Connection to the Winter Colony

The success of Jewish merchants in Aiken was tied primarily to the overall growth of the town and the local economy – but the seasonal influx of Winter Colony residents was an important driver of this growth, especially from 1900-1950. More background on the origins of the Winter Colony is provided here.

Almost all Jewish Merchant families have stories to tell of their interactions with these customers:

• Both BM Surasky’s & Rudnick Dry Goods claim Minnie Pearl as a customer when she came to Aiken in the 1930s to perform at the Highland Park Hotel; each family claims to have sold her the flowered straw hat (with dangling price tag) that became her signature look for decades.

• Samuel Wolf’s family recalls Fred Astaire as a customer of his Liquor store and family members remember keeping an unpaid invoice as a memento of that patronage

However, the success of some Aiken Jewish businesses was particularly fueled by serving the needs of these Winter Colony residents. More can be learned about these businesses by clicking on the links below:

I Efron Garage & Taxi Service

Julia’s Dress Shop

Southampton Saddlery

Competing Narratives on the Origins of Minnie Pearl’s “Signature Look”