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The Neisners - Renelem, Inc.

Abraham and Joseph Neisner opened their first department stores in Rochester, NY in 1911.  They went on to open more stores in Massachusetts and Philadelphia. Neisner's was a discount department store like Woolworth's operating in the "5₵ to a $1.00" model. By 1968 Neisner's reported sales of 100 Million.

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This December 1926 photo shows the day Neisner's opene its remoeled store in East Main Street in Rochester - Democrat and Chronicle

Neisner's got into real estate in the 1920's. They expanded into England. The company took a hit in the 1920's, but came back.  Abraham Neisner, the elder brother, died early at age 49, leaving Joseph to run things. 

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A Neisner's store in Port Charlotte, Florida - 1950's

Abraham's son named Melvin (born 1914) started working at the company in 1934 and became a Vice President in 1938.  As his older Uncle faded out, Melvin ran the company as President and CEO from the 1950's until the 1970's.  He started a company called Renelem, Inc. and was chairman.

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In the 1960's and 1970's Neisner's became "Big N" and continued to expand. The "five and dime" world began to run into financial trouble and Neisner's applied for bankruptcy in 1977. Neisner's were bought by the "Ames" department store chain which itself went bankrupt in 1992 and eventually went out of business.

Melvin Neisner Sr. had a few kids. Sons Melvin Jr. (1956-2018) and Andrew (1949-1994) and daughters are Meleny and Betsy. Melvin Jr. was an attorney and a developer using the Renlem Inc. name to run the real estate business out an office in Rochester and Pittsford where the family grew up.  Both he and his older brother were lawyers, retired to Vermont and both died young. 

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Youngest daughter Betsy Neisner seems to have inherited the land after the death of her brother. This makes her #22 in the "Top 50" of biggest big land owners in the town of Rush. She owns 117 acres.  Ms. Neisner was also a lawyer, but in 2005 she got cancer, gave up her law practice  and became an advocate for caner patients.

Some of the land owned by Neisner's was developed in the late 1980's and early 1990's.  8 houses of the original plan for a huge develoment called Cobblestone Farm were built on Lyon's Road and Pinnacle Road. 

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