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Mango Block Building, 1895 |
History
of the Mango Building.
The Mango Block Building was built in 1894 by Vincent Mango
where Park Avenue ended at Furnace St. (State) and no bridge across
the Mosquito Creek existed. At that time, the streets were not paved.
The wooden building to the left of
the Mango Building, H.Hicks Shoe Making & Repairing,
was torn down in 1906 and the East Park Avenue Bridge was built
to span the Mosquito Creek waterway.
The Niles Cash grocery was one of
the first occupants of the first floor of the Mango Building. In
1906, Vincent Mango rented two upstairs rooms to the Italian
immigrant workers of Niles as a location to hold Catholic Mass.
Isaac Shaker and Joe
Abrahim, two Lebanese immigrants, bought the Mango Building
(The store always traced its founding to 1907) and remodeled it
for a general merchandise store featuring 'Ladies' and Gent's Furnishings'.
In 1923 the Abrahim & Shaker partnership
was dissolved, but from 1907 to 1966 Nilesites continued to purchase
clothing in the store from the Shaker Family. |

The building and its contents values
are listed in this 1914 statement.

View of 1913 Flood, the back of the Mango Building
is adjacent to the bridge. P01.1017 |
Paul Shaker-"I went there after
nearly every school day to wash windows, do homework and sweep
the floors. I remember Mary Williams and Alice Maloney,
who were the main employees during the last years, along with
Mrs. Marino...I also remember it after my father Simon
converted it into his office from about 1966-72. It was a crossroads
for the city. I watched from the balcony office among the spindles
of wrapping twine as the parade of customers and characters filed
through speaking their many languages."
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Interior photograph, 1935 ca, of the
Shaker store with Isaac in the center.
The store was first names Shaker and
Abraham, then Shaker Brothers, I. Shaker and finally Shaker's.
The two Shaker brothers, Isaac
and Akel, ran the store until Isaac bought Akel's share
of the partnership out. Akel then moved to Warren where he opened
a grocery store. |

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Niles Daily Times, 9-17-1930, article
of the new Abrahams' Store opening. |

1906 postcard of Furnace Street, now State Street,
with the old Central School in the distant background. The location
of the Mango Building is marked.
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Aerial map showing Park Avenue, the Mango Building,
and Niles Firebrick Company. P02.474
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Image(L) shows the Mango Building
in the center, the Commercial Hotel across Park Avenue, and the
Landmark restaurant on the right. The Landmark was part of the
Unger Block.
The image(below) is an aerial view
of Park Avenue which shows the corner of Park Avenue and State
Street with the Mango Building in the center.
PO1.869
Image(R)
shows the guarantee for all goods that appeared on the back of
the sales slip book.

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View shows the beginning stage of
the demolition of the buildings on State Street as urban renewal
began in 1975-6. The Mango building, front left, has already been
demolished. |

Starting front left: Isaac Shaker's
brother Joseph holding toddler Mitchell Shaker,
Isaac Shaker with young son Simon Shaker in front, Isaac
Shaker's brother Samuel with unknown toddler in front.
Back row left Fred Joseph and Isaac's brother and partner
in the store Akel Shaker.
Shaker Aouad, Isaac's father, never visited
America and is not in the photo above.
There are a few dozen remaining family
members in Batroun and they still occupy the houses and hillside
where Isaac was born. |

Isaac Shaker's daughterJosephine
Shaker (Stets), my grandmother Sophia Shaker, Grandfather
Isaac Shaker and back row left to right, Joseph, Simon
and Mitchell Shaker.
Sophia Joseph Hickel was Isaac's wife.
Her hometown in Lebanon was Bijji; Batroun is the correct province.
Josephine was their daughter.
Sophie's grandmother, a very early
immigrant peddler, Kafa Hickel, 1833-1923, is buried at
St. Stephens cemetery. Sophie's family otherwise were victims of
the great starvation in Mount Lebanon during WW I. |
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Wedding certificate of Isaac and Sophia
Shaker, married on June 25, 1914. |

Sophia Joseph Hickel was
born in Bijji, Batroun, Lebanon, on Jan 6, 1897 and died on Oct
13, 1978. Isaac Shaker was born in Toula Batroun, Lebanon on Feb
10, 1887 and died on Oct 3, 1960. Records show that Grandpa listed
1901 as the year domicile was established in the USA. |

Three sons
of my grandfather Isaac Shaker: Joseph, Mitchell and Simon
(youngest to oldest). |
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Back view of the Mango Block.
PO1.117 |
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Samples of receipts from Shaker's Store |
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Looking south on State Street in
the early 1970s after the Shaker Store had closed its doors. |

View of Shaker Store, ca 1970. |

Entrance intials of Shaker & Abrahim |
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