Knollenberg's was a long-standing retail institution in Richmond. However, many young people and those new to town are not familiar with this store. Share some of your favorite memories of shopping at Knollenberg's .

I remember those long vacuum-powered tubes that ran all over the store that transported cash & checks from the cashiers to some mysterious "headquarters" to make change or OK checks. The cashiers put the money in cylindrical carries a few inches in diameter and stuck them in the tubes where they were sucked away. Minutes later, they'd return.

I don't think I ever went to Knollenbergs after I was old enough to not go shopping with my mother, so for all I know they're still in use. Seriously doubt it, though...

i remember the old elevator with the manual operation with a man or women operating it.

As you entered through the front of the store, on the right hand side were the various shades of nylon stockings in boxes on the counter. Some nylon stockings were hanging out of a box that was in a shelf built into the wall. The wall on the left side of the room had purses hanging on the wall. Some were on the counter and some in a showcase. Down the center of that room, was the jewelry and make up counter.

My first real job as a junior at Richmond High was working for Kollenberg's in 1949. I was hired as a stock clerk, but soon became a salesman in the women's shoe division. I think I earned about 45 or 50 cents an hour plus commission. Kollenberg's had top of the line expensive - for Richmond - women's shoes. I lost the job when I became so successful selling shoes that I began to cut into the commission of the two older salesmen who had families to support. I am now fighting pancreatic cancer which causes me to think back about the past. We used to tell women their feet were smaller than they really were to flatter them and sell shoes.