Hundreds of Doors Open while One Quietly Closes

This image from 1911 shows Mr. Richardson on the right with employees inside the first location on Lincoln St.

After months of store closures due to Covid-19, businesses are finally reopening with one notable exception. After 112 years of serving the Roseville community, the Big and Tall store in Roseville Square is quietly closing its doors on June 27, 2020, with very little fanfare.  

On March 5 1908, H.A Richardson’s haberdashery opened in order to accommodate the needs of the incoming railroad workers. It was owned by Harvey Armstrong Richardson, who named the store after himself. The store specialized in men’s clothing, accessories and shoes to match. The store was located on the ground floor of the McRae building on the corner of Lincoln and Main Street as this was one of the most bustling places in town with hotels nearby to house the railroad workers.

This ad was run in the Roseville Register in 1908

In July 1931, H.A. Richardson’s saw a change in the shopping landscape as the population had nearly quadrupled since the store’s opening and the new residents were doing their shopping on the newer side of town, on Vernon Street.

The haberdashery made the smart decision to follow the crowds and moved the store to a new location in the Forlow Building at 209 Vernon St. This meant that the streets were full of shoppers anxious to purchase the latest trends and fashions as seen on the silver screen at the New Roseville Theater, just doors away from the new store. With neighbors like Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck, it’s not difficult to understand why the store would be so well placed! This location would be home to H.A. Richardson’s for the next 48 years. 

When Mr. Harvey Armstrong Richardson died in 1948 at the age of 68, there was a period of uncertainty on the store’s future. Mr. Richardson’s daughter, Helen Richardson decided that a manager was needed to keep things running smoothly at the store.

This ad from 1979 shows stark differences in the time period and store inventory

Paul Wagner was a man from Glen Ullin, North Dakota who had the experience needed. He happened to be stationed with the Signal Army Corp at Camp Kohler in nearby Sacramento County during World War II and had stayed on following its end. He had worked at a family business back in the Dakota’s and saw that the store was something he would enjoy and be capable of handling. He worked as manager of the store from 1948 until 1959, when he became a partner in the store. Helen Richardson respected the ideas that Paul Wagner brought into the business and ultimately sold him the store in 1973.  At this point, Paul had seen Vernon Street evolve and wanted to make changes reflective of the new landscape.

It was 1978 when the store moved to its third location in Roseville Square. Paul recognized that the new shopping square would be good for business and decided to make one minor, but important change to the store’s inventory. The addition of a Big and Tall department attracted many more customers and created such success that several other Big and Tall Stores were opened. According to Paul’s son John, the decision to add clothes for larger size men had been instrumental in the stores success and longevity.

Paul retired in 1996 after 48 years, leaving the store in the good hands of his three sons John, Jim & Tom (all graduates of Roseville High School). After retirement, Paul could be found back in the shop shooting the breeze, sipping coffee and sharing his wisdom with the other employees. Paul lived until the age of 96, when in 2018 he passed away leaving behind his bride Lorraine Wagner, of 70 years.

One hundred and twelve years of operation is a remarkable accomplishment. When asked what the secret to the stores success is, John Wagner replied “It’s our ability to understand our customers and what their needs are.”

 The humble observer would take note that there is so much more required for such a long haul. Perhaps it is as simple as the generations of strong work ethic and intuition regarding customer needs, or perhaps it’s the genuine characters involved that helped this business grow. The kindess and customer service are factors of success as are the dedicated employees such as Sly Vuletch, an employee of the store since 1956 who has just recently retired in April of 2020. In response to these wonderful attributes of the successful store, the Roseville community has made it a staple with customers who return with their children and make it a generational stop.

An article celebrating the store’s 90’th anniversary shows the Wagner family in 1999

Although Roseville is about to lose a landmark business, we must celebrate the history and success of a business that has endured many changes throughout time and remained steady in its ability to adapt to the new landscape. The Roseville Historical Society wishes to congratulate the Wagner family on their newfound freedom in which they hope to do “the normal things, spend time with family and travel.”

Best wishes to the Wagner Family and Much Gratitude to those involved with keeping the store running for over a century.