{"id":252156,"date":"2017-09-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/honoring-a-local-legend\/"},"modified":"2017-09-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-09-08T07:00:00","slug":"honoring-a-local-legend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/honoring-a-local-legend\/","title":{"rendered":"Honoring a local legend"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Katherine Hon |\u00a0Past Matters<\/p>\n

George White Marston founded a store, and so much more<\/strong><\/p>\n

Longtime San Diego residents may remember shopping or working in the grand Marston Department Store along the north side of C Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.<\/p>\n

The five-story building constructed in 1912 has been gone since the late 1960s, when the store founded by George Marston became the Broadway after nearly 90 years in business.<\/p>\n

\"Honoring
The last Marston Store on the north side of C Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues was demolished in the late 1960s but is fondly remembered by many who worked and shopped there. (Courtesy of SOHO)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marston started his merchandising career at age 20 in early San Diego, first serving as an assistant bookkeeper in Aaron Pauly’s store\/wharf office from 1870 to 1872. He then clerked one year for Joseph Nash, who advertised his establishment as \u201cThe Cheapest Store in the City.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1873, Marston and his best friend and fellow clerk, Charles Hamilton, bought Nash’s business for $10,000. In a brief memoir titled \u201cMy Personal Business History,\u201d Marston noted that \u201ccustomers always asked me for chicken feed, coal oil, molasses and cod fish which were in the cellar, because my desk was at the head of the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Honoring
Imagine George Marston \u201csweating over the matching of carpet patterns\u201d after hours in the narrow building in the middle on Fifth Avenue between G and H streets. This was the Marston Store location from 1878 to 1882. (Foto por Katherine Hon)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The partners separated amicably in 1878, when Marston opened a dry goods store he called \u201ca little wooden shop of the wild west style,\u201d and Hamilton launched a grocery store. Both men grew their respective businesses to great success.<\/p>\n

During the first year on his own, Marston took over a dry goods and notions store on Fifth Avenue between G and H streets and expanded his offerings to include carpeting and drapery. In 1882 he moved into an Italianate-Victorian style building at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and F Street, where he expanded to the point of paying rent to four different landlords.<\/p>\n

\"Honoring
During the 14 years from 1882 to 1896, Marston expanded his store from an original salesroom measuring 25 by 70 feet to four rooms in this building at Fifth Avenue and F Street. (Foto por Katherine Hon)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1896, he relocated to a new store built for him by his uncle, Stephen W. Marston, at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and C Street. This four-story building featured wide aisles, an open court from the ground floor to the roof, and a novelty \u2014 an elevator. Marston made one last move across the street to his largest location in 1912.<\/p>\n

At the grand 50th anniversary celebration of his business in 1928, Marston told the crowd that the store was \u201cthe product of the community … You want \u2018goods,\u2019 a word that means all the best things in the world. So we have for you not only merchandise, but music and flowers, history and art, things useful and things beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Honoring
You know your mink is the finest quality if it has The Marston Company label. (Foto por Katherine Hon)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Marston did far more for San Diego than found one of its finest retail establishments. The list of his accomplishments and gifts to the region may surprise you:<\/p>\n