Cotton's
Cotton's was a family-owned department store which operated from 1922 to 2012 at 400 19th Street in downtown Ensley.
The store was opened by Mitchell Cotton and his wife, Ida on August 19, 1922 just a few days after their marriage. They handed the business over to their children, Bert and Merle in 1949. Granddaughter Rhonda Weinberg and her husband Harry took over in 1980, with the help of Merle's husband, Howard Schultz.
Cotton's earned a devoted clientele with a combination of quality fashions and good customer service. As Ensley declined in the wake of the closing of U.S. Steel's Ensley Works, customers continued to drive in from other areas to shop there. Ultimately the "Great Recession" of 2008 made it difficult to keep the store open. The April 2011 tornado outbreak affected many of the store's customers. The Weinbergs finally decided to close in late 2012.
Treś Washington acquired the Cotton's Building in 2015 for his Washington Law firm and Treś’ Fine Clothing business. He also rents space to other tenants.
References
- Williams, Roy L. (August 17, 2012) "Homegrown: Cotton's celebrating 90 years in Ensley." The Birmingham News
- Diel, Stan (October 12, 2012) "Ensley's iconic Cotton's department store to close." The Birmingham News