Lynch's Men's Wear

In 1906 Samuel L. Lynch (Abt 1870-1939) opened the Lynch’s Clothing Company at 957 Mercer Street across from the old post office. He lived in an apartment above the store.

On November 14, 2015, in the Princeton Times, Jeff Harvey wrote an article based on information he received from Princeton attorney and author William Sanders II.  Jeff wrote, “…Mr. Lynch obtained the building in a real estate swap, trading a 2,000 acre farm at Gap Mills in Monroe County for the store, which Lynch later turned into the familiar Men’s Clothing Store. Years later, he sold it to Dewey Bailey, brother of banker Essie Bailey. It was later sold to Bill McClaugherty.”  It is probable he swapped his farm to John Dunn who, along with his son Elmer Dunn, ran a grocery store in the building on Mercer Street. Jeff’s article said the Dunns had bins of produce in front of their grocery store along with tanks of live catfish that had been caught in the New River for sale. John Dunn was living on a farm in Gap Mills in 1930.

About 1932 Samuel Lynch sold Lynch’s Clothing Company to two of his employees, Dewey James Bailey (1898-1985) and William Nelson ‘Bill’ McClaugherty (1905-1998).  In 1930 both Dewey Bailey and Bill McClaugherty were working for Lynch’s Clothing Company. Dewey Bailey and his family lived in an apartment above the store. After Dewey Bailey’s death in 1985, his share of the business was sold to Bill McClaugherty.

Lynch’s sold a better line of men’s clothing, including shirts, pants, shoes, and tailor made suits. Their motto was “Things to wear for men who care.” Their advertisement for a semi-annual tailoring display read, “…custom tailored clothes are better because they’re tailored for you to your individual measurements.…” Along the left wall of the store were bins that held shirts of all sizes.

Dewey Bailey retired from the store in 1978. Bill McClaugherty retired about 1995 after devoting 63 years to “dressing men for success.” The store was sold in 1997 to CPR Properties, Paris, Kentucky.

In 2023 the Bucha Brewhouse and Bistro occupied the building.