Earle Perry Charlton realized , if he continued his operation in New England , he would be in direct competition with Sum and Frank Woolworth , Seymour Knox , and Fred Kirby . He decided to look to Canada . To get capital , he sold nine of his twelve stores to Frank . Charlton 's first Canadian stores were in Montreal on Catherine West & Lawrence Street , and St Joseph 's Street , and in Ottawa on Sparks Street . He followed those with eight stores in Canada , west of the Rocky Mountains , followed by a return to the US with several store California , including one in South Broadway , Los Angeles , California . He opened stores in Tacoma , Washington , and Sherbrooke , Quebec , and then a very large store in Market Street , San Francisco , California , mere weeks before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Charles Sumner Woolworth