A Lesson in Resourcefulness: Notable Thomas Citizens

 Jim Cooper, Jr. was a fixture on East Avenue for almost 70 years. He lived at 114 East Avenue (No. 14) and owned a men’s clothing store at the Cooper Building (No. 9, right). His father Jim Cooper, Sr. got into the clothing business in nearby Davis when a local man who was being drafted talked Jim Sr. into “temporarily” buying his clothing store. Although they later discovered the man had actually been trying to sell the business for 6 months, the Coopers had a number of good years before the economy in Davis took a downturn around 1919.  A number of factors forced the Coopers to close the store in Davis, but Jim, Jr., who had assisted his father from an early age, believed there was a market for finer “weekend” clothing for the miners in nearby Thomas. He rented a shop in the Opera House building (No. 1) and began selling suits. He later moved the business to the Cooper Building, and eventually bought that property around 1948. Jim became known for his excellent fitting and measuring abilities, and sold fine brands and the latest fashionable styles. He was also known for his punctuality; neighbors could set their clocks by Jim’s morning, lunch break and evening walks between his home and shop. His shop remained open until his death in 1993, a reminder of the days when going out on the town called for a tailored suit, shined shoes and a fine hat. 

This elevation drawing of the Cooper (originally O’Connor) building (No. 9) shows a fine structure with ornate features such as corner pilasters, classical cornices and a parapet wall with scrolled nameplate and spire. The form of the building, though obscured and altered, can still be seen today. (Source: Thomas WV 1906  by T. Nutter, Courtesy Miners and Merchants Bank) 

Brothers Salvatore and Venanzio were born in Italy, the sons of sheep-herder Carmen DiBacco and his wife.  Salvatore’s autobiography, handwritten in 1960, recounts a difficult early life in Italy, but even in spite of times of hunger and poverty, the family took care of each other. Venanzio, finding his own options limited by illiteracy, insisted that his younger brother Salvatore be sent to school. Their sister Gaitana was married to Rocco Benedetto; in 1897 Rocco sent for Venanzio to come to Thomas, and Salvatore followed shortly after in 1898. The brothers worked long, hard hours at the coke ovens, all the while planning a more prosperous future. They went into business with Benedetto in 1901 but eventually fell into disagreement and parted ways with him, moving to a new location in 1915 (No. 3). Salvatore operated a grocery on the right side of the building and Venanzio ran a hardware store on the left side. Both families lived in the apartments above their stores. Salvatore’s autobiography is full of colorful accounts of financial difficulties, extortion schemes, lawsuits, bouts with illness and even death threats, yet it also describes the happy occasions of births and marriages, the growth of business and prosperity, the establishment of a “Society for Mutual Help” to assist neighbors in difficult times and the achievement of Salvatore’s fondest wish - to give all his children the opportunity for an education. 

The DiBacco brothers and their families had a long history of operating businesses in their East Avenue buildings (Tour Nos. 2 and 3).   (Source: 1915 Thomas High School Yearbook)