Cornell's traces its root back to the early 1800's, making it one of the oldest business entities in the county. The store first appeared as a general store in the village of Tuckahoe, New York, around 1800. Tuckahoe was a bustling village, known around the country for its marble quarries. After the British burned Washington DC during the War of 1812, Tuckahoe quarries provided much of the marble used to rebuild the Capitol Building and other government structures.
In the late 1800's, the general store became a hardware store, owned by William H. Rubly. Mr. Rubly invented and patented a fastener which became known as the "Tuckahoe Toggle Bolt" and later simply the toggle bolt.
Around 1908, the store was purchased by two brothers, Charlie and Bailey Cornell. They incorporated the store as Cornell Brothers Inc. in 1909, and built it into a thriving hardware mecca.
John Fix (1902-1997) began working at Cornell's in 1916, after school and weekends. Over time, he bought into the business, and managed the store along with the Cornell family. When the business began to falter during the Great Depression, the Cornell family asked Fix to buy the remainder of the stock from them. They felt that the staff needed to be trimmed in order for the business to survive, but felt that their Quaker heritage prevented them from firing any of the staff. Fix managed to secure a loan ($1000 cash, $9000 in notes), and he bought the remainder of the stock from the Cornell family. Fix managed to guide the business through the depression, and through the wartime shortages.
The business suffered a devastating blow on Sunday, March 10, 1946, when an early morning fire swept through the store. Destruction was almost total, with only the shell of the building remaining once the smoke had cleared. We've posted a video that shows the old Cornell's building prior to the fire as well as immediately after the fire.
Past ads for Cornell's | After the
fire.... Part II of the History of Cornell's