"Petticoat Lane"

In Downtown Kansas City's heyday, Petticoat Lane was the center of the shopping area. Woolf Brothers, Rothschild's, Harzfelds, John Taylor's, Pecks, Jones, Jaccard's Jewelers, Robert Keith, T.M. James, Jenkins and Emery, Bird, Thayer were among the best known stores. At the left side of the postcard, believed to have been published between 1910 and 1915, in a small shop, Marie Hall sold stationery, gifts and silver for her brothers. It was the original Halls store. Around the corner, on Walnut, Fred Wolferman's store windows filled with food displays made the mouth water. Kline's store, running through to Main, was next door south. At 11th and Main was the 11-story Harzfelds Parisian. On the west side of Main, John Taylor, the Scottish merchant, presided over the largest exclusively dry goods establishment in the West. Taylor's was noted for fine yard goods of silk, cottons and wool, and for Irish table linens. The store kept a buyer in Ireland the year around. George B. Pecks, on the corner south of Taylor's, had general merchandise, a fine picture framing department and a small lunchroom. Robinson's shoe store and Rothschild s men's store were on the block. Just out of view on Walnut was Woolf Brothers. Jaccard's jewelry store was across the street. At the far right is Emery, Bird, Thayer with its window arcade. It was known as the Southwest's greatest merchandisers. Downtown then had no competition. There were no suburban shopping malls, and going shopping downtown on the street car, or by automobile, was a treat. It would still be a decade before the Country Club Plaza was started.The buildings at left center of the postcard are on Block 93, site of the proposed AT&T building. Kansas City Times. February 3, 1984