By Bob Piros
The Ammar brothers started their business in the early 1900s as peddlers. They would carry their entire inventory on their backs, walking every step of the way as they traveled a route that would take them from Alabama to Michigan and back again. The brothers would split up to cover their route with plans to meet at a predetermined place and date where they would rest, replenish their packs and help each other with personal needs such as clothing repair and haircuts. Then they would depart and start the next leg of their journeys. This cycle would continue, unbroken for nine years.
A new opportunity came in 1920 when K. A. Ammar was traveling through Williamson, WV. A storefront property was up for auction. He placed a bid and won the auction. As a result, Ammar Brothers Department Stores were born. Over the years, hard work and determination made possible additional stores and the company grew.
In 1967, as business trends began to change and retailers began looking for opportunities outside of the traditional downtown areas, the Ammars opened the first Magic Mart in Grundy, VA. They closed all of their older stores in 1974.
The Logan store at 117 Stratton Street was opened in 1921.
Don Levinson is on the far right. No idea who the lady is next to him.
Hello David, can you give some of your family history. Was your father Dan born in 1914 in Canada? When did he arrive in WV? Do you have a photo of him that you can post on this Logan site? You are saying he is in the photo standing next to Mrs. Pat Muphy? The photo says Rev. John Hubbard. How was Dan connected to the Ammar Family?
DON Levinson was an insurance agent, a well-liked and much respected friend and business associate of my dad, S.A. Ammar, Sr., pictured above. Mr. Levinson is the last person on the right of the photo. Also, the third person from the right is Bernie Miller. You have the third person from the left incorrectly identified.
Beverly, thanks for your comment. As stated above John King from Magic Mart made the photo Ids., he donated the photo to this website.
Where Williamson High School , Williamson, W Va stands on Harvey Street is an old garage with AMMAR in stone I believe the Ammar’s sold it to Henry and Catherine Nickels who sold it to the school
Dwain, thanks for your input. This was probably a storage garage. If you have a photo of it you might consider posting it on the Logan Facebook site. Also you can contact the Ammar family on
Facebook as they might have more info for you about the garage. A online search shows the first ciry bus lines in Williamson was started in 1935 by Henry Nickels.
I’ve recently been working on my family tree. I discovered my father James H. C. Noplis worked in the store around 1958 time frame. I was born there in Bluefield. If anyone reading this has a picture of my father at work there, I’d love to see it.
Jimmie, put your request on FB to the Ammar family.
Jimmie, James photo on the F.G.site as is Joseph, posted by Bobby Noplis.
I came to know Buddy Ammar through a Schools to Work Film Project in the late 1990s. He was a very nice man. His Son Michael is a very accomplished stage magician. Tragically Buddy passed away from a house fire in 1999. It was a true loss. I believe it was his father or father in law that passed away with him. The Ammar family married in to the Akers family and the Queen family. If that is any help history wise. I had come to really admire Buddy and we went to the Presbyterian Church with the Queens and the Akers..
T.Tweed, I thank you for your Buddy Ammar input. Factual info is always welcome. Buddy’s father S.A. died in 1985. His Mother Stella who was S.A. first wife died in 1947 as she was alseep in the house, her body was badly burnt. The accident report was given by her husband S.A. Ammar. S.A. then married Rasheedy Malouf in 1949. If you know any of the Ammar family please let them know about this story as I hope they can add more to their family history.
I remember your mother Helen quite well. Fayaz was my first cousin, as our fathers were brothers. (My dad was Sam Ammar of Logan.)
Beverly, I’m glad that you knew my Aunt Helen. I wish you would post your e-mail address so you could send me more info about her as I don’t recall much about her and Uncle Fayaz. There is a photo on the Cherry Tree Website that shows the Piros and Ammar children taken in 1945. Aunt Helen and Uncle Fayaz owned a house in Pigeon Creek where her father Balazs Piros lived for many years after he retired from working in the Logan County coal mines. Funny thing happened when I found their marriage record for 1934 as Aunt Helen had changed her name from Piros to Pierce. This happened due to their Holden WV. Grade School teacher, Mrs. Duty who didn’t know how to say Piros so she put it as Pierce. My Dad Joe used the name also when he was in business. Everyone knew us as Pierce but we spelled it as Piros. Beverly do you have any photos of Aunt Helen and Uncle Fayaz that you can post to this website? The Cherry Tree website has a few photos of my Grandfather Balazs taken in 1949.
T.Tweed, you were right. familysearch.org shows Buddy’s father-in-law was Willard Elwood Altizer 1902-1999. The 1940 census shows that he was a coal miner. My family went to the Presbyterian Church in Logan. Pastor Morgan was there
during our years from 1950 to 1962.
Thank you for your kind comments about my brother Buddy and nephew Michael. It was his father-in-law, the much-loved Willard Altizer, who perished in the fire with him. It was our sister Radine who married Earl Queen. Their daughter Linda married Willie Akers.
The 1947 phone book on this website shows the Sayer Brothers Department Store located at 208 Dingess St. and the 1969 phone book shows the store located at 127 Stratton St. Does anyone recall shopping at the stores? Anyone have any photos of the stores? Research shows that the Sayer Brothers owned a chain of stores in Southern WV . and VA. Does anyone know the Sayer Brothers Family History? My research shows Abraham Ammar married Kalia Sayer in Syria maybe in the 1870s. Are there any Sayer family members who might know the history?
All of your information is correct. My father, S.A. Ammar, Sr., and David Sayer were first cousins. (My grandmother and Mr. Sayer’s father were siblings.). Mr. Sayer was married to Zakia (maiden name Deeb, I think), and they had six children. Only two daughters are remaining.
My grandmother’s maiden name was Sayer. Her family emigrated first to Canada from Majdal Shams, a Syrian Druze village on Mount Hermon in what is now the Israeli occupied Golem Heights in the late 1800s I believe or early 1900s and then from Canada to the USA. My father told me her brothers were peddlers and then opened a store in Va I think . Her family wouldn’t speak to her for many years as she had run away from an arranged marriage. However eventually they came back together . She lived with her Greek husband , my grandfather on Grand Avenue in Detroit until her death . I sure loved her cooking My Greek grandfather had a Greek American restaurant and that’s how they met.
Susan, interesting story. Could you please provide your Grandmother’s full name, when born and died and where? Her brother”s names, her Greek husband”s name, your father’s name and when and where they were born and died? That info will help greatly with your story.
Hello Bob,
My grandmother‘s name was Marion Sayer. Her married name was Marion Sayer Minas or just Marion Minas. She was born in Majdal Shams in 1888 in Syria, although at the time it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Today it is part of the Israeli occupied territories, in the Gaza strip. Due to much unrest and wars in the area at the time of the late 1800s early 1900s her family left and immigrated to the prairie provinces in Canada. A small group of Syrians immigrated there in the early 1900s. As I said she ran away from her family to California worked as a cook and a login camp, and then made her wait to Detroit where she met my grandfather who at the time ran a restaurant Later owning the restaurant. His name was originally Demetrios Haji Stavros Minas however, in the USA it became James Minas. He was born in 1888 in Kolindros, which is near Thessaloniki in Northern Greece
They had two children, the oldest was Catherine Ramah born in Detroit , and my father born in 1926 also in Detroit. My father‘s name was James Sayer Minas although as an adult, he just went by Dr. J. S. Minas.
Eventually, my grandmother’s family forgave her and she began to see them. I remember one of the relatives name was Dorothy. Also, my grandmother was raising the daughter or of a friend or relative by the name of Madeline Aboud.
My grandfather died in Canada in Waterloo, Ontario in 1973. My father died in San Diego in 2013. My grandmother died in Detroit I think it was around 1964 but I’m not sure.
HI Susan, thanks for your family info, it really adds to the story.
Nice online write up and photo about your father.
The info for this story was found at familysearch.org,findagrave.com and by reading many online sites. Abraham Ammar and his wife Kalia Sayer Ammar ( no records found of their births or deaths ) lived in the town of Majdal Shams Damascus Syria. Its was established in 1595 by Druze warlord Fakhr-al-Din 11. The town is located on the southern slopes of Mount Hermon. This town was a regional center due to its high elevation and proximity to a major water source at Birkat Ram. The town was famous for the manufacture of the steel blade Jambja Dagger. The Mediterranean Climate was good for the many apple and cherry tree orchards. In 1875 Cholera killed over 9,000 people in the area, no records mass grave burials. The Ammar name means alive,pious, and immortal. It is also spelled as Amar.Some birth and death records don’t match . Abraham and Kalia’s children were Saleen Abraham ” S.A. ” 1889-1985, Kaleel Abraham ” K.A. ” 1893- 1967, and Nageeb Abraham ” N.A. ” 1900- 1973. S.A. and K.A. arrived in New York in 1911 on the Vessel Majestic. N. A. arrived in 1920 on the Vessel Negars. During their years in Syria the brothers might have been Pack Peddlers to supplement their income as many people did.Other jobs might have been working to the Ottoman Railway Company, government jobs, service jobs, metal and wood carving and silk weaving. When S.A. and K.A. arrived in New York they went to the Syrian Community in Birmingham, Alabama which was established in the early 1900s. In 1900 40% of the immigrant Syrian population put their professions as peddlers. S.A. and K.A. carried wooden boxes strapped to their shoulders on their backs. The box had trays inside filled with their inventory of pins,needles,knives,soap,buttons,spices,tea,salves,printed books,Bibles,brushes, ribbons,shaving brushes and combs. The Smithsonian Institution online shows a photo of a Pack Peddler and his box taken about 1890 in Birmingham. It might have weighed 30 to 40 lbs. when full, size is a guess, 16x12x10. The Pack Peddler sold his items to farmers and townspeople as he walked through the towns in Alabama and WV. Sometimes he would sell his items on the installment plan of trust if people couln’t pay at the time of purchase.The Peddler also gave his items away to customers for his food and lodgeings. He was considered the newsman of the time as he walked from place to place. K.A. and his wife Fadwa Haden Ammar lived at 58 Woodlawn Ave. in Birmingham in 1920. She was born in 1890 in Syria. They were married about 1910 in Syria. Their son Fayez was born in 1911. Fadwa was left in Syria to take care of her son due to her having Tuberculosis in one lung. She arrived in the U.S. in 1920. She died in 1922 from Tuberculosis in both lungs after spending four months in a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. She is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham. N.A. and his wife Salena Attallah worked at the Williamson store located on Third Ave. in the downtown area.They were killed in a car accident in December 1972 in Glenmille Georgia. When the Ammar Brothers was formed each brother had a 33% share of the business. K.A. was the President, S.A. was the Vice President and N.A. was the Seceretary- Treasurer. My connection to the Ammar family is my Aunt Helen Piros- 1915-1976 married Fayza Ammar Sr. 1911- 1996 in Wayne County WV. She was my Dad Joe Piros Sr. sister. Helen and Fayza childern were Fadwa Hartzog 1936- 1997, Helen Carson- 1938- 1994, Melissa Robinette- 1953- 2004 and Fayaz Jr. 1942 to the present.
I stated earlier that I remember your mother Helen. My mistake. I see now that she was your aunt. Please note the following: My grandparents, Abraham and Kalia (Sayer) Ammar had 7 children. One son died in childhood and the other three came to the U.S.A. One daughter immigrated here in 1949 or early 50s, but the other two stayed in Syria. My uncle K.A. was the oldest son and then my dad. zUncle N.A.’s wife was SALWA Attallah. I’m not sure she ever worked at the Williamson store, though Uncle KA’s first wife may have. His second wife Lydia Radwan.
Hello Beverly, I thank you for your Ammar family update. When were Abraham and Kalia Sayer born and married and died in Syria? Months and years if you know? Did they have a Ammar store business in Syria? Did they ever visit their family in the U.S.? Do you have any early photos of the Ammar brothers when they were Pack Peddlers? Any photos of them when they lived in Logan that you could post to this Logan,WV. site?
Beverly, I just found a record for Kevin Nageeb Ammar born December 15, 1972 in Savannah Georgia. He was the son of Nageeb and Salwa Ammar. Sad that Salwa died on Decemeber 17 and N.A. died February 1973. Kevin married Karen April 14, 2001 in Palm Beach Florida. Hopefully you can add more to his story.
The following info was found at the familysearch.org site. Nageeb Ammar stated on his Declaration of Intention paper to become a U.S. citizen that he signed that he was born on September 25th, 1893 in Majdel Shams Syria. When he died it was stated that he was born in 1900. In April 1936 he was married to Salwa in Syria he stated he was born in 1894. Hopefully someone in the Ammar family have the right records.
I am the oldest daughter to Joseph and Fadwa Ammar Hartzog, oldest granddaughter to Fayaz and Helen Piros Ammar. I do have a photograph I will be happy to share next week upon my return from vacation.
Hello Julie,I thank you for your reply. On this website, if you go to the Cherry Tree website you will see a photo of your Mother Fadwa and other family members taken in 1945. There are also many photos of the Piros and Szakal family members. I look forward in hearing from you again.
Hello Julie, just wondering when you might be posting the photo? Maybe someone might contact you on FB.
The following info was found at familysearch.org,findagrave.com and many other online sites. Michael Anthony Ammar was born on June 25, 1956 in Logan,WV. His parents were Abraham ” Buddy ” Ammar ( 1927- 1999 ) and Betty Lou Ammar ( Altizer ) ( 1930 – 2016 ). Michael’s sisters are Katrina who married Greg Newberry and Melinda who married Charles Piccirillo. His brother was Chris ( 1954 – 2013 ). He was married to Linda Wells. There is a photo of Chris at the Monte Vista Cemetery in Bluefield,WV on the Find A Grave site. ( If anyone can add more about the families please do ). The Ammar family lived at 414 Guyan St. in Logan. Michael got started in doing magic when he read a comic book and he saw ad which read ” 500 tricks for 25 cents. Before long he had a full magic show and the local community booked him for local shows in Logan. Michael went to Logan Central Grade School. The Ammar family moved to Bluefield,WV., where Michael graduated in 1974 from Bluefield High School. He went to WVU and got his business degree in 1978. During this time, he worked at his parents restaurant in Bluefield called Bonanza Steak House. While Michael was at WVU he performed magic shows at the ” Blue Tick Tavern ” a local hang out. Michael decided to go into the Magic business.Michael married Hannah Joy Tucker in 1990 in Austin, Texas. She was born November 3,1966 in Travis,TX. She is also a Magician from the ” Willard the Wizand ” Clan. You can read the rest of Michael’s history by clicking on this link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ammar.
Pretty accurate throughout, but Katrina’s husband was Bob Newberry.
Given the greatness of Michael Ammar who was born and raised in Logan,WV., why hasn’t the Logan Mayor or someone put up a sign about him or a Ammar street sign? Do the children of Logan know about him?
Is the dime store used to be?
You are probably thinking of the G.C. Murphy Store. Here is an article about it: https://loganwv.us/the-dime-store-lunch-counter/
To this day, nearly 60 years after leaving Logan as a child, I still think of the Ammar family and their store. At Logan Central Grade School, I was a classmate of Melinda Ammar’s. On some days after school, before I ventured downtown to peddle the Logan Banner, I’d spend time at the Ammar house. Their hospitality along with Mrs Ammar’s home made cookies that she made for us kids was something special. If I’m not mistaken, I believe Melinda’s older sister’s name was Katrina. Then, there was Michael and Chris. Often times it was either Michael or Chris who would accompany me when selling newspapers. We would make a point to stop at both the City Bakery and the Magic Shop. We always ended our adventure at the Ammar Brothers Store where we greeted Mr Ammar. I would usually just hang out at the store before heading home to City View. So many wonderful memories of both the family and their store.
Doug, I thank you for your comments about the Ammar family.
My father James F Ammar,who worked many years with the Ammar Bros stotes all over WV painting signs to put on their windows and in the stores.. he died 1995, was the son of Stella Ammar and S A Ammar was his Step father. Buddy Ammar and Radine Ammar Queen were his brother and sister. My Mother, Nazha Ammar, died 2012, was born in Majdal Shams,Syria in 1921. There were two daughter’s born to this union.. Nancy Ammar Brown who presently resides on Beckley,, WV. And Lana Ammar Hay who died in 2017. Nazha’s parents were Alex and Sadie Shade Ammar. They also had one son, Shafeek,who had a store in Mt Hope, WV, who died in Wichita,KS, born in Syria and another daughter Jacqueline Ammar Hill born in Logan WV. Then resided in Oak Hill with her husband and three daughters.My grandfather ran the Ammar Bros store in Oak Hill, WV. My mother worked in the store with him and later worked in the Sayer Bros store next door. I Was born in Logan but grew up in Oak Hill and Williamson and remember this great family very well.
Hello Nancy, I thank you for your Ammar family update. Would you consider posting your early years photos of Stella and S.A. Ammar and other family members when they lived in Logan,WV?