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William Harvey Moore - the inspiration |
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William Moore gave Frank his
first job, at his Augsbury and Moore dry goods store
in Watertown, NY. A year or two later, when
Augsbury and Moore had become Moore and Smith he also
gave Charles Sumner Woolworth his first job.
Frank always repaid a favour and he looked after Moore throughout his life. |
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| William Moore was patient
with the young Woolworth as he fumbled to learn the
trade. Finding that he was awkward with serving
customers, he assigned him work in merchandising and
display. It was under Moore's supervision that
Frank developed his remarkable skill as a window
dresser, and it was Moore who gave him the latitude to
explore different display techniques including what
was to become the company's trademark red and gold
design.
But he was a tough boss. When Frank demanded more money or he would leave - he was told to leave. When a six months later he asked to come back it was for less money and more work. |
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Although Moore was much too
modest to remember it in later life, it was he who
invented the five cent table....and it was the five
cent table that inspired Frank Woolworth's first great
five cent store. And it was Moore who put
up the money and the stock for Frank's first store.
Frank knew this all too well. When Moore and Smith hit on hard times, Woolworth bailed him out, giving him the money to restructure. He didn't take over, leaving Moore independent. And ultimately William Moore and Son Ltd. was one of the friendly rival companies that came together in the $65m merger. |
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| William Moore's original kindness was well rewarded. He received almost half a million dollars for the Watertown store and his shares in F. W. Woolworth & Co. and he was appointed a Vice President of the new Corporation. He remained Frank's friend and mentor until his untimely death from failed dental work in 1916. His death shocked Frank, who never visited the dentist again. For the next 81 years the Watertown store bore the sign "birthplace of the five and ten cent business" until the American company restructured its lines of business in 1997. | ||||
