Husband of Mollie Alpiner Netcher Newbury who died on December 12, 1954 at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. He was the founder of Chicago's old Boston Store.
———
his parents are Charles (so he is a Jr) born Germany and Barbara Schweyer (Peter and Salomomea ROESSEL, born France, emigrated to New York by 1843) born France. His siblings born 1854-1869 were: Charles Jr; Barbara; Louiza; twins Emma and Elizabeth, Frederick, George, Caroline all born in NY.
A narrative by Paul T. Gilbert, from "CHICAGO AND IT'S BUILDERS" published in Chicago 1929 by Felix Mendelsohn.
CHARLES NETCHER, SR.
CHARLES NETCHER'S life might serve as a sermon to the youth of any ambitious commercial gentry. A bundle wrapper at 14, he spent every day of his career in the service of the company with which he had begun and emerged sole owner of one of the largest department stores in the world.
The secret of his story book success was work. It is said by those who know that even when he was general manager of the store, which he later acquired, and while paid a salary of $4,000--a handsome income for those days-- he stayed at his work eighteen hours a day and slept on a counter in order to be at the store early in the morning.
Perseverance and a desire to some day be a merchant prince with the resect of every employee, was his great ambition; one that he reached solely by his own efforts. When he died the employees of the Boston Store held a memorial meeting and passed resolutions embodying their determination to carry on the policies of service and economy he had established.
Charles Netcher was born in Buffalo in 1852 and at 14 went to work in his native city for Edward and C. W. Partridge. His first employment was as cash boy and bundle wrapper, but when a few years later the firm moved its establishment to Chicago, he was taken along as a valuable asset.
The firm lost nearly everything in the Chicago Fire. The only property saved was drygoods en route to the store in box cars. The owners were dismayed, but not so young Mr. Netcher. He suggested that the store open immediately in a shack at Twenty-second and State streets. The Partridge brothers admired his spunk and acted upon his suggestion. Any available material was used to put up a building to house the store and the project was preeminently successful. This suggestion has been pointed to as the actual upward turning point in Charles Netcher's career.
Later the Partridges turned their attention to wheat and left the retail merchantiling business more and more to the management of Mr. Netcher. Gradually as he was able to afford it, Mr. Netcher bought a greater financial interest in the venture. Five years after the original owners had turned to grain speculation Mr. Netcher became sole owner of the Boston Store.
In the early 1900's Mr. Netcher leased the Champlain building, one of the largest office buildings in the city and used the lower floors for the expanding business of his store. It was his intention ultimately to rebuild the old store building to the height of his new acquisition and open the whole as a combination store and office building. His widow exceeded in her accomplishments, even these bright dreams of the future by rebuilding the store and enlarging the business to occupy all the available space.
In his later years Mr. Netcher bought heavily enough in real estate to become one of Chicago's largest land owners. Here too, his wife after his death carried on the work which he had so carefully planned.
It is an open book to any one who knows the history of the mercantile business in Chicago how splendidly his wife carried on, bringing the business from what it then was to the great institution it is today.
Shortly before his death Mr. Netcher took out a $500,000 life insurance policy, one of the largest ever to be given at that time.
a man of single purpose, keeping scrupulously out of activities that might interfere with his business. Mr. Netcher was happy in his home life and though economy was the keynote of his commercial success, he was lavish with both money and affection in matters relating to his family. He died June 20, 1904, following an operation for appendicitis.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOSEPH EDWARD MERLE, #47609726
———
his parents are Charles (so he is a Jr) born Germany and Barbara Schweyer (Peter and Salomomea ROESSEL, born France, emigrated to New York by 1843) born France. His siblings born 1854-1869 were: Charles Jr; Barbara; Louiza; twins Emma and Elizabeth, Frederick, George, Caroline all born in NY.
A narrative by Paul T. Gilbert, from "CHICAGO AND IT'S BUILDERS" published in Chicago 1929 by Felix Mendelsohn.
CHARLES NETCHER, SR.
CHARLES NETCHER'S life might serve as a sermon to the youth of any ambitious commercial gentry. A bundle wrapper at 14, he spent every day of his career in the service of the company with which he had begun and emerged sole owner of one of the largest department stores in the world.
The secret of his story book success was work. It is said by those who know that even when he was general manager of the store, which he later acquired, and while paid a salary of $4,000--a handsome income for those days-- he stayed at his work eighteen hours a day and slept on a counter in order to be at the store early in the morning.
Perseverance and a desire to some day be a merchant prince with the resect of every employee, was his great ambition; one that he reached solely by his own efforts. When he died the employees of the Boston Store held a memorial meeting and passed resolutions embodying their determination to carry on the policies of service and economy he had established.
Charles Netcher was born in Buffalo in 1852 and at 14 went to work in his native city for Edward and C. W. Partridge. His first employment was as cash boy and bundle wrapper, but when a few years later the firm moved its establishment to Chicago, he was taken along as a valuable asset.
The firm lost nearly everything in the Chicago Fire. The only property saved was drygoods en route to the store in box cars. The owners were dismayed, but not so young Mr. Netcher. He suggested that the store open immediately in a shack at Twenty-second and State streets. The Partridge brothers admired his spunk and acted upon his suggestion. Any available material was used to put up a building to house the store and the project was preeminently successful. This suggestion has been pointed to as the actual upward turning point in Charles Netcher's career.
Later the Partridges turned their attention to wheat and left the retail merchantiling business more and more to the management of Mr. Netcher. Gradually as he was able to afford it, Mr. Netcher bought a greater financial interest in the venture. Five years after the original owners had turned to grain speculation Mr. Netcher became sole owner of the Boston Store.
In the early 1900's Mr. Netcher leased the Champlain building, one of the largest office buildings in the city and used the lower floors for the expanding business of his store. It was his intention ultimately to rebuild the old store building to the height of his new acquisition and open the whole as a combination store and office building. His widow exceeded in her accomplishments, even these bright dreams of the future by rebuilding the store and enlarging the business to occupy all the available space.
In his later years Mr. Netcher bought heavily enough in real estate to become one of Chicago's largest land owners. Here too, his wife after his death carried on the work which he had so carefully planned.
It is an open book to any one who knows the history of the mercantile business in Chicago how splendidly his wife carried on, bringing the business from what it then was to the great institution it is today.
Shortly before his death Mr. Netcher took out a $500,000 life insurance policy, one of the largest ever to be given at that time.
a man of single purpose, keeping scrupulously out of activities that might interfere with his business. Mr. Netcher was happy in his home life and though economy was the keynote of his commercial success, he was lavish with both money and affection in matters relating to his family. He died June 20, 1904, following an operation for appendicitis.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOSEPH EDWARD MERLE, #47609726
Husband of Mollie Alpiner Netcher Newbury who died on December 12, 1954 at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. He was the founder of Chicago's old Boston Store.
———
his parents are Charles (so he is a Jr) born Germany and Barbara Schweyer (Peter and Salomomea ROESSEL, born France, emigrated to New York by 1843) born France. His siblings born 1854-1869 were: Charles Jr; Barbara; Louiza; twins Emma and Elizabeth, Frederick, George, Caroline all born in NY.
A narrative by Paul T. Gilbert, from "CHICAGO AND IT'S BUILDERS" published in Chicago 1929 by Felix Mendelsohn.
CHARLES NETCHER, SR.
CHARLES NETCHER'S life might serve as a sermon to the youth of any ambitious commercial gentry. A bundle wrapper at 14, he spent every day of his career in the service of the company with which he had begun and emerged sole owner of one of the largest department stores in the world.
The secret of his story book success was work. It is said by those who know that even when he was general manager of the store, which he later acquired, and while paid a salary of $4,000--a handsome income for those days-- he stayed at his work eighteen hours a day and slept on a counter in order to be at the store early in the morning.
Perseverance and a desire to some day be a merchant prince with the resect of every employee, was his great ambition; one that he reached solely by his own efforts. When he died the employees of the Boston Store held a memorial meeting and passed resolutions embodying their determination to carry on the policies of service and economy he had established.
Charles Netcher was born in Buffalo in 1852 and at 14 went to work in his native city for Edward and C. W. Partridge. His first employment was as cash boy and bundle wrapper, but when a few years later the firm moved its establishment to Chicago, he was taken along as a valuable asset.
The firm lost nearly everything in the Chicago Fire. The only property saved was drygoods en route to the store in box cars. The owners were dismayed, but not so young Mr. Netcher. He suggested that the store open immediately in a shack at Twenty-second and State streets. The Partridge brothers admired his spunk and acted upon his suggestion. Any available material was used to put up a building to house the store and the project was preeminently successful. This suggestion has been pointed to as the actual upward turning point in Charles Netcher's career.
Later the Partridges turned their attention to wheat and left the retail merchantiling business more and more to the management of Mr. Netcher. Gradually as he was able to afford it, Mr. Netcher bought a greater financial interest in the venture. Five years after the original owners had turned to grain speculation Mr. Netcher became sole owner of the Boston Store.
In the early 1900's Mr. Netcher leased the Champlain building, one of the largest office buildings in the city and used the lower floors for the expanding business of his store. It was his intention ultimately to rebuild the old store building to the height of his new acquisition and open the whole as a combination store and office building. His widow exceeded in her accomplishments, even these bright dreams of the future by rebuilding the store and enlarging the business to occupy all the available space.
In his later years Mr. Netcher bought heavily enough in real estate to become one of Chicago's largest land owners. Here too, his wife after his death carried on the work which he had so carefully planned.
It is an open book to any one who knows the history of the mercantile business in Chicago how splendidly his wife carried on, bringing the business from what it then was to the great institution it is today.
Shortly before his death Mr. Netcher took out a $500,000 life insurance policy, one of the largest ever to be given at that time.
a man of single purpose, keeping scrupulously out of activities that might interfere with his business. Mr. Netcher was happy in his home life and though economy was the keynote of his commercial success, he was lavish with both money and affection in matters relating to his family. He died June 20, 1904, following an operation for appendicitis.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOSEPH EDWARD MERLE, #47609726
———
his parents are Charles (so he is a Jr) born Germany and Barbara Schweyer (Peter and Salomomea ROESSEL, born France, emigrated to New York by 1843) born France. His siblings born 1854-1869 were: Charles Jr; Barbara; Louiza; twins Emma and Elizabeth, Frederick, George, Caroline all born in NY.
A narrative by Paul T. Gilbert, from "CHICAGO AND IT'S BUILDERS" published in Chicago 1929 by Felix Mendelsohn.
CHARLES NETCHER, SR.
CHARLES NETCHER'S life might serve as a sermon to the youth of any ambitious commercial gentry. A bundle wrapper at 14, he spent every day of his career in the service of the company with which he had begun and emerged sole owner of one of the largest department stores in the world.
The secret of his story book success was work. It is said by those who know that even when he was general manager of the store, which he later acquired, and while paid a salary of $4,000--a handsome income for those days-- he stayed at his work eighteen hours a day and slept on a counter in order to be at the store early in the morning.
Perseverance and a desire to some day be a merchant prince with the resect of every employee, was his great ambition; one that he reached solely by his own efforts. When he died the employees of the Boston Store held a memorial meeting and passed resolutions embodying their determination to carry on the policies of service and economy he had established.
Charles Netcher was born in Buffalo in 1852 and at 14 went to work in his native city for Edward and C. W. Partridge. His first employment was as cash boy and bundle wrapper, but when a few years later the firm moved its establishment to Chicago, he was taken along as a valuable asset.
The firm lost nearly everything in the Chicago Fire. The only property saved was drygoods en route to the store in box cars. The owners were dismayed, but not so young Mr. Netcher. He suggested that the store open immediately in a shack at Twenty-second and State streets. The Partridge brothers admired his spunk and acted upon his suggestion. Any available material was used to put up a building to house the store and the project was preeminently successful. This suggestion has been pointed to as the actual upward turning point in Charles Netcher's career.
Later the Partridges turned their attention to wheat and left the retail merchantiling business more and more to the management of Mr. Netcher. Gradually as he was able to afford it, Mr. Netcher bought a greater financial interest in the venture. Five years after the original owners had turned to grain speculation Mr. Netcher became sole owner of the Boston Store.
In the early 1900's Mr. Netcher leased the Champlain building, one of the largest office buildings in the city and used the lower floors for the expanding business of his store. It was his intention ultimately to rebuild the old store building to the height of his new acquisition and open the whole as a combination store and office building. His widow exceeded in her accomplishments, even these bright dreams of the future by rebuilding the store and enlarging the business to occupy all the available space.
In his later years Mr. Netcher bought heavily enough in real estate to become one of Chicago's largest land owners. Here too, his wife after his death carried on the work which he had so carefully planned.
It is an open book to any one who knows the history of the mercantile business in Chicago how splendidly his wife carried on, bringing the business from what it then was to the great institution it is today.
Shortly before his death Mr. Netcher took out a $500,000 life insurance policy, one of the largest ever to be given at that time.
a man of single purpose, keeping scrupulously out of activities that might interfere with his business. Mr. Netcher was happy in his home life and though economy was the keynote of his commercial success, he was lavish with both money and affection in matters relating to his family. He died June 20, 1904, following an operation for appendicitis.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOSEPH EDWARD MERLE, #47609726
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