Part 2 Unadilla (NY) Ruby’s Department Store

Chain: Ruby’s Department Store

Date Opened: October 25, 1957

Date Closed:  Circa June 1964 (Due to poor sales and opening of large discount store.)

Street Address(es) when open (Building name/block) (Main Street, Bailey & Robinson Block 1879) [Current Address]: 183 Main Street

Former Store(s)  in Location(s): (Early on:) Marshall Robinson store, A. E. Seaman Drygoods,  (Just prior to opening:) H. Marcellus, Villa Rose restaurant

Later Store(s) in Location(s): Unknown

Buildings still exist?: Yes (See photo below)

Owners, Managers, Employees:

  • David “Sol” Helfand – Owner/Manager
  • Estelle Helfand (wife of Sol)
  • Eleanor Jacob (Mother of BJ Gilbert) – Clerk
  • Eve Snover – Clerk
  • Dickson E. Dibble* – stockboy (1958-1962)
  • Ray Decker*
  • * From Facebook posts on “You Know You Are From Unadilla If You Can Remember” group

Subsequent Owners if sold: ?

Articles, Pictures, Ads:

Ruby’s Unadilla Store Open (Oneonta Star 1957-08-13 p2)

Ruby’s Unadilla Store Opened (Oneonta Star 1957-10-30 p 11)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Mrs. Clarence Snover – (Oneonta Star 1959-01-27 p2)

Ruby’s Unadilla –  First Baby Gift (Oneonta Star 1959-01-06 p5)

Ruby’s Unadilla Football Game ad (Oneonta Star 1960-10-07 p5)

Rubys Unadilla Transistor Radio Giveaway (Oneonta Star 1962-07-13 p12)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Paper bag (Facebook post)

Ruby’s Unadilla (Facebook post) {JIC Note: from 1957 to 1966}

Rubys Unadilla – Large store for rent (Oneonta Star 1966-06-03 p14) {JIC Note: Looks like store was closed and they were trying to rent out space.}

Ruby’s Department Store – Unadilla (NY) 1959 (From R. Helfand)

183 Main St Unadilla NY (from Google Earth 2020)

Recollections:

From Sol Helfand’s writings (2002):

Ruby’s Unadilla Sol Helfand Recollections( 2002 p44)

Ruby’s Unadilla Sol Helfand’s Recollections (2002 p45)

From Facebook group “You know you are from Unadilla if you can remember”:

Ruby’s Unadillla – Facebook recollections (2013-02-01)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2014-02-03)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2014-06-07)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2014-06-07b)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2015-07-13)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2015-08-03)

Ruby’s Unadilla – Facebook recollections (2015-8-03b)