Edgar Department Stores was was founded in Brockton,Massachusetts. It was origanally called "The Boston Store." After the second devastating fire in less than 20 years James Edgar, an immigrant from Edinburgh, Scotland, James Edgar bought out his partner and in a purpose-built, fire-proof building, re-opened the business as Edgar's in Brockton, Massachusetts.
In December 1890, James Edgar dressed up as Santa Claus to entertain the children of shoppers, thus becoming the first department store Santa. Trains brought families from Boston and Providence to Edgar's to see Santa. In the early 60s Edgar's was bought by Almy, Bigelow and Washburn, Inc. The Corperation ran Department Stores under various names in eastern Mass. By the mid 70s, all the stores were renamed "Almy's."
For a number of years the stores struggled to compete with chains such as Bradlees, Ames, Zayre's and Mammoth Martwhile maintaining the "Department Store cachet." This, along with the company's refusal to abandon city-centers for (by-then) popular malls forced the company t0 file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. They were subsequently bought by Bradlees, who closed most of the Almy stores. By the turn of the century Bradless was driven into bankruptcy and closed.
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