Augsbury and Moore of Watertown:
the training ground

William Harvey Moore (pictured right) gave Frank Woolworth his first retail job at the Dry Goods Store that he co-owned with Morgan Augsbury. A Woolworth family friend had arranged an interview for the 21 year old at the fashionable premises on American Corner in Public Square, Watertown, New York. Augsbury had rated Woolworth "too green", but had left the choice to his partner.

Woolworth had changed tack for his second interview, offering to work free-of-charge for a three month apprenticeship. He had successfully negotiated for board and lodgings, a guarantee of six months' work and a salary of $3.50 a week from the fourth month onwards. This had proved to be just enough to persuade his parents that shop work could be a viable alternative to farming.

Frank started work on Monday 24th March, 1873. Initially he was an assistant and general dogsbody. By his own admission he was useless - nervous, tall and lanky and generally awkward. He tried Moore's patience!

Augsbury and Moore was the flagship dry goods store in Watertown - serving a range of fashions and general merchandise to an affluent clientele. The customers expected attentive personal service and a bright tidy environment, even on the busiest day - Market Day - when local landowners and their wives headed into town along with tenant farmers and their families.

At the time it was considered too vulgar to display a price with a product. Customers had to ask, and sometimes the price varied according to what they looked like!

In his early weeks in-store Woolworth found it hard to answer questions from the public, even when what they wanted was close to hand. "How much is this, Mr Moore?" ("look on the label"), "Do we sell gloves?" ("you're looking at them!").

On his first day Frank didn't even notice the office where all payments were taken, even though he had seen Moore sitting on a high stool at a sloping desk with a cash box.

Seeing that Woolworth was awkward with customers (and it seems to get him out of the way), Frank was soon re-assigned to duties behind the scenes in the stockroom, unpacking goods and disposing of waste. He was also given responsibility for display. He excelled. In later years he drew heavily on what he had learned.

It was at Augsbury and Moore that Frank studied product selection. He carefully inspected each item as he unpacked it ready for sale, and took a good look at the invoices and packing notes with the goods. And it was also at the Watertown store that he first experimented with display principles, striking upon the bright red colour scheme that his store chain later made its own.

Watertown became the crucible which shaped Woolworth's. Most of the chain's executives started out as apprentices to William Moore and its early fixed price offer was conceived at American Corner. But in 1873 no-one believed that Frank would survive the apprenticeship, let alone become a retailing legend.

As soon as he turned twenty-one in the Spring of 1878, Frank's brother Sumner (C.S.) Woolworth joined the team at Moore's. By this time Morgan Augsbury had moved on to his next venture and Moore had become the senior partner alongside Perry Smith. The two brothers struck up a friendship with another apprentice Fred Morgan Kirby, who later joined them in the dimestore business. In 1878 four of the six principals of the F. W. Woolworth Company, including Moore himself, worked side-by-side at American Corner.

It was also at Moore and Smith that Frank Woolworth met his wife-to-be Jennie Creighton. A shy Canadian girl, she had come to Watertown to make a living as a seamstress, taking in sewing from locals and doing repairs and serving customers in the Dry Goods Store.

When Frank was taken ill, Jennie volunteered to nurse him back to health and love blossomed. The two were married on June 11th, 1876. Jennie supported Frank throughout his life, encouraging his ideas, keeping him fit and reminding him to keep his feet on the ground. Despite immense wealth later in life, she treasured the days in Watertown as her happiest, when times were hard but life was simple. On busy days she helped her husband and brother-in-law to finish up their chores.

It was also at Moore and Smith that Frank Woolworth was given responsibility for
setting up a special offer five cent counter, but more of that later!

Shortcuts to other exhibits in our 1800s Gallery

1800s Overview: the story begins
Formative years of the Woolworth Brothers
Birthplace - Augsbury & Moore, Watertown, NY
The first five cent table
Experimental five cent store in Utica (a flop)
First successful store - Lancaster PA 1879
The 'friendly rivals' buying syndicate
Frank Woolworth's early buying trips to Europe