File:Kaplon ad in the Brunswick Diamond Jubilee program..jpg

Summary

Ad from the Brunswick Diamond Jubilee program.

Kaplon's department store operated at this location on the corner of W. Potomac Street and Maryland Avenue from 1908 until it closed in 1967. The Kaplons sold quality merchandise in Brunswick for 78 years beginning with Victor Kaplon's first store, which he opened in 1889 in Brunswick's Opera House building on the south side of the present westbound tracks when the town sandwiched the railroad.

Victor Kaplon emigrated from Russia in 1885 crossing the border under a load of hay. He immigrated to New York with 15 cents in his pocket. Once there, he peddled pencils on the street and saved to send for his wife and daughter.

He sold wares throughout the Tri-State area at first on foot, then by horse and wagon as did many early Jewish settlers in the region.

Mr. Kaplon came to Brunswick in 1889 where he opened his first store with his brother from Harpers Ferry, who also ran a general store there. Victor Kaplon later moved up the hill after the B&O expanded the railroad yards where the family sold high quality merchandise for 78 years.. Most of the family lived on S. Maryland Avenue below the store.

Victor Kaplon lived to be 95 years old.

(Kaplon family history from "Brunswick: 100 Years of Memories" by the Brunswick History Commission.)

Donna Russel:l how i remember walking around that store and i have the dress that my grandfather bought me when i was about 3 - 4 years old and it is n my cedar chest. memories

Pamela Compher: I always looked forward to shopping there. They carried a high quality of merchandise. Good memories of Saturdays downtown in the late 50s and early 60s.

Dennis Eyler: Notice the traffic light in the picture. There used to be 2 traffic signals in Brunswick. They had four way displays, but the signals had only 3 light bulbs. On one street the greens were on top and the reds on the bottom. On the other street the reds were on top. So when the top bulb was lit, you got a red and a green. When the light went to yellow, it was yellow in all four directions. My dad was colorblind, so it caused him some problems.