Name: Historic Sears, Roebuck and Co. Catalog Plant
Brand: John Oharenko
SKU: 9780738539775
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Historic Sears, Roebuck and Co. Catalog Plant

9780738539775

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Located on the site of the original Sears Tower, the historic Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog plant is one of the nation's most unique landmarks. Representing American ingenuity at its best, Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald combined technology, commerce, and social science with bricks and mortar to build "the World's Largest Store" on Chicago's West Side. Completed in 1906, the plant housed nearly every conceivable product of the time: clothing, jewelry, furniture, appliances, tools, and more. The complex employed 20,000 people, and merchandise orders were processed and delivered by rail--within the same day. During the first two decades of the 20th century, almost half of America's families shopped the over 300 million catalogs published in that era. WLS (World's Largest Store) Radio broadcasted the Gene Autrey show from the top of the tower, and the first Sears retail store opened here on Homan Avenue and Arthington Street. In 1974, Sears moved to the current Sears Tower. Thanks to many individuals who fought to save these architecturally and historically important treasures, the administration building, the original Sears Tower, the catalog press-laboratory building, and the powerhouse remain today. There are currently plans for redeveloping these buildings into housing, office, and retail space. A new Homan Square Community Center stands on the site of the merchandise building.

Historic Sears, Roebuck and Co. Catalog Plant

Maison Blanche Department Stores

9780738588179

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On October 30, 1897, S.J. Shwartz, Gus Schullhoefer, and Hartwig D. Newman--with financial backing from banker Isidore Newman--opened the Maison Blanche at the corner of Canal Street and Rue Dauphine in New Orleans. Converting Shwartz's dry goods store into the city's first department store, the trio created a retail brand whose name lasted over a century. In 1908, Shwartz tore his store down and built what was the city's largest building--13 stories, with his Maison Blanche occupying the first five floors. The MB Building became, and still is, a New Orleans icon, and Maison Blanche was a retail leader in the city, attracting some of the best and brightest people in the business. One of those employees, display manager Emile Alline, created the store's second icon, the Christmas character "Mr. Bingle," in 1947. Mr. Bingle continues to spark the imagination of New Orleans children of all ages. Even though Maison Blanche has become part of New Orleans's past, the landmark Canal Street store lives on as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Bullock's Department Store

9781467132961

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From the store's beginnings in March 1907 until its closing on June 25, 1983, Bullock's was Los Angeles's store of choice. Throughout its 76 years of operation, Bullock's flagship department store became an icon, a commercial beacon in the vast city. The name Bullock's has engendered many memories in many people. For those loyal patrons who grew up, lived in, or visited the City of Angels, Bullock's was--and still is--a part of their lives. Bullock's was a rite of passage. From baby clothing to back-to-school gear, prom dresses to bridal gowns, Bullock's offered quality merchandise and exemplary customer service. The store's professional sales staff solidified its place in retail history. The staff knew you by name, and Bullock's was more than just a shopping destination. It was part of the community; it was your family and was always there for you.

Thalhimers Department Stores

9781467120463

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This book documents the history of Thalhimers department stores, through stories and vintage photographs.

Thalhimers was founded in Richmond in 1842 by German Jewish immigrant William Thalhimer as a humble dry goods store. It expanded over the years to become a 26-store chain across the Southeast under the leadership of William's great-grandson, William B. Thalhimer Jr. It boasted the latest in clothing, shoes, and accessories for the entire family, the most modern of housewares, and gourmet foods and baked goods, including the iconic six-layer chocolate cake. Through decades of dramatic political and social change, Thalhimers stood strong, guided by the overarching philosophies of honesty, integrity, quality, and service. Loyal and devoted employees were the heart of Thalhimers, becoming part of the extended Thalhimer family. Sadly, in 1992, as a result of retail consolidation, the Thalhimer name was dropped and the flagship downtown Richmond store closed. A 150-year legacy ended, leaving behind cherished memories, stories, and images.

King Arthur Flour Company

9780738536262

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In 1790, George Washington was elected the first U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson became the country's first secretary of state, and flour imported to Boston from England marked the beginning of the King Arthur Flour Company. The King Arthur Flour Company, now more than two hundred years old, produces the flour of choice for millions, from beginning home bakers to the world's top chefs, and has evolved into a one hundred percent employee-owned company. King Arthur Flour Company illustrates the history of America's oldest flour company (and New England's oldest food company). King Arthur Flour was founded in Boston not far from Long Wharf, where the flour was unloaded from merchant ships. Five generations of the Sands family headed the company for almost two centuries until the Employee Stock Ownership Plan was initiated in 1996. Marketing at King Arthur Flour has always revolved around the icon of the lone knight on his horse, and in 1896, a lone rider dressed as King Arthur rode through Boston's streets atop a black stallion to advertise the product. Another creative marketing campaign featured a white sound truck, complete with a large pipe organ and an eight-foot statue of King Arthur, roving through New York City streets.

The Fleischmann Yeast Family

9780738533414

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Fleischmann is a brand name that everyone recognizes, even if they have never baked bread from scratch, drunk a Fleischmann's gin and tonic, or used their vinegar and margarine. Charles Fleischmann, in fact, pretty much invented the brand name and this continued recognition is testimonial to his genius. At one time, teenagers around the country ate fresh yeast cakes by the millions to improve their skin, and corporate success was measured in pound of live yeast consumed per capita. And the great Fleischmann distilleries kept America jolly from 1870 to Prohibition and afterward. Charles Fleischmann and his brothers, sons, daughter, and grandsons amassed a fortune that would be easily equivalent to the billionaires of today--and it all started through the scientific husbandry of a tiny one-celled fungus known as yeast. Add sugar and water, and you get alcohol and more yeast--simply alter it slightly and you get vinegar. Multiply it times a million and you have the beginnings of the modern industrial food industry in America. This book is a snapshot of a unique family from Central Europe that changed the way America cooked. A family business from the Civil War until the start of the Depression, Fleischmann's created the giant food conglomerate Standard Brands, which was in-turn gobbled up by Nabisco in the 1980s. In its long history, it literally invented the coupon premium, the give-away recipe book, and state fair bake-offs. This is a story of a talented, generous, outrageously successful family, and of a brand name that still conjures up delicious memories of freshly baked bread and a most happy well being. The Fleischmann story is America at its finest.

The Swiss Colony

9780738540245

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Each year, millions of Swiss Colony mail-order catalogs featuring more than 30,000 items flow into American homes. Little did Raymond Kubly realize in 1926, when he had the goofy idea of selling cheese by mail, that his then-fledgling company would become a mail-order giant. In those first years, cheese wheels were cut and wrapped in consumer-sized pieces in the Kubly family basement and garage. Soon the company was selling not only cheese but sausages, meats, and pastry desserts, all from the pleasant, little southern Wisconsin city of Monroe. Today the ever-expanding Swiss Colony, having ventured into home furnishings, jewelry, apparel, and more, is one of the largest direct marketing companies in the United States.

Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall

9780738551029

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Woodfield Mall opened on September 9, 1971. Built in the village of Schaumburg, Woodfield Mall was a major factor in the rise of that city and all of Chicago's northwest suburbs. At the time of Schaumburg's incorporation in 1956, approximately 130 people lived in the area. The mall opened with 59 stores on that fateful day in 1971, and actor Vincent Price served as master of ceremonies. By 1973, Woodfield Mall had grown to nearly 190 stores, and at 1.9 million square feet of retail, it was the largest mall in America at the time. Retailers and corporations began to flock to the area, and many top companies now call Schaumburg home, existing in the shadows of Woodfield Mall. Today Schaumburg holds a population of over 75,000 residents, and Woodfield Mall brings 27 million visitors per year to its 2.7 million square feet of shopping space, making it the number one visitor destination in Illinois. New stores continually reshape the shopping experience in this place where society and commerce collide.

Portland's Hawthorne Boulevard

9781467105620

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From a farm path in 1850 to a tourist destination in the 21st century, Hawthorne Boulevard on the east side of Portland has become a bustling city thoroughfare and a persistently eclectic neighborhood. The street that runs from the Willamette River to Mount Tabor has been called a hippie haven and a shopper's paradise. It takes its name from Dr. J.C. Hawthorne, who opened Oregon's first asylum there in 1861. Streetcars brought population growth, grocery stores, and saloons. In 1912, the delegates to the Elks' national convention paraded on Hawthorne Boulevard, and the 1948 Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade was there. In the 1950s, the Hawthorne Boosters kept the bustle in the boulevard, but the 1970s brought vacant storefronts. Cheap rent created opportunities for hip entrepreneurs, and organized revitalization in the 1980s was sensitive to the communities' unique character. Today, Hawthorne Boulevard draws visitors from across the city and around the world.

Vons Grocery Company

9781467130905

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In 1906, the downtown area of Los Angeles was fundamentally a small town when Charles Von der Ahe opened his little Groceteria on the corner of Seventh and Figueroa Streets using $1,200 in savings. It was a neighborhood store that catered to the needs of local families, where Von der Ahe pioneered "cash and carry," replacing the "charge and delivery" way of thinking. Its expansion and innovation over the next 90 years was legendary, growing to more than 325 stores and 30,000 employees. This book focuses on the legacy of this great company, its visionary leaders, and its dedicated employees who made it the number one grocery retailer in Southern California.

Aubuchon Hardware

9780738555317

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William E. Aubuchon Sr. immigrated to the United States from Canada in 1900 at the age of 15, speaking no English and armed with only a fifth-grade education. Through hard work and perseverance, he established a hardware store in 1908 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. One hundred years later, there are over 130 Aubuchon Hardware stores located throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, employing about 1,100 people. This remarkable growth by Aubuchon Hardware can be attributed to the company treating its customers as friends and always making them number one. As William E. Aubuchon Sr. once said, "The business was founded on the principle of buying economically. We give our customers what they want--high-grade hardware at a price everyone can afford." Aubuchon Hardware never lost track of where it started, and today it still remains "all in the family" with over 20 family members currently employed, including the fourth generation. In Aubuchon Hardware, family members were an invaluable resource for photographs and historical information.

The Harris Company

9780738559018

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For almost 100 years, the slogan "Harris" Has It" set a standard for quality merchandise, selection, and personal service. Starting in 1905 with only 25 feet of frontage at its original San Bernardino store, this partnership of three immigrant brothers grew into a corporation of nine stores, with the flagship store alone worth over $1 million. The Harris Company was the first in the region to enhance the shopping experience with the introduction of elevators, electric signs, and escalators. Although the store closed in 1999, the Harris Company is remembered throughout the Inland Empire as a shopping experience that was more than just business, it was "looking after people."

K&B Drug Stores

9780738582276

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Sydney J. Besthoff III, past president and owner of K&B Drug Stores and grandson of Sydney J. Besthoff (founder with Gustave Katz of Katz & Besthoff Drug Store), is a meticulous keeper of records. The photographs found in this book are from his personal collection, covering the 92-year life span of Katz & Besthoff and K&B Drug Stores. This is a rare opportunity to see these photographs, which chronicle a piece of New Orleans history, during which time the store became a part of the community. K&B Drug Store grew from a local pharmacy with more than 50 locations in the New Orleans area to 186 stores in six states while remaining based in New Orleans. Fondly remembered as the "purple dragon," K&B is greatly missed by all those who passed through its purple doors and were rung up on its purple cash registers. Come sit inside a Katz & Besthoff location one last time and have a Nectar soda--and don't forget to pick up half a gallon of K&B ice cream on your way home.

Emporium Department Store

9781467132503

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The Emporium--"California's Largest, America's Grandest Store"--was a major shopping destination on San Francisco's Market Street for a century, from 1896 to 1996. Shoppers flocked to the mid-price store with its beautiful dome and bandstand. Patrons could find anything at the Emporium, from jewelry to stoves, and it was a meeting place for friends to enjoy tea while listening to the Emporium Orchestra. Founded as the Emporium and Golden Rule Bazaar, the store flourished until the disastrous 1906 earthquake. Once it reopened in 1908, it dominated shopping downtown until mid-century. Many San Franciscans remember with great nostalgia the Christmas Carnival on the roof, complete with slides, a skating rink, and a train. Santa always arrived in grand style with a big parade down Market Street. After World War II, the Emporium, which had merged with H.C. Capwell & Co. in the late 1920s, began its push and opened branch stores throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. However, as competition increased, the company's financial situation worsened, and the Emporium name was no more in 1996.

Frederick & Nelson

9780738558653

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In 1890, D. E. Frederick arrived in Seattle and, joined soon after by Nels Nelson, started what would become one of the Northwest's best-loved and well-regarded stores. For more than 100 years, Frederick & Nelson was much more than just a department store to the people of Seattle--it was an icon. F&N, as locals referred to it, established the city's retail
core, led the war-bond drive, acted as a civic booster, and pioneered a high level of benefits for its workers. But it was the customer experience that made all the difference at F&N. Whether it was a fashion show in the Tea Room, a visit to Santa, or the taste of a Frango, the memories of Frederick & Nelson still resonate today throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Herbst Department Store

9781467114479

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Herbst Department Store held sway on Fargo's Broadway for nearly 90 years. In 1887, a young merchant named Isaac Herbst came to Fargo to seek his fortune. He proved to be a dynamic salesman, and by 1892 he had founded Herbst Department Store. The business was destroyed a year later in the Great Fire of 1893, which wiped out most of downtown. Isaac rebuilt his business and expanded it until his death in 1910. The department store was continued by his widow, sons, grandsons, and a large group of loyal employees. The Herbst family took great pride in the community and was active in civic affairs. In the 1970s and 1980s, many customers abandoned downtown Fargo for West Acres Shopping Center and other large retail chains. Herbst was the last large department store remaining downtown until it closed in 1982. Images of America: Herbst Department Store shines a light on a business that had a great impact on Fargo's vibrant downtown and community.

Remembering Maas Brothers

9781467114738

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Maas Brothers opened in 1886, and for more than 100 years it was the commercial and social hub for generations of Tampa Bay shoppers. From its historic downtown Tampa store, to its sleek St. Petersburg location, to branches throughout central and west Florida (in cities like Lakeland, Sarasota, and Clearwater), Maas Brothers was a Florida Suncoast institution. The department store was known and respected for its casual and quality merchandise, fashion shows, popular in-store restaurants that featured its signature cinnamon twists, and countless traditions. A founding unit of the Allied Stores Corporation, Maas Brothers became one of the company's most profitable divisions. For most of its existence, the department store faced little competition throughout its trading area, but Maas Brothers fell victim to department store industry changes in the 1980s. It was combined with Miami's Jordan Marsh division in 1987 but gradually lost its identity. In 1991, the Maas Brothers name, along with many of its downtown locations, became a part of Tampa Bay history.

Foley's

9780738579283

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The story of Foley's began in Ireland in the late 1800s when William L. Foley set sail for America. Ambition led him to Houston, where he opened a store and hired his two nephews, Pat C. and James. The nephews quickly felt an entrepreneurial urge to run their own store, so their uncle gave them $2,000 to get started. On February 12, 1900, the Foley Brothers Dry Goods Company at 507 Main Street opened for business. Approximately 44,000 residents visited the store that day, and sales of $128.29 were tabulated. Soon after Spindletop was discovered, Robert I. Cohen of Galveston bought the Foley Brothers company for his son George S. Cohen to operate. Cohen, along with the aid of six of the eight Meyer brothers from Galveston, built it into the largest store in Texas. In 1945, Fred Lazarus, from the department store clan in Ohio, came to Houston to visit his son at Ellington Field. He saw Houston's potential, and in 1946, Foley Brothers became Foley's, owned by Federated Department Stores.