Union Market Bank, Gorin's Department Store, Toyland, F.W. Woolworth and Fox Drug Store, from Watertown Square Delta. Union Market Bank was founded in 1873 founded by Charles J. Barry (who would later resign and found the Watertown Savings Bank), Royal Gilkey (owner of the Royal Gilkey Wood and Coal Company), George K. Snow, George N. March, Thomas L. French and James S. Allison. The Bank supported the small business man and local building projects. Rarely was stock sold and it was a community bank. The F.W. Woolworth Co. had the first five-and-dime stores, which sold discounted general merchandise at fixed prices, usually five or ten cents, undercutting the prices of other local merchants. Woolworth, as the stores popularly became known, was one of the first American retailers to put merchandise out for the shopping public to handle and select without the assistance of a sales clerk. Earlier retailers had kept all merchandise behind a counter and customers presented the clerk with a list of items they wished to buy. The stores eventually incorporated lunch counters a precursor to the modern shopping mall food court. Boston owned Gorin Department Store sold clothing (children to adult), uniforms and linens. It was more upscale than Woolworth?s and limited in merchandise. Fox Drug store was locally owned by the Fox family and carried the usual personal items found in today?s drug stores.
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