ABOUT US
Our founder,
Philip A. Kaufer (fondly known as P.A.K.), was the editor of a
newspaper in Minnesota when he decided to move West in the
Fall of 1903. At the turn of the century it was very difficult
for Catholics to obtain religious materials to enhance their
faith. The nearest religious supply stores were east of the
Mississippi River. To answer this need, and at the urging of
local priests and nuns, the first Kaufer's store was opened in
Tacoma, Washington in 1904. The Northwest cities of Tacoma and
Seattle were booming because of the Alaska Gold Rush. Although
the area was still not heavily populated, P.A.K. built up a
fine clientele throughout the West, personally calling on
churches in several states. He published our first catalog in
1905, the same year he opened our second store in Seattle.
P.A.K. was also a musician and wrote the music to four
complete Masses in addition to several hymns. He retired from
the business in 1952 at the age of 84.
In those early
years, it was not uncommon for P.A.K. to sell religious
articles at the steps of a church from the back of his
horse-drawn wagon. It is just as common today to see Kaufer's
representatives at local churches after Sunday masses, or at
parish and diocesan special events.
With bookstores
and showrooms in Seattle, Spokane, and San
Francisco,
and a growing presence on the internet, "Kaufer's"
maintains its family roots with a fourth generation of owners
and managers. Though originally a supplier of Catholic books
and supplies, we have expanded to include a wide variety of
gifts, religious art, and music among our products, and
various Christian denominations among our customers. |
