Felix Stastny was born in 1894 to Bohemian Jewish parents who had emigrated from near Prague. In 1898, his uncle, Albert Kohn, came to Seattle. He established the Puget Sound Notion Co., which became the Puget Sound Merchandise Co. It was the prime source of notions in this area. Stastny died in 1980.
Business records, correspondence, minutes, financial records. Tape-recorded interview covering the years 1894-1960 conducted by Meta Kaplan, July 2, 1975.
Mr. Stastny discusses his parents, how they were distantly related and came from the little villages near Prague (one was Radaneen) to Chicago which was the hub gathering place for Bohemian Jewish people. His mother arrived alone in 1888, and his father came a year later to escape military service in the Austro-Hungarian Army. His uncle, Albert Kohn, came to Seattle in 1898. He did not have the money to join the goldrush to the Klondike, so he established the Puget Sound Notion Co. which became the Puget Sound Merchandise Co. Mr. Stastny tells the complete story of the business from the peddling stage to the time there were 10,000 items in stock. Mr. Kohn sold the businss in 1962 to the Goldsmith company of Portland.
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Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Donated by Felix Stastny, 7/2/1975.