Historic Midland

A.B. McCain and his wife Alva opened the
Fashion Cleaners in February 1937. It was
located at 412 W. Texas.
When Midland’s bombardier school opened,
the commanding officer asked Mr. McCain to
install a cleaning plant on the base. The Post
Tailors & Cleaners were established and operated
until the base closed in 1943, with a staff of
165 doing alterations and cleaning, and Mrs.
McCain managing Fashion Cleaners.
Mr. and Mrs. McCain opened Fashion
Cleaners #2 at 510 S. Main, which was run by
his brother, C.E. McCain and his wife Margie
until 1978, at which time they retired. A.B.
McCain’s son James entered the family business
after graduating from Allen Military Academy in
Bryan. Later he attended Sul Ross College in
Alpine, Texas.
James and his wife Clarece bought the family
business in 1963. They moved the main plant to
the corner of A and Wall Streets in 1968.
After building a reputation for quality and
customer satisfaction for more than 40 years,
Fashion Cleaners was given a Silver Jubilee
Plant Design award by the American
Drycleaners Magazine as in 1985, as one of the
top ten in the nation.
James and Clarece built the business up to
six locations with 85 employees.
Today, Fashion Cleaners operates from the
central Wall and A Street location and a branch
in Imperial
Shopping
Center.
A third generation,
Phillip
McCain has
taken over
management,
thus allowing
James and
Clarece to enter
semi-retirement
and to travel to
National
Drycleaning
Association
functions, of
which Philip is
a board member.
Fashion
Cleaners recently installed its fourth computer
system since the early 1970s, to ensure faster
service to customers.
❖
FASHION
CLEANERS
Top, left: Texas Street location,
remodeled in 1945.
Middle: Interior of Fashion Cleaners;
A.B. McCain, the founder, is shown in
the center.
Bottom: Original store on Texas Street.
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