One of the first chain stores in the U.S. opened its doors this week in 1879 in Utica, New York. For generations of Americans, Woolworth’s was known simply as the “five and dime” in tribute to its low-cost merchandise. Inside were wooden floors and display tables stacked with items that sold for up to a dime. Equally famous was the store’s lunch counter, featuring malted milk shakes. The distinctive red and gold signs were taken down in 1997. Woolworth’s was no longer able to compete with the growing number of discount stores, shopping malls, and food courts. Today, Americans have a choice of more than 49,000 general merchandise stores in which to shop. These retailers do $640 billion of business annually, and employ nearly 2.8 million sales clerks and other staff. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Saturday, February 21st. In the early days of the telephone, knowing who had one and what the number was quickly became a problem. The first telephone directory in the U.S. was published on this date in 1878 in New Haven, Connecticut. It wasn’t a big list — there were only 50 subscribers. A little later, a directory also came out in San Francisco, with about 170 names. Today, of America’s roughly 116 million housing units occupied by owners or renters, almost 114 million, or about 98 percent, have cellular or landline telephone service. Eleven firms issue directories for the nation’s hundreds of millions of listed personal and business phone numbers. Manufacturing telephones and associated equipment is a $7 billion a year domestic business. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, February 22nd. The history of radio and the presidency seems to center entirely on Franklin Roosevelt’s famous “fireside chats” beginning in 1933 in the depths of the Depression. But the first president to address the nation from the White House over the infant broadcast medium was, ironically, “Silent Cal.” President Calvin Coolidge spoke to a coast-to-coast audience on this date in 1924 on the occasion of George Washington’s birthday. His words were carried over a mere 42 stations. That year, there were 530 radio stations in the country, broadcasting to just 1.25 million households. Today, there are over 5,900 radio stations employing over 92,000 people. Nearly 100 percent of America’s 116 million households have radios. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.