SproulAggieD013croppedgrayscale2Agnes Sproul (1856 -1929)

11, 38, 58 South Main Street

Millinery was a lifelong passion of Miss Agnes Sproul. In 1884, she purchased the millinery business of Mrs. William Bly, then located in the Bown block, later occupied by the Clark Building.

S.MainPC West Side Main St 02ClarkBldgLRSproul learned the business from Mrs. Bly. Nine years later, she moved her business to the second story of the Henry block. Nine years after that, she moved to Schummer’s block on Main Street south of the canal. Nine years later, in 1911, she rented a store in the Storms block, as her previous site was taken by the state for the barge canal. 

The Clark building circa 1910 on the west side of Main Street.

In 1903, she purchased the millinery business of Miss Mabel Collins at Macedon to run this business as a branch of her Fairport store. Miss Lizzie Dillon, an assistant for four years in Fairport, headed the Macedon store, and Miss Emma Worthing of Fairport headed Miss Sproul’s branch at Despatch. 

In 1919, Sproul sold her business to two women, Miss Daisy Kohler and Mrs. Cora Wooden. They had learned the millinery trade from her for many years. Their new business was named Kohler and Wooden.

The Fairport Herald noted that the new owners are “well qualified and prepared to take hold of the business and carry it along to the same high degree of satisfaction to the store’s clientele as characterized its conduct under Miss Sproul’s management.”

After selling her business, she assisted other milliners, such as Hazel Bancroft, in Newark. Sproul was an experienced trimmer. She was recognized as one of the most capable milliners in this region of the state. 

Advertisements of Sproul’s “Charming Millinery” in local newspapers include a variety of hats and garments, including pattern hats, untrimmed hats, ready-to-wear hats, Paris style hats, bonnets, infant’s muslin bonnets, two-to-seven gore walking skirts and corsets. Seasonal clearance sales and Double Green trading stamps were customer bonuses. 

SproulAgnesAdvMonCtyMl11.7.1907.6In 1923, the Fairport National Bank was looking to expand and purchased Agnes Sproul’s house and lot at 58 Main Street to build a modern, up-to-date banking institution. Her house was subsequently purchased by Allen G. Filkins.

Sproul was very active in the Order of the Eastern Star*. She held many offices, including marshal, grand marshal, associate matron, worthy matron, trustee, chaplain and program chairperson. She hosted gatherings of past matrons, the Nellie Smith Taylor Club, at her home and was treasurer of this group.

"Fall Millinery" advertisement from the Monroe County Mail November 7, 1907 issue. Note the notation of "Green Trading Stamps with every purchase". **

On February 8, 1922, she participated in a debate sponsored by the OES, an exercise that addressed a question that had “puzzled mankind for centuries”: “Resolved, that there is more happiness in single blessedness than in double blessedness.” (In other words, single life is happier than married life). “The affirmative was upheld by Miss Elizabeth Hill, Miss Lulu Lippincott and Miss Agnes D. Sproul, who produced telling arguments drawn from life’s experiences.…The oratory nearly raised the roof.”  The result of the debate: “Single Blessedness [Is] Best.” 

Sproul enjoyed short motor trips to places like the Thousand Islands, and longer, more grand ones. One very grand one was a two-month group excursion that set sail from Montreal on June 27, 1925, visiting Scotland, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and France. 

Agnes Sproul died on December 5, 1929, at the home of Mrs. Minnie Taylor, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

For more on important historic personages that have lived or contributed to our community visit the People of Perinton page.

Dingbat

Sources
“Bank Occupies New Building.” The Herald Mail, August 13, 1924.
“Business Change.” The Fairport Herald, February 26, 1919.
“December 5, 1929 – 10 Years Ago.” Fairport Herald-Mail, December 7, 1939. 
“Delightful Event Honors O.H. Adams.” Fairport Herald Mail, December 10, 1925. 
“Eastern Star Installation.” Monroe County Mail, January 5, 1922.
“Eastern Star Order Installs Its Officers.” The Fairport Herald, January 5, 1921.
“Eastern Stars.” Fairport Herald-Mail, January 7, 1926.
“Eastern Stars Elect Officers.” Monroe County Mail, December 19, 1918. 
“Eastern Stars Twinkle.” Monroe County Mail, January 7, 1915. 
“Fairport Chapter, O.E.S. Receives Grand Officers.” Fairport Herald, March 19, 1925. 
“Hardy Party Tours Europe This Summer.” The Fairport Herald. April 23, 1925.
“Home News.” Monroe County Mail. April 2, 1903.
“Local News and Personal Items: The Week’s Events Given in Short Paragraphs.” The Herald-Mail, September 16, 1926.
Lockwood, Mrs. W.A., Editor, and Mrs. C.G. Dewitt, Assistant Editor, Fairportian, a Women’s Edition. Fairport, NY, December 4-6, 1895.
Monroe County Mail, January 4, 1923.
Monroe County Mail,  October 15, 1908.
“O.E.S. Installation.” The Fairport Herald. January 9, 1918.
“Single Blessedness Best.” The Fairport Herald, February 8, 1922. 
“Some Interesting Local Events Mentioned in the Mail, One Year Ago Today.” Monroe County Mail, April 14, 1904.

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SproulAgnesStylishHatsMonCtyMl10.15.1908

Advertisement from the Monroe County Mail, October 15, 1908

SproulAgnesWinterHatAdv

This advertisment appeared in the Fairportian, a Women’s Edition. Fairport, NY, December 4-6, 1895

SproulAgnesSpgMillineryFptHld3.26.1913

Advertisement form the Fairport Herald March 26, 1913 that also mentions" Green Trading Stamps" 

*Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, but was only adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873.

The Order of the Eastern Star's mission is to provide for the welfare of the wives, daughters, mothers, widows, sisters, and other relatives of Master Masons and is devoted to religious, charitable, and educational purposes. We strive for excellency through education, training, dedication, and commitment.

**Green Stamps
S&H Green Stamps were a line of trading stamps popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry & Hutchinson company (S&H). 

 

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