Third Ward pawn shop, its owner celebrate big milestones

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A longtime business owner in Third Ward is celebrating a couple of impressive milestones.

Bernard Wolf's business Wolf's Pawn turned 60 years old Friday, and the business owner himself is celebrating his 90th birthday.

In that time, both business and owner have witnessed a lot of changes on Dowling Street.

"There were three movie stores, grocery stores. There was everything across the street - another shoe store, barber shop," Wolf said.

Wolf's Pawn is in the center of it, and Wolf embraced the neighborhood and those who lived here. He's sponsored sports teams, beauty pageants and even hosted community meetings in the 60's.

"Students who were sitting in and involved in civil rights and black businesses, he was concerned about keeping the students from going to jail," community leader Rev. Bill Lawson said.

History was shaped in a place that's part clothing store, part pawn shop, where the Four Tops and Temptations would visit when they were in town. And that's not all.

"Lightning Hopkins was a regular at the store and he used to pawn his guitar until he needed some cash. He knew us very well," longtime employee Raymond Bougeois said.

After 60 years, Wolf's remains a fixture in Third Ward, and it's still going strong.