Mr. Ross had always been an active participant in all that pertains to the welfare of Welland. He was a member of the town council, he was mayor in 1888, ’89 and ’90, a member of the County Council for one year, a member of the public School Board for eight years, and treasurer of the Fire Department for over quarter of a century.

David Ross came to Welland in 1878 to manage the Bull & Co. store. He worked his way up to owning the store and then owning the building, hence his name in stone on the façade. This store started as a dry goods store and developed into one of Welland’s first department stores, known for its array of fine clothes and furnishings.

One thing a lot of people remember is hearing the ting of change in the pneumatic tube system used by cashiers to send money up to Mr. Ross’s office.