Evening star., 1925-01-11
BY THE RAMBLER,

turns to the house of Topham
Il James s. Topham came to Wash
ington in September, 1855, and in
January, 1856, opened a harness and
trunk store at 400 Seventh street
renting the building from Charles
kloman, who owned and kept a sa-
loon and eating house in the same block
The site of the first Topham store
Is covered by the department store of
Iansburgh & Brother. At the Ram
bler's hand is a torn and faded paper.
1t is Mr.. Tophams license to do busi-
, ness in Washington. Here it is:
City of Washington, to wit: Lii
cense is hereby granted from the da te
hereof until the first Monday in No
Vember next to James S. Topham, and
Nortlet to sell goods. wares, merchan-
disc or other articles of foreign or
domestic growth, production or man
ufacture, (other than hats, caps
boots, shoes and ready-made clothing
end sprituous and fermented liquors.
wine. Cordials and all other intoxi-
eating liquors (by whosesale or re-
tail on lot ,blank) in Square 431,
fronting on Seventh street in the
Third Ward of the said city, they
complying with the laws of the Cor
\ poration of W ashinGton in respect to
'the same which are now or which
may hereafter he in force. In testi-
mony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand this 18th day of January,
1856. Samuel r. Douglass, register;
John Il. Towers. Mayor"
Another interesting paper is on the
Rambler's desk. 1t is James S Top
hams first advertisement in a news
paper, was published in The Evening
star September 10, 1856, and marked
10 continue one year. Here follows
part of this old advertisement:
y
and Trunk Store. No. 499 Seventh
street. Washington City The sub
Scrthers beg leave to invite the at
tention of their friends and all who
may wish to purchase or examine, to
their large and increasing stock of
all varieties of mems, ladies' and
boys saddles: fine double and single
carriage and buggy harness, wagon
and cart harness. Trunks fine sole
leather steel spring; dress and buggy
trunks: also large assortment of
iron frame and wood box trunks.
bonnet boxes. and valises. enameled
leather carpet and canvas travelling
bags and school satchels. Driving
brides, English and American fill
ings and Martingales of all kinds and
qualities: stage, coach. buggy, cart
and riding whips in great variety.
Draft collars, back bands. chain
patent names, shammois skins. horse.
spoke, name and dust brushes: car
Tiage mats. curry and name combs,
cards, sponge, dog collars, whip
sockets. horse boots, harness black
ing, etc. etc Horse blankets, COW
ers, hoods and fly nets in their
season"
There is more to this advertise
ment dealing with quality of goods
and attention 10 business The ad-
Nertisement is signed "Topham and
Norhct"
X x =
THE Topham store remained at
499 Seventh street until the Fall
of 1863. Then Ar. Topham bought
the lot adjoining Odd Fellows Hall
on the north and built four-story
end basement brick structure. The
old number of that store was 500 and
tho present number 425 Seventh.
x. Kneessi's Sons. trunk and leather
goods store, business established in
1860, now occupies the building
There Mr.. Topham largely increased
his manufacturing plant in filing
contracts for Army supplies during
the Civil War
In 1882 the store was removed to
No. 1921 Pennsylvania avenue, near
Thirteenth street, and later Mr.
Topham remodeled and occupied No.
1898 Pennsylvania avenue. which,
many of You remember, was w. s.
ROose'S cigar store. In July. 1901,
Mr.. Topham bought the property
No. 1919 F street, where the Topham
store is today. Perhaps you will
recall that an old-fashioned brick
house stood the site and there
colored woman, Julia Henson. kept
a boarding house which had had many
famous patrons before, during and
after the Civil War.
The Rambler, in a series of stories
several years ago on the history of
+ street and its residences, wrote of
Julia Henson. and perhaps before he
ends this series on old business fam
lies he may tell again of that
woman, born a slave, freed by her
master and long a Character" in
Washington. She contributed gem
erously to the building of one of
Washington's great churches and
died of accident at advanced age.
The Topham advertisement which
appeared in The Star in 1856 recalls
to the Rambler that Mr. Topham till
his death, May "a, 1912, was an ad-
vertiser in newspapers, and an .ad-
vertiser in other ways. In January,
1864, when the Washington and
Georgetown Street Railroad Co, was
new, he signed a contract with the
company for displaying Illuminated
advertising cards in all it's cars. The
contract price for the year was $500.
He was a pioneer in using posters
in the city and nearby country, and
his poster showing a man carrying a
trunk on one shoulder and a valise
in one hand was known to many
people.
James S. Topham was born fn Will
mington, Del, June IS, 1882. His
father, Richard Topham of York
shire, England. came to the United
States in 1921. James passed his
boyhood on his fathers farm near
Wilmington, and to learn a trade he
was apprenticed TO a saddlery house
in Philadelphia. After his apprentice
ship he remaiped for time with the
firm, and before coming to Wash
ington, followed his trade in Hart
ford, Conn, and in Baltimore. The
Rambler has the following letter from
the firm with which Mr.. Topham
learned his trade:
philadelphia, December 20, 1858.
TO Whom it May Concern: The
bearer of this, Mr.. James S. Topham,
has been in our employ for some
years and we can confidently recon-
mend him as a person of all con-
fidence and who would no doubt make
himself valuable to any one needing
Alum in Artificial Gems.
NEARLY all artificial gems-that