Dawahares was an American retail clothing store chain. It was founded by S.F. Dawahare in 1907 in Neon, Kentucky, and remained within the family for four generations.The chain operated nearly 30 stores in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. One of its stores was located in Mall St. Matthews. It was first located near the food court and could be entered from outside. The store later moved father back in the mall, using some of the former Lord & Taylor store. The old location's entrance from outside was blocked and replaced by a shoe store. Dawahares finally closed its store in Mall St. Matthews in early 2007 and was replaced by a Dillards a while later. It declared bankruptcy in 2012 and liquidated its 22 remaining stores. Dawahares was in business for 105 years from 1907 to 2012. Dawahares' logo can be found by going to Google images.

 

A historical perspective

Serur Frank Dawahare was born in a small village near Damascus, Syria, on August 18, 1888. He was the oldest of six children. He had one sister and four brothers.

 

Around the turn of the century Serur fled Syria to escape religious persecution. He came to America speaking no English and having very little money. He took a job in New York City in a sweat shop. There he met Selma Cury, whom he married.

 

Selma had a brother living in Norton, Virginia, by the name of D. Cury. He called them a few months after their marriage and told them that coal mines were opening up in Kentucky and Virginia; and maybe they could make a better living for themselves. So, Serur went to Norton to check things out, and left Selma with her oldest brother in Brooklyn, New York

Serur decided he would try and pack peddle merchandise. He sent after Selma and they moved to East Jenkins, Kentucky. Every day he would put a pack on his back and go from house to house in the coal camps to sell his wares. After a few months, he had acquired enough capital to open his first little store and began to sell merchandise to other pack peddlers. Selma worked in the store and helped Serur every where she could. It wasn't easy.

 

They began to raise a family and while living in East Jenkins, Kentucky, they had four children. Two boys and two girls.

 

In 1922 they decided to move to a small town nearby, Neon, Kentucky, and open a bigger store. They bought a building and lived over the store, so it was easier being at their place of business from 8:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night.
 

In those days, if a customer traded with you, he or she never went to another store to buy merchandise. Customers were your friends, as well as your customers. You would know each one by his first name. Your customer got a payday every two weeks, the first of each month and the middle of each month; and that's when you did your best business, on pay days. In the early days, you only hired one clerk to help in the store. That was on Saturdays, and they worked from 8:00 in the morning until 10 or 11:00 at night, for $1.00 a day.