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Employees at the Boston Store on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, were assembled on the street floor for a dedication of a bronze tablet on Sept. 27, 1929.
				The bronze tablet honored George Fowler, Alexander Dick and Gilbert Walker on the golden anniversary of opening the Boston Store in 1879.
				Boston Store employee Anne Mackin was selected to unveil and present the memorial tablet before her colleagues when the store opened for business that day.
				Eight years later, Mackin herself would be honored for her 50th year of employment at the Boston Store. A dinner was held in Mackin&rsquo;s honor at Hotel Sterling that was attended by more than 300 guests, the Wilkes-Barre Record reported Nov. 30, 1937.
				Mackin, who lived in a large house on Scott Street, began working for Fowler, Dick and Walker at their secondary store, The People&rsquo;s Store, in 1887.
				&ldquo;Miss Mackin recalled that it was shortly before Thanksgiving that she, as a young girl, walked into the People&rsquo;s Store at East Market and Washington streets and asked the manager for a job. It was a branch store of Fowler, Dick & Walker company,&rdquo; the Record reported.
				When Fowler, Dick and Walker closed the People&rsquo;s Store, Mackin transferred to the Boston Store in 1890.
				&ldquo;I started right out selling and I&rsquo;ve been at it ever since, except that in recent years my duties as buyer and head of a department have prevented me from devoting as much time as I&rsquo;d like to that part of the job,&rdquo; Mackin was quoted in the Record.
				Before moving to Wilkes-Barre, Mackin grew up in Mountain Top.
				&ldquo;Miss Mackin has resided in an attractive, large home just at the bend on Scott Street above the railroad crossing since she first came to this city,&rdquo; the Record reported.
				At the Hotel Sterling dinner, Mackin reunited with her fourth-grade school teacher, Madge McDonough, who traveled each day from her home in Kingston to the school house in Mountain Top.
				In the Wilkes-Barre Record story, Mackin recalled merchandise would be delivered by horse carts when she began working for Fowler, Dick and Walker. She also offered her opinion about customers and how they changed.
				&ldquo;Years ago, people came in and bought things carefully after much consideration and usually after a long walk. Today, customers get to a store so conveniently and with so little effort that transactions means less than it did to their parents or grandparents. People are not so polite now as they were in the old days,&rdquo; Mackin was quoted in the Nov. 30, 1937 story.
				Mackin also noted changes within her 50 years at the Boston Store, going from two seasons of fall and spring to four seasons, catering to women&rsquo;s fashion and bedding during her career.
				Hours before Mackin was honored at the Hotel Sterling, she was inside the Boston Store showing customers new handkerchiefs and winter gloves.
				After 52 years of service at the Boston Store, Mackin was forced to retire due to an illness. She died inside her home on Sept. 20, 1939.
				&ldquo;Miss Mackin&rsquo;s passing brought expressions of heartfelt regret to thousands of shoppers of the local establishment and condolence not only from executives of the store, but countless others in the retail trade in this section of the state. She actually grew up with and lived her life around the business house which recognized her ability with fitting and appropriate honors,&rdquo; reported her obituary published in the Wilkes-Barre Record on Sept. 21, 1939.

Look Back: Wilkes-Barre woman celebrated 50th year at Boston Store in 1937