Central Hardware is a home improvement store in St. Louis, Missouri, established by the Cohen family, who immigrated from Suwalki, Russia (now Poland) in the early 20th century. The store is known for its long history and the role of its founders, especially Julius Cohen, in serving the local community.
Julius Cohen was born in 1897 to Morris and Yetta Finkelstein Cohen in Suwalki, a town affected by changes in national borders. The Jewish community there faced antisemitism and restrictive laws, including the May Laws of 1882, which limited economic opportunities. These conditions led Morris Cohen to move his family to the United States.
In 1903, Morris and his sons Isador and Rubin left Suwalki, traveling to Bremen, Germany, and then to Leeds, England, before sailing from Liverpool to New York on the RMS Carpathia. They arrived on August 28, 1903, and passed through Ellis Island, where they underwent a brief medical inspection common for immigrants at the time…