Thomas Ammar
1914—1930
Thomas Ammar is first listed in the September 1914 Dun & Bradstreet as a seller of dry goods, sewing materials, and shoes (Mercantile Agency, 1914). In the September 1915 Dun & Bradstreet, his business is listed as a fruit store and confectionary (Mercantile Agency, 1915). This same year, evidently Ammar was convicted for the misdemeanor of operating a slot machine within his store (“Misdemeanors Many”, 1915).
The real pith of Thomas Ammar’s story is his 1920 murder of a black man named Sonnie Turner. As the story goes, Turner told Ammar not to cheat him on the cigar he was purchasing, as Ammar purportedly short-sold him on ice cream during his last visit. Ammar then attempted to push Turner out of the store and, to assist him in doing so, secured a 4-foot stick, threatening to beat Turner with it. Turner then attempted to wrestle the stick from Ammar and, during the struggle, Ammar grabbed his revolver and shot Turner twice, with one shot landing above his eye, killing him (“Try Thomas Ammar”, 1922). Unfortunately in these days, racism in the justice system was beyond commonplace. The trial ended in the acquittal of Thomas Ammar (“Vedicts Obtained”, 1922).
I suppose Thomas Ammar remained in business nearly a decade following this incident, seemingly free of much press, as he last appears in this article. Schenkman’s book states that Ammar went out of business around 1930 (Schenkman, 2009).
Thomas Ammar token good for 10 cents. Obverse.
Thomas Ammar token good for 10 cents. Reverse.
John Aontun
1915—1916
The first Dun & Bradstreet listing for John Aontun is in September of 1915, listing him as a confectionary and cigar dealer (Mercantile Agency, 1915). The 1915 Charleston directory lists Aontun at 305 Charleston Street, also a confectioner (R.L. Polk & Co., 1915).
The second token of his pictured here features the counterstamp “WYATT.” I am unsure as to who this may be, though it may be for the Wyatt Coal Company.
A John Aontun token shaped like an acorn, good for 10 cents. Obverse.
A John Aontun token shaped like an acorn, good for 10 cents. Reverse.
Same as the last, but counterstamped with "WYATT." Obverse.
Same as the last, but counterstamped with "WYATT." Reverse.
Arcade Drug Store
Coming soon.
An Arcade Drug Store token good for one 5-cent soda or cigar. Obverse.
An Arcade Drug Store token good for one 5-cent soda or cigar. Reverse.
Ike Baer
Coming soon.
An Ike Baer token, good for 5¢. Obverse.
An Ike Baer token, good for 5¢. Reverse.
Beckner & Zimmerman
Coming soon.
A Becker & Zimmerman token good for 5¢. Obverse.
A Becker & Zimmerman token good for 5¢. Reverse.
Beller’s Place
18??—1909
George W. Beller, owner of Beller’s Place, was in business in some form or another since the 1880s (Mercantile Agency, 1885). He began as a liquor dealer under the Beller Bros. company name. By 1890, George W. Beller emerges independently as a liquor dealer while Beller Bros. continues as a cigar manufacturer (Mercantile Agency, 1890). By 1899, he’s wearing four, albeit closely related, hats—importer and dealer of alcohol and cigars, owner of a saloon and billiard parlor (R.L. Polk & Co., 1899). I suspect these were all in “Beller’s Place,” which was located at 304 Kanawha Street at this point (now Kanawha Boulevard).
The 1905 Dun & Bradstreet notes that he owned, also, the Manhattan Restaurant (Mercantile Agency, 1905). The final year of George Beller’s business(es) was 1909, as he disappears the following year from Dun & Bradstreet. In this year, the R.L. Polk & Co. city directory notes, explicitly, that he is owner of Beller’s Place, then located at 808 Kanawha Street (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909).
An oval Beller's Place token, good for 5¢. Obverse.
An oval Beller's Place token, good for 5¢. Reverse.
Black’s Place
Information needed.
An octagonal Black's Place token, good for 10¢. Obverse.
An octagonal Black's Place token, good for 10¢. Reverse.
Blossom Dairy Co.
Coming soon.
A Blossom Dairy token, meant to be used as an advance on employees' checks. Good for 5¢ in store. Obverse.
A Blossom Dairy token, meant to be used as an advance on employees' checks. Good for 5¢ in store. Reverse.
B’Nai B’Rith No. 788
Information needed.
A B'Nai B'Rith No. 788 token, good for $1.00 in trade. Obverse.
A B'Nai B'Rith No. 788 token, good for $1.00 in trade. Reverse.
B.P.O.E. No. 202
Ca. 1909
The 1909 Polk Charleston City Directory lists the Charleston B.P.O.E. Lodge No. 202 as meeting in the Elks Hall, located at the corner of Quarrier and McFarland Street (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909). Officers included H.M. Anderson, F.C. Major, and E.C. Bauer.
A B.P.O.E. No. 202 token, good for 25¢ in trade. Obverse.
A B.P.O.E. No. 202 token, good for 25¢ in trade. Reverse.
Brady’s Cafe
Information needed.
A Brady's Cafe token, good for 5¢ in trade. Obverse.
A Brady's Cafe token, good for 5¢ in trade. Reverse.
Brown’s
Information needed.
A Brown's Furniture good luck token. Obverse.
A Brown's Furniture good luck token. Reverse.
Cablish Brothers Bakeries
1890s—1937
The first mention of the Cablish Brothers is in the 1899 Dun & Bradstreet. However, since 1891-1898 do not exist, they could have certainly began earlier. The Cablish Brothers, bakers and confectioners, consisted of John F., William A., Charles C., George B., and Louis Cablish (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909). In 1909, they were located at both 217 Capitol Street (their main store) and 313 Charleston Street (a branch of their main store). Cablish Brothers evidently sold out to a new business, named the Cablish Baking Company, that incorporated in 1937 (“New Charter”, 1937). Their plant was located at 900 Fry Street at the time of this occurring.
A Cablish Brothers Bakeries token, good for a 5¢ load of bread. Obverse.
A Cablish Brothers Bakeries token, good for a 5¢ load of bread. Reverse.
William M. Carson
ca. 1909
The 1909 Charleston City Directory lists William M. Carson as the owner of a saloon at 216 Charleston Street (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909).
An octagonal William Carson token, good for 5¢ at his store. Obverse.
An octagonal William Carson token, good for 5¢ at his store. Reverse.
The Cave
Information needed.
A heart-shaped The Cave token, good for 10¢. Obverse.
A heart-shaped The Cave token, good for 10¢. Reverse.
The Cave token, good for 25¢. Obverse.
The Cave token, good for 25¢. Reverse.
Charleston Gas Light Co.
Information needed.
A Charleston Gas Light Company token, seemingly good for one load of coal. Obverse.
A Charleston Gas Light Company token, seemingly good for one load of coal. Reverse.
Charleston National Bank
Coming soon.
A Charleston National Bank token good for a 50-cent deposit. Obverse.
A Charleston National Bank token good for a 50-cent deposit. Reverse.
Andrew Cody
ca. 1909
In 1909, Andrew Cody was a driver for the Biagi-Corey Company (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909), likely making this a transportation token.
An Andrew Cody token good for 5¢. Obverse.
An Andrew Cody token good for 5¢. Reverse.
Colonial Billiard Parlor
Information needed.
A bi-metal Colonial Billiard Parlor token, good for 50¢. Obverse.
A bi-metal Colonial Billiard Parlor token, good for 50¢. Reverse.
Conner & Conner
Information needed.
T.M. Creel
Information needed.
J.B. Crowley
Information needed.
Curry & Geoghan
Information needed.
Diamond Ice Co.
1890—19??
The Diamond Ice Co. is listed at least as early as 1890 in Dun & Bradstreet (Mercantile Agency, 1890), though this token is from quite a bit later, as aluminum was still very expensive at this time. At some point, the Diamond Ice Company became the Diamond Ice & Coal Company in the newspapers and Dun & Bradstreet listings of the time (Diamond Ice and Coal Company, 1909). As per a help-wanted advertisement in 1920, their plant around 1920 was located at the corner of Elk and Welch Streets (Diamond Ice and Coal Company, 1920). I cannot find when this company went out of business, but advertisements continued into the mid- to late-1930s.
Diz’s Place
ca. 1930
Diz’s Place was a pool room at 909 Quarrier Street (Schenkman, 2009).
The Elk Hotel Bar
Coming soon.
Louis J. Falone
1903—1917
Louis J. Falone owned a billiard parlor in the Arcade building, first appearing in the 1903 Dun & Bradstreet listings for September (Mercantile Agency, 1903). At this time, and for several years following, he also sold sporting goods, before later switching to cigars alongside his poolroom. In 1909, he appears in the Charleston City Directory as the owner of Brunswick Bowling Parlors, located at 208 Capitol Street (R.L. Polk & Co., 1909). He last appears in the 1917 Dun & Bradstreet, at this point still being a poolroom and cigar shop (Mercantile Agency, 1917).
Ferguson
Ca. 1932
Fergusson obverse. In tokencatalog as TC-644161.
Fergusson reverse. In tokencatalog as TC-644161.
C. George & Co.
Coming soon.
J.L.J. Goff
Coming soon.
Greenlie & Harmon
Information needed.
Heinie’s Smoke Shop
ca.1928
Heinie’s Smoke Shop was owned by Henry M. McCullough, located in Post Office Square.
Hill & Wilson Billiard Parlor
Information needed.
Hotel Ruffner Cigar Stand
Coming soon.
Idle Hours Cigars, Inc.
Information needed.
Tom Jacobs
Information needed.
Kanawha Hotel Cigar Stand
Coming soon.
Kanawha Manufacturing Co.
1902—2024
The West Virginia Secretary of State records indicate this business incorporated in 1902, and closed only recently in 2024. However, records indicate the company goes back as far as 1886 (“List of,” 1886), though that article is in regards to them forfeiting their charter for non-payment of taxes. It reappears in 1896, incorporating again with officers including Fred Paul Groseup, John C. Thomas, William Lobmeyer, N.S. Burlow, and O.A. Petty (“New Charters,” 1896). This latter iteration of the company evidently manufactured boilers and mining equipment (“A Calamity,” 1915).
J. Kourey & Bros.
Information needed.
Krieg & Price
Coming soon.
R.H. Kyle & Co.
Information needed.
A.F. Lacy
Information needed.
The Lido Club
Information needed.
C.T. Lloyd
Information needed.
L.O.O.M.
Information needed.
Lovell St. Fruit Store
Information needed.
Luna Park
1912—1923
Full article coming soon. Interesting tidbit—my sister worked on the committee that successfully lobbied for Luna Park to become a historical district in Charleston.
References
A calamity item. (1915, October 14). Kingwood Argus, 1.
Diamond Ice & Coal Company (1909, March 4). Best grades of domestic coal [advertisement]. The Labor Argus, 5.
Diamond Ice & Coal Company (1920, August 26). Wanted—men for steady work in ice factory [advertisement]. The Charleston Daily Mail, 4.
List of corporations which have forfeited their charters… (1886, May 31). Wheeling Register, 2.
Misdemeanors many in late jury report. (1915, November 10). The Charleston Daily Mail, 2.
New charter. (1937, January 21). Charleston Daily Mail, 7.
New charter issued. (1896, January 25). Wheeling Register, 3.
Schenkman, D.E. (2009). West Virginia merchant tokens. Token and Medal Society, Inc.
Try Thomas Ammar for killing colored man. (1922, May 31). The Charleston Daily Mail, 2.
Verdicts obtained in 48 felony and 50 misdemeanor cases. (1922, June 4). The Charleston Daily Mail, 1.
West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business entity details: Kanawha Manufacturing Company. https://apps.wv.gov/SOS/BusinessEntitySearch/Details.aspx?Id=xGUAgDbL7O8mooXTQA6PWA==&Search=OO26pmW14pFTWVZBLh8X1qp%2fWFNzwTk+4K+V3AIpros%3d&Page=0