The Clothes Tree
Bud, Jim, Chris, and Jeanne at The Clothes Tree, about 1964-65. The first Clothes Tree was in a building on National Road, that had been previously occupied by a bakery. When John was a child, every Sunday morning Bud would drive John to that location, where he would buy a Boston Cream pie at the bakery and then go next door to Buch & Donovan's Drug Store to pick up his Pap's New York Times.
No discussion of The Clothes Tree can start without first talking about the role that Jeanne's Sister-in-law, Esther Biggs, played in its inception. Esther owned and operated a small dress shop, Esther's, for years on Edgington Lane in Wheeling and later in Elm Grove. Jeanne had the desire to have the same kind of business, but would not ever do so as long as Esther was in business. When Esther announced her retirement, Jeanne went right to work and created The Clothes Tree, that Jeanne ran successfully for more than 15-years.
Esther Biggs in 1969
Esther and Chris at Esther's
Jeanne and Jim's Irish Setter, Rouge, at Esther's, about 1963-64
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