Search found 225 matches

by TenPoundHammer
08 Nov 2009 20:44
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: That used to be a department store?!
Replies: 18
Views: 11944

Re: That used to be a department store?!

Until the early 1990s, East Tawas, Michigan had a department store called Hennigar's. I'm amazed that a two-story department store lasted even one day in a town with a population of about 6000 (between East Tawas and Tawas City). It was cut up into a sort of micro-mall consisting of four stores on t...
by TenPoundHammer
08 Nov 2009 13:07
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Woolco
Replies: 43
Views: 45357

Re: Woolco

Here's my list of all the stores I know so far. ALABAMA *Bessemer *Dothan (Northside Mall) - later Walmart, now Home Depot *Fairfield - later Walmart *Huntsville (Woolco Shopping Center) *Muscle Shoals (Southgate Mall) - later Walmart, now Tractor Supply Co. and Walgreens offices *Theodore (Woolco S...
by TenPoundHammer
08 Nov 2009 12:48
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: That used to be a department store?!
Replies: 18
Views: 11944

Re: That used to be a department store?!

It indeed was a dinky indoor "mall" which had a Service Mechandise in the back. There was also a chain called Austin Drugs (CVS bought them out during the 90s) which took part of the Woolco space in front, as well as a supermarket alongside (Foodtown -> Edwards -> Stop & Shop). I did ...
by TenPoundHammer
06 Nov 2009 23:32
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: That used to be a department store?!
Replies: 18
Views: 11944

Re: That used to be a department store?!

A few more, all from Kmart: *Hastings, Nebraska: now a school. From what I can tell, this Kmart moved in 1991 to the town's mall, replacing a former super-sized Woolworth. (The mall is now vacant save for Kmart and Bath & Body Works.) *Camillus, New York: Bus garage. This was an anchor to the Ca...
by TenPoundHammer
05 Nov 2009 13:11
Forum: History: Drugstore Chains
Topic: Rite-Aid Sign Replacements for Acquired Chains
Replies: 33
Views: 37758

Re: Rite-Aid Sign Replacements for Acquired Chains

Some former Eckerd building signs were replaced by ugly "flat" Rite Aid signs. What is also odd is that in some cases, if the Eckerd had a rare red sign, the Rite Aid sign is blue. Example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62355920@N00/4059339321/ After all, Rite Aid's colors are red and blue...
by TenPoundHammer
05 Nov 2009 13:10
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Target Chula Vista... Formerly...?
Replies: 6
Views: 5133

Re: Target Chula Vista... Formerly...?

Wow, California had Two Guys stores? I didn't know that.
by TenPoundHammer
04 Nov 2009 01:07
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: That used to be a department store?!
Replies: 18
Views: 11944

That used to be a department store?!

Have you ever seen a department or discount store converted to some especially weird use? Here're some oddballs: This former Zayre and Builder's Square in Portage, Michigan is now an auto mall and a medical supply center. Here is the same building as a Zayre in 1965. I have also found at least three...
by TenPoundHammer
03 Nov 2009 18:16
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Hills
Replies: 5
Views: 6036

Re: Hills

Hills had a brief presence in Michigan; I would say about 1988-1993 at the most. Their distribution was weird, too. Here are all the ones I know of: *Saginaw, Gratiot Road: Former Yankee->Zody's->Tradeway. Was only Hills for 3 years, now a relocated Kmart. * Saginaw, Tittabawassee Road: Later Handy ...
by TenPoundHammer
01 Nov 2009 23:29
Forum: History: Drugstore Chains
Topic: Rite Aid "Corner" stores
Replies: 3
Views: 8905

Re: Rite Aid "Corner" stores

I've seen lots of drugstore duplicity of that sort. Near my aunt's house there's a Rite Aid and a Walgreens on opposite corners. The Walgreens is squeezed onto a very tiny lot, with hardly any parking; you have to go down a side street to use the pharmacy drive-thru. Only one mile east is another Ri...
by TenPoundHammer
31 Oct 2009 19:14
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Odd layouts
Replies: 14
Views: 8749

Re: Odd layouts

My local IGA did the "weird layout" thing too. First, in the 1980s, they moved the entry from the front of the store to the back, because the larger parking lot was in the back. Oh yeah, and they built that tiny Dairy Queen RIGHT IN FRONT of the former entrance way back in the 1950s. The o...
by TenPoundHammer
31 Oct 2009 18:59
Forum: History: Shopping Centers
Topic: Sandusky (OH) Mall History
Replies: 8
Views: 18230

Re: Sandusky (OH) Mall History

Tiffin Mall indeed has JCPenney. Kmart was demolished for a theater (the old theaters are still empty). Even though Aaron Rental took up 1/4 of the mall, there's still precious little else in it. Yet somehow there's an Osterman, which usually only goes into mid-size malls. Tiffin has room for maybe ...
by TenPoundHammer
30 Oct 2009 22:47
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Kessel Food Market
Replies: 5
Views: 7385

Re: Kessel Food Market

Thanks for filling in some of the history regarding unions! Despite the fact that a large portion of my family works for GM, I could never make heads or tails of the whole union thing. I barely even know what one is. As for the architecture of these stores, did Kroger ever use a "spire" li...
by TenPoundHammer
29 Oct 2009 00:34
Forum: History: USA Midwest/Plains
Topic: Kessel Food Market
Replies: 5
Views: 7385

Kessel Food Market

In 1981, it seems there was a union issue regarding Kroger in Michigan. According to one forum post : Since Reagan, the anti union forces have been telling the nit wits all the evils of workers unions. I seen it in union cities, here in Saginaw Michigan, there were union Kroger stores before Reagan ...
by TenPoundHammer
28 Oct 2009 22:51
Forum: History: Department Store Chains
Topic: Two Guys Discount Stores
Replies: 13
Views: 25088

Re: Two Guys Discount Stores

I have one listed for Hudson, NJ at the Hudson Mall, where Marshalls and Kids "R" Us (now Sixth Avenue Electronics) are. I think the Jefferson Ward->Bradlees->Ross/Dick's building at Coventry Mall (née Norco Plaza) in Pottstown, PA might've been Two Guys at one point given that it was Jeff...
by TenPoundHammer
28 Oct 2009 20:45
Forum: History: Miscellaneous and Not Region-Specific
Topic: Odd layouts
Replies: 14
Views: 8749

Re: Odd layouts

The Kroger in Essexville, Michigan also has a very odd layout. It has three "main" aisles paralleling the back wall: one at the front, one at the back, and one in the middle. The middle "main" aisle is interrupted in the middle of the store for the frozen food section, which stre...