Charles Anson Bond was the Mayor of Columbus and fashion celebrity, too 👔 Bond moved to Columbus in 1902, opening a clothing store on North High Street and quickly running for office. He was elected Mayor in 1907, but his wife, Blanche, died tragically during childbirth just two weeks after the results were announced. After one term, he relocated to Cleveland and co-founded Bond Clothing Stores. By the 1930s and 40s, it had become the largest men’s clothing chain in the U.S., with stores stretching from Columbus to L.A., Washington D.C., and New York City, where their Times Square sign wrapped an entire block with 2 million feet of neon. Pictured, this Columbus location near Gay and High streets advertises the “two trouser suit”, where buyers received two pairs of pants with each jacket, extending the lives of both. The company was sold to overseas investors in the 1970s, and by the late 1980s, Bond’s closed for good. #ohio #downtowncolumbus #history