Women in a man's world

For a long time Ruth's beauty shop was the least known part of the mill. It still remains the strangest fit. Located on the edge of the property, at the corner of R and N 29th, this small brick building had a name and that was about it.

After some digging I was able to find out that once Floyd Parsley's Oil closed, the building lay vacant for a time and then was opened as G&S beauty salon. The first mention in the Richmond City Directory was in 1966 and the proprietors were Annette Shaw and Ruth Brooks. In 1966 Ruth was listed as living at 722 N 28th Street.

By 1970, the business changed to be called Ruth's Beauty Shop. That name stayed the same until around 1983, when the store name was changed to Ruth & Shirley's Beauty Salon. Ruth is always listed as the only proprietor and Shirley seemed to have fallen out of the picture by 1990. Ruth appeared to have retired by 1993 and no other business ever occupied that space.

Although little else is known about Ruth, she appears to be alive and well and still living on Church Hill.