Interview: Old Forge Hardware’s founder Moses Cohen

On May 10, 1922, the Old Forge Hardware store built by Moses Cohen burned to the ground. Today, that year is engraved under the Cohen name on the façade of the present store.

After three days, the fire was still burning coal, construction materials and other debris and would smolder for days to come.

But Moses Cohen continued to operate, securing office room in the Givens Block and permission from Old Forge Village to put in shelves and stock up the Fire Hall (today’s Nathan’s Bakery) as fast as trucks could deliver the goods.

In 1923, his rebuilt store sold everything from “paints, bath tubs and up to the best in parlor suites.”

A year after the fire, the Utica Daily Press interviewed Mr. Cohen in an article titled “Moses Cohen’s Story of Struggle to Top” as the current store was being completed.

Though the copy is barely legible and hampered my transcription, I thought this early story about his beginnings in Old Forge a worthy note to the town’s early history and how one man overcame ethnic prejudice with sound business practices.

Except for my parenthetical historical notes, the information is directly from the article.

The reporter told of Mr. Cohen’s life before Old Forge.

Moses (51 in 1923) was born in Russia (other sources say Lithuania) in 1872, came to this country 17 years later unable to speak English and arrived at Dannemora.

At Bloomingdale, he met his brother David who had immigrated three years before.

They set up a shop selling remainder goods in Bloomingdale and Moses began to peddle goods from a wagon.

He was taken in by Andy Stearns of Saranac Lake who let Moses store goods at Stearns’ father’s house.

Encountering business debts, Moses received financial assistance from Aleck Whitcher (Witchard).

Moses went to Lake Placid briefly and then ended up in Old Forge.

As Moses Cohen explained it, “I had heard of Old Forge and knew there was no hardware or plumbing shop there. Oh yes, when in Bloomingdale I learned the tinsmith and plumbing trade. I made several trips to Paul Smith’s putting on roofs. I got there before 7 o’clock in the morning after driving 12 miles.

“Phelps Smith’s window opened on the roof and one day he looked out and said to me, ‘How is it your nationality is so prosperous?’ I then asked him, ‘How much do your drivers get?’ He replied, ‘Thirty dollars a month and board.’

“I told him, ‘When I came to this country, I didn’t earn $30 in two months. Out of that $30 I have taught myself to save $15. In three or four years I had saved $400 or $500 on the road. If your men saved half what they earned they would have twice as much as I. That’s why our nationality goes ahead’.

“In 1901 I came to Old Forge to look the situation over and was much impressed with it. My father-in-law, Mr. Galinsky, looked around with me.

“Some people in Utica told him he should never let me start in Old Forge, that I couldn’t make a living there. I replied, ‘if a living cannot be made in Old Forge, no living can be made in the United States.’”

The reporter continued the story:

“One site in Old Forge appealed to Moses Cohen when he arrived there for the first time and that was the building now (1923) occupied by the Barker Supply Company. Part of it was then used as the postoffice and the remainder was vacant.

“But Mr. Abbott, then the owner, would not lease it to Mr. Cohen. The only place he could find was in the basement of the Forge House, then run by a Mr. Briggs. (Alexander Briggs had replaced J. Gilbert Hoffman as Forge House proprietor in March 1901)

“Only $15 a month rental was charged for two rooms in the basement and a stall in the barn was provided for his horse.

“Shortly after opening a store in the basement, Mr. Cohen hired William Tracy as clerk. He proved to be a valuable man for he knew practically everyone in the region.”

Then Moses continued:

“As soon as we started in business in Old Forge, I could see by the customers we were getting I had started at the right place. Everyone was more than glad to see a business of this kind for the nearest hardware store was at Utica and the roads were not like they are now.

“After I was in business three months Mr. Abbott came to me and told me he would rent the store I had first wanted. I asked him why he had not rented it to me first and he said, ‘Cohen, there wasn’t a man in this place that thought you could make a living. I didn’t want to break up the store. Now I see you are just the man. We need you here as badly as you need us’ “.

“I then leased (dated June 11, 1901 on the copy at the Town of Webb Historical Association) the store in the postoffice for five years. At the same time I started to negotiate for the purchase of the corner where my store now stands.

“We moved in the store next to the postoffice and after a year I purchased my present corner from the Old Forge Company. When I purchased the lot (1902) I bought 40 feet intending to set up just a hardware store.

“I thought it wise to build a double store for furniture as a sideline. I asked the Old Forge Company for 15 more feet for $75 on condition within a year I would erect a building that would cost not less than $10,000.

“I had plans drawn for the new building, but I could see the building would not cost more than $10,000.

“I proceeded to build and when the building was nearly completed, Mr. Heber (John Haberer) of Lowville, president (1901-1906) of the Old Forge Company, came up here to have a look at it. He pulled me to one side and said, ‘Cohen, they told me about the building and said you were crazy for putting up such a magnificent building which is fit for Genesee Street in Utica; but now I know you must be crazy’.

“That building was completed and we started in business. My new store has not been built from money made in the store, for I have other investments that pay more. But I don’t want to leave Old Forge with a hole in the ground after the fire.”

continued next week….