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Facts and Events
Biographical Data
In his boyhood Mr. Laubach attended the district school and worked on the farm of his father. When he was fifteen years of age he took a position in a country store at Kesslersville, where he remained until 1853, when he came to Easton and entered the store of the late Jacob Hay, then a prominent dealer in dry goods, with whom he remained about five years, fitting himself under his employees methodical manner of conducting business for a more extended experience later. A short time after this Mr. Laubach entered the establishment of Jacob Rader, then among the oldest and most extensive business houses of Easton, as clerk. Here he continued for about one year.
April 6, 1860 Mr. Laubach decided to engage in business for himself, and, in spite of limited resources, opened a dry goods store in a room only twelve by forty fee in size, on a part of the site of the huge business house which he occupied in his later years. In the spring of 1861 the young merchant moved his stock to the building at Fourth and Northampton streets, on the site of the present Northampton National Bank building. The store remained there until November, 1872, when Mr. Laubach erected a building on Northampton street, on the present site, twenty-tight by one hundred and seventy feet, the front of which was three stories high and the rear one story. On November 21, 1872, what was then "Laubach's Trade Palace' was opened. Many Eastonians will recall that special opening, which was held in the evening. No goods were sold, and an orchestra furnished music, which was something altogether new and original with the shopping public of our city in those days. In 1881 in addition of fifty feet was added to the rear, giving the store a depth of two hundred and twenty feet, with a uniform width of twenty-eight feet. In 1891 the property known as the Hunt building, on the corner of Bank and Northampton streets. was added to meet the demand for greater space. Again, in 1895, an extensive addition was made to the Laubach store. The M. J. Riegel building, on the west side, was acquired, giving a seventy-four foot frontage on Northampton street
Even that fine, large, spacious state was soon outgrown, and 1899 found Mr. Laubach again engaged in adding a basement department for the housing of stocks of china and glassware, bric-a-brac and various lines of house furnishing goods. Two years later, in November, 1901, Mr. Laubach purchased the Timmins and Hess properties on the west side of his store. It was not, however, until 1905 that other improvements were made which brought the frontage of the store to a total of one hundred and seven feet, as it is now. In 1910 further improvements were made to the store building by adding a large building in the rear, and also tearing down the Hunt property on the cast. and a handsome building was erected thereon to conform with the remainder of the property fronting on Northhampton street, making a uniform building with three floors and basement throughout and a frontage of one hundred and seven feet. The entire property, as the store now stands, is occupied by the firm. It has a floor space exceeding sixty thousand square feet. As compared with the original selling space of four hundred and eighty square feet, the size of the present store makes the growth seem almost marvelous.
William Laubach was prominent as a Mason, his fraternal connection being as follows: Easton Lodge. No. 152, Free and Accepted Masons; Easton Chapter, No. 173. Royal Arch Masons; Hugh De Payens Commandery, No. 173, Knights Templar, of Easton; Rajah Temple, Ancient Arabic Order. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Reading. For sixty years Mr. Laubach was a member of the First Reformed Church, and took an active interest in all the affairs of the congregation. He served for many years as an officer and member of the consistory. In the old borough days he was elected a member of the school board from the Seventh Ward, and served one term. He was a director in the Northampton National Bank for twenty-eight years; a member of the Pennsylvania German Society, and of the Easton Board of Trade. He was always interested in everything which promised to upUft the business. industrial, educational, moral and spiritual welfare of the community. His counsel was often sought, and his opinions were freely accepted, although he was deferential, and be never advanced his personal ideas except in a modest and courteous manner. He was of inestimable service to the community, and held the respect, and in his latter days the veneration of the people of the entire section. He was a liberal donor to the church, and his charity in this community was only limited by his good judgment. Historians will ever refer to William Laubach as a shining light in the mercantile life of Easton.
Mr. Laubach died of general debility after an illness of almost a year, at his home, Second and Bushkitll streets, Easton. Pennsylvania, July 30 1914. His health had been declining for some time, and May 18 and 19 witnessed his presence for the last time in the establishment he had built up in his very active business career. He had been in active business in Easton for a period of fifty-four years. April 6, 1910, the firm celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in an appropriate manner, devoting two entire weeks to the observance. His success as a business man was founded on close application, absolute "roughness, careful attention to details and personal supervision. He originated the one-price system in Easton, and built up his business by thoroughness and reliability in dealing with his trade. He was an honorable man in all his transactions, was cordial in his greetings to customers and business associates, and possessed a wide circle of acquaintances who all deeply and sincerely regretted his death. (source: TheHopkinThomasProject)
Additional Resources
Image Gallery
 William Laubach, abt 1890. References
- http://articles.mcall.com/1998-03-12/news/3182292_1_country-store-easton-one-room-store.
March 12, 1998|The Morning Call by S.M. Parkhill (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) .
William Laubach Had Drive To Make Easton And His `Trade Palace' Thrive.
"The wonderful machine of life just wore out after 81 years of going, and going hard." That comment was made in an obituary about William Laubach. He died in Easton on July 30, 1914, at his home at 2nd and Bushkill streets. The obituary concluded: "Until four years ago he was buying, building, enlarging and improving. He left a store that is more than a business house -- it is one of the sights of Easton." William Laubach was the son of Abraham and Lydia Beidelman Laubach. He was born in Plainfield Township on Feb. 18, 1833. As a young boy, he spent some time going to school and, as was customary, a great deal of time helping his father on their farm. When William was 15, he worked in a country store. In 1853, when he was 20, he was employed in Jacob Hay's dry goods store in Easton. He stayed there for five years, then went to work in Jacob Rader's business house, also in Easton. On April 6, 1860, when he was 27 and had more bravado than finances, William Laubach opened his own store. He picked a site on Northampton Street. Four months later, on Aug. 19, William Laubach married Mary Frances Horn. Laubach's "store" was only 12 by 40 feet in size. Through the ensuing years, the department store that became known as Wm. Laubach & Sons grew around this site, becoming one of the great establishments in Easton. William Laubach remained as its chief executive for 54 years. In 1861, a year after Laubach opened his one-room store, he moved, temporarily, to larger quarters on the southwest corner of 4th and Northampton streets. The next move, back to the site of his one-room store, began nine years later. However, before making the physical move, Laubach enlarged his former store. The front along Northampton Street rose three stories. A one-story addition was created behind this front. Overall, the store was 170 feet deep and had a 28-foot front. The move was completed in 1872. While New York City was celebrating the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, Easton turned out to celebrate Laubach's Trade Palace. It was an event to remember. There were no door busters, no discounts or flashing lights. Instead, there was music. Laubach had hired an orchestra. No items were put on sale, but the festive opening on Nov. 21 was talked about for decades. As hundreds upon hundreds of people came into the store, William Laubach's son, George, handed each a printed sheet describing the store and its future policy. George was only 10 but was gaining his first merchandising experience. He would later have a major role in expanding the Trade Palace so that it encompassed the entire city block. It is interesting to note that George Laubach's "career" in his father's store came very early in his life. He was born in a building at 4th and Northampton streets, the same address as his father's second store. The day after the opening, business was brisk. Sales included hoop skirts, parasols and shawls. Less than a year later, September 1873, the nation's banks failed. America was plunged into a five-year depression. Yet during this time, Laubach's business was healthy and growing. That was good for the store; it was good for Easton. Part of the reason for this growth was the store's staff and management; part of it was Laubach's policy of giving everyone a fair deal, and part was simply the location. Laubach's was well sited. It advertised that it had "easy access from railroad stations and hotels." In due course, trolley cars from Easton Transit Co. and Pennsylvania Motor Co. stopped directly in front of the store. Two significant additions were made in 1881. One was physical; the store reached back to Pine Street. The second dealt with staff; George A. Laubach, William's eldest son, became an employee. He was 19 years old. George was in charge of sales until his uncle, Owen Laubach, died in 1888. He was then promoted to buyer for the entire store. In 1889, he was taken into the firm. The store became William Laubach & Son. Tuesday -- Laubach's adds "Sons" to the company name.
- http://articles.mcall.com/1998-03-17/news/3181646_1_easton-high-school-business-responsibilities-departments.
March 17, 1998|by S.M. PARKHILL (A free-lance story for The Morning Call).
Laubach's Was Easton Landmark.
Wm. Laubach & Sons became a significant factor in Easton's business heritage in large part because of its founder, William Laubach. His eldest son, George, must also be credited. He had extremely sharp buying and marketing skills. Growth and prosperity seemed unbounded. Expansion was necessary. In 1891, the Hunt property at Bank and Northampton streets was added. Four years later, the M.J. Reigel building along the west side of the Laubach store was purchased. Just before the turn of the century, there was a different sort of expansion --downward. A basement department was added. The Timmins and Hess properties, just west of the store, were purchased in November 1901. In 1905, improvements gave the store a Northampton Street frontage of 107 feet. Coincident with the store's golden anniversary in 1910, a large addition was made behind the store and a three-story building was erected on the Hunt property, abutting Bank Street. Its facade conformed to the rest of the Laubach store, giving a uniform-looking front. When William Laubach died on July 30, 1914, he was the senior partner and one of the most prosperous businessmen in the area. His five sons assumed the business responsibilities. George A. Laubach became president. He was born on Oct. 10, 1862, and was educated in Easton schools. After graduation from high school in 1879, he entered Lafayette College. Rather than finishing school, he decided he could better help his father by going back to work. His father was in ill health. Thus George Laubach's business career formally began on July 1, 1881. William's four other sons soon joined their brother. William Horn Laubach started in 1888 and was responsible for the business on the first floor. He also assisted in the management of various departments. Charles Madison Laubach came into the company in July 1897. He was put in charge of a number of departments and bought various lines of merchandise on his frequent marketing trips. Frederick Horn Laubach became secretary of the corporation in June 1901. He was also general merchandise manager and a buyer for several departments. Because he was very outgoing and lived to 101, Fred, as he was called, is perhaps the best remembered of the Laubach boys. He graduated from Easton High School and was a member of its 1895 football squad, the school's first. Fred's life took off in 1901. He made a balloon ascension from Easton with Professor S.A. King. That same year, he graduated from Lafayette, destined to become the college's oldest living alumnus. He died in January 1982. The last of William Laubach's sons, Henry Beidelman Laubach, joined the firm at the same time his brother Frederick did. His responsibility was the ready-to-wear department on the second floor. On July 24, 1908, William Laubach & Sons was incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania. All the sons were made partners. In time, George, Charles and Frederick each served as president. Store expansion continued. A seven-story addition fronting on Pine Street was built in 1915. In 1916, the Clifton property, also fronting on Pine, was purchased. The next year a three-story addition with a basement was built. A warehouse was acquired in the Phoenix Building on Pine Street to meet the demands of the furniture department. Clothing alteration rooms were moved to leased space on the second floor of the building at Bank and Pine streets in 1918. By the end of 1918, the Mutchler property on S. Bank Street was purchased. It had been occupied by Easton Express Publishing Co.; Laubach used it for warehousing and advertising. The Laubach Block, as it was called, was completed when the Savarin Cafe, at the corner of Bank and Pine streets, was purchased. The store now extended from Northampton to Pine Street, with Bank street on the east and the Abel Opera House Court on the west. A booklet published in 1920 to mark the store's 60th year lauds Laubach's modern features, such as its fire equipment. It talks about an overhead sprinkler system that is energized when temperatures reach 165 degrees. It notes that ceilings are covered with metal and that there are numerous hand-operated extinguishers all about. There were 30 departments, each a complete store within itself. Each was connected, via pneumatic tubes, to a cashier's desk. Clerks would send money through these aluminum tubes to the cashier, and change and receipts would be returned. There were, of course, cash registers on the floors for instant service. The pneumatic tube system also connected the sales clerks with the credit department. Transactions were quickly noted in the store's ledgers. The pneumatic tubes replaced a Martin endless-cable cash-carrying system. City steam heat was used in winter. In summer, open windows provided air conditioning. These same windows provided light from four sides, making the store, according to the anniversary booklet, "one of the best lighted in the state." In 1937, the front was remodeled. In 1940, interior lighting was modernized. Then, in 1947, the business was acquired by a chain, Allied Stores Corp. The Laubach name was retained. In time, the name was removed and the store has since closed. However, its place in our heritage and in our memories will last a very long time.
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