It takes courage to start a business, and even more to take the business to the next level. That is what jewelers Bert and Al Schulman did. As owners of Peacock’s Jewelry in downtown, the two men had built a thriving business on jewelry which could be purchased on credit. In 1959, they acquired competitor Elesay Jewelry. Sometime around 1960, the two decided to join the nationwide trend of larger retailers, and opened Hamilton Distributors.
Hamilton Distributors is first listed in the 1961 city directory at 2108 East Main Street, the former business address of the R.A. Siegel Floorcoverings. Several blocks away, a building at 1304 McCallie Avenue near Holtzclaw Avenue was about to complete another year of being vacant. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, A&P for short, had closed their grocery there around 1957. The Schulmans saw the opportunity, and relocated their Hamilton Distributors to the larger space in 1963.
In addition to selling discount jewelry, Hamilton Distributors offered a variety of small appliances, toys, and other consumer products. The high ceilings allowed for merchandise to be placed several shelves high. Whenever it came time to purchase the perfect wedding, birthday, or Christmas gift, many Chattanoogans thought first of Hamilton’s.
The Schulmans had been able to take their business to the next level. By 1967, the owners decided that it was time to sell. The September 17, 1967 Chattanooga Times reported that Hamilton Distributors would be sold to United Jewelers and Distributors, Inc. of Houston, Texas. The new name of the local retailer became United-Hamilton.
By the early 1970’s, many retailers had opened stores in suburban Chattanooga. After the opening of Northgate Mall in Hixson in 1972, several stores began to spring up along the perimeter of the shopping center. On November 15, 1973 United-Hamilton opened a showroom/warehouse/catalog center between Northgate and Highway 153. The building was described by the Chattanooga News-Free Press as having an entrance tower resembling a space ship. United-Hamilton continued to operate the McCallie Avenue store.
The opening of the Northgate United-Hamilton coincided with the start of the 1973 Christmas shopping season. Advertisements described the store’s “Thanksgiving star specials for savings well below our low, low catalog prices.” One could buy a quartz cat’s eye ring for $32.50 or a Benrus watch for $39.97. For really big hair, there was a Sunbeam hair dryer with jumbo hood “for large rollers” for $23.84. For the tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, United-Hamilton sold a Lionel train for $19.97, a Hasbro Mickey Mouse gumball bank for $1.50, and a Walk Lively Barbie for $3.95. The gifts were later distributed via Santa Claus logistics.
United-Hamilton was a place that my wife and I often shopped for gifts. When our friends started welcoming new babies to their homes, we decided upon a standard baby gift – a clear Fischer-Price ball that had a colorful butterfly rolling around inside it. “Never to early for children to study entomology,” we thought.
I remember the first time that we went into United-Hamilton to look for one of these toys. I ran into a friend from high school who was working as a manager there. Trying to maintain a straight face, I told him, “When we were in high school, I never dreamed that I would one day ask you this question, but could you direct us to the Fischer-Price butterfly toys?” He laughed, and then walked us to the appropriate aisle.
By the late 1980’s, United-Hamilton closed their stores in Chattanooga. The Northgate location was remodeled to serve as home of Goody’s. When Goody’s moved to the new Wal-Mart center on Highway 153, the building was leveled and is now the site of a Logan’s Roadhouse. Meanwhile, the old McCallie Avenue store of United-Hamilton was remodeled and is now home to the Hamilton County Community Services Agency.
If you have memories of Hamilton Distributors/United-Hamilton, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@bellsouth.net.
United-Hamilton invoice. Click to enlarge.