05/19/2026
Klopfenstein's and the Shoe Salon: Richland, 1950.
Klopfenstein's and the Shoe Salon operated as an upscale men's and women's clothing store on George Washington Way in Richland. The company originated 40 years earlier in the Seattle/Tacoma area. The Richland location was managed by I.W. Chilberg, who moved from Spokane in 1945 to open the branch. Original employees included Richland natives Esther Harvey, Bessie Trebbe, and Jim Bankton.
The storefront was one of the oldest buildings in Richland, originally built as a two-story general store operated by John Dam and Vic Nelson.
The building lost its second story during World War II. When the U.S. Government acquired the city of Richland, along with Hanford and White Bluffs, for the Manhattan Project, federal officials removed the second floor of several downtown buildings. This modification was ordered for security reasons to eliminate elevated vantage points.
In August 1948, the store began a $35,000 expansion project. The renovation added a 30-foot-wide extension that connected the structure to the neighboring Western Union building.
Following its completion in November 1948, the building featured an enlarged women's department. They also boasted a footwear inventory of over 3,000 pairs of men's and boys' shoes.
The store operated at the George Washington Way location until June 1953, when the business relocated to the Uptown Shopping Center. In October 1955, the store changed ownership or identity and became LeRoys, Inc.
