Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-31
D. ". ADAMS co. OBSERVING
QuARTER-CENTURY anniversary
IN MODERN AUGUSTA STORE
Development of Present Larg-
est Business of Its Kind in
Kennebec County, Has Been
Due TO Square Dealings And
Hard Work Of Proprietor
Stores In Three Places Now
Part of Adams Organization

" .As ~ w. ADAMS Co.,
on Water street is today CAV with
blue remnants. They fringe the
windows and stretch in long festoons
on all Of the floors.
Each pennant calls attention 70 tho
fact that it is the 25th anniyersarv
sale Of this prominent business
house. 1t Is a sale to be sure. hut
behind the sale there is much more
than just the matter of staging
merchandising event.
The sale marks the silver ami
versary of Delbert w. Adams en-
trance into business in Augusta.
While there is little romance in these
20 years of business. there is
whole lot of steady, hard work. of
building for the future, of steady.
sound growth in this quarter of
century.
Mr.. Adams today occupies a posi-
ton unique in Maine retail business,
for he is the only department store
owner in the State who controls
stores in three separate places. 1t is
a position that could come and has
come only through square dealing,
the handling of satisfying merchan-
disc and meeting the public much
more than half way.
D. w. Adams, too, Is a one hun
dred per cent Maine product. He
was born in Caribou, but in 1883, his
family moved to Lynn. Mass. There
Mr.. Adams secured employment in
the Wholesale department of the r.
H. White Co., of Boston, and after
two years he travelled on the road for
this concern. Three years later, the
White company discontinued its
MI, oloco1o h,tSipoSo and Mr. Adam
associated himself with Lee. Tweedy
& Co., of New York with whom he
continued for FIVE years. During
these years on the road. he sold only
to the wholesale trade of New Eng
land, but in 1898, he made connec-
tions with Harding, Whitman e. Co.,
of New York. selling agents for
Arlington Mills at that time the
largest dress goods mill in the world
and this position took him through
out the western part OF the country.
He covered every section as far west
! as Salt Lake City and as far south
as Louisiana.
In the spring of 1900, D. w.
Adams and Henry n. Whitman
bought out the business of Fowler
& Hamlin and in the fall after ex-
tensive alterations during the sum-
mer opened their first store at 211
Water street. Here they continued
until January. 1904. when the whole
establishment was burned. )
A new building was at once started
on the site of the old and on Oct.
6, 1904, the Whitman & Adams co.
opened their handsome new store.
This corporation continued until Jan.
| /. 1918. when Mr.. Adams acquired the
Whitman interests. In March, 1915
he pegin to branch out into otner
territory and purchased the store Oh
Bell Brcs. in Gardner. drygooos
| dealers. This establishment was
| thoroughly remodelled and re-stock-
| ed by the new owner.
! In January, 1920, Mr.. Adams, now
| conducting business as the ID. w.
| Adams Co. took over the BuSsell d
| weston store and on the 18th of that
\ month opened his business in the 10
! cation it now occupies. The next Dig
/ change in his activities came on
| sent. /. 1925, when he purchased the
hir .. K. Day store of Rumford. the
largest in Oxford county.
There have been great changes In
/ Augusta since / started. SAID MT.
| Adams Friday in discussing the pas.
| 25 years with the Kennebec Journal
| reporter. Augusta merchants nave
4 shown they are OeSitouo "a
right I'm to the modern standards OF
husiness. There has been hardly
store that has not either re-organ-
Ted or remodelled to keep pace with
the times. Every change has been
| for the better and Augusta mas no
apologies to make for any OF It's
| establishments
The first whitman Adams store
hod hut one-ouarter of the selling
space that the present big establish.
ment enjoys. The original roll OF
employees numbered only seven wn1ie
today the Augusta store alone mas
between IS and 65 people on its pay
: roll all the time and during the rush
periods when big sales are on ana at
Christmas time, the force numbers
hundred or more. -
The D. w. Adams store Is the
largest of its kind in Kennepec
county and Mr.. Adams himself is the
only Maine man who controls three
department stores in the State.
Il Is little wonder. then, tnat lne
bt,e remnants now shown In pro-
fusion in the store are rather prouoiy
dfsrlayed. A silver anniversary is an
event of which any person or any
store may be proud. 1t is all the
more noteworthy when the % years
celebrated have been years OF sue
cess, fair-dealing and commence