs & Buhl Welfare Association that benefited retired employees. Henry died in 1927. […]
By 1955, the death knell was being sounded for the store, which had been waging an unsuccessful battle to retain its business and reputation. The opening of North Hills Village Shopping Centerwas a crucial blow. Surveys had shown that up to 60 percent of those shoppers had been Boggs & Buhl customers before becoming suburban shopping center patrons. Federal Street, once the heartbeat of the North Side, was giving way to businesses of lesser caliber. The store survived until 1958 before closing with the loss of 400 jobs. On May 8, 1960, demolition crews began dismantling the store. Newspapers reported that there were many tear-filled eyes when the wrecking ball struck.
![Northway Mall, north of Pittsburgh (and the first indoor mall in Pennsylvania), 1960s [Flickr]](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyfj4kh1jT1qakblyo1_500.png)
