The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
Capital Merchants Career Interesting
w. c. WooDWARD STARTED BACK OF COUNTER
Built Huge Business from Small Store

Then things began to come their way.
So much so, in fact, that they laid away
quite a little pile of money and began to
form bigger and broader plans.
About that time 1t Is evident there was
a revival Of the Go West slogan, and
six years after opening their store we
find the two young business men headed
West in search of an ideal location. They
| toured the Middle West without making
decision when chance brought them to
Washington.
Maybe there was something captivating
| about Washington life to the young Bos-
| ton merchants, but as Woodward stood
in the city of magnificent distances, I'M
bued with its beauty and the re1wakening
business spirit which was much in evil
dence, he simply cancelled his engage
ments and said, Here stay" And stay
they did.
Hustle and "Bustle'' seem to have
been their middle names, for they hustled
and hustled, rented a small store 9t 706
Market space and began to do business.
This was in February, 1850. 1t wasn't
long before they quickly injected into the
business life of Washington some of the
"get-up-and-go' spirit for which the
Yankees had become noted. And as was
fitting and proper, they called their store
the Boston Store.
Small Store Grows.
From now on the story of Mr.. Wood
ward is the story OF washington's busi-
ness life. The oldest inhs bitants. who
remember the unassuming little store In
Market space. have watched with interest
and admiration the building up Of great
department store upon a foundation as
strong as the rock Of Gibraltar and re-
enforced by sound business sense and
honesty.
hi ,olrY H,,k fn1-
lowed them to Washington, but those who
have known them during years Of busi-
ness association know that their lucky
star was due only to sheer forcerof char
acter and determination to win.
Pretty soon the little store in Market
space became overcrowded with custom
ers and the fine stock OF goods Of every
description that attracted the eye OF the
thrifty housewife. So again they moved.
This time they selected a site in Pennsyl-
vania avenue, 921, to be correct, the then
commercial center of Washington For
tune again accompanied them, and be-
cause it was impossible for solid walls to
expand the firm of Woodward & Lothrop
again was forced to seek more spacious
accommodations.
At that time F street was three-fourths
residential, one-fourth business. Mr..
Woodward suggested to several OF his
business friends that he and his partner
had decided to cast their fortunes in that
obscure business section. 1T will be sui
eide" warned cautious business men.
Mr.. Woodward merely shrugged his
shoulders in reply. His mind was made
up and one of his peculiar traits is this:
When you think you're right. go ahead
and do it,
He thought Thirteenth and F streets
would be an ideal location to develop. but
the late Calderon Carlisle proposed to
erect a building at Eleventh and F
streets. the present site OF the buildings
of Woodward Lothrop, which occupy
nearly the entire block.
His Judgment VindIcated.
Here again begins another chapter in
the life of the merchant prince, who first
of all saw the possibilities of a new and
greater retail center in Washington.
Those who remember the Arst store erect
ed on the site Of the present establishment
have watched the progress and rapid de-
velopment Of the firm, have seen other
great stores grow up In its immediate vi
cinity and have realized that Mr.. Wood
wards dream has come true.
1t is not the intention of this story to
recount the success after it once has been
achieved. The achieving of it is the i'm