Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

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Jeff
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Re: MONTGOMERY WARDS STILL ALIVE

Post by Jeff »

Montclair was completely torn down and rebuilt.

Mission Valley San Diego became a Target.
J-Man
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Re: MONTGOMERY WARDS STILL ALIVE

Post by J-Man »

As far as I can tell, the Rosemead Target was also a complete teardown/rebuild of the Wards. And the one in Covina (across from Eastland, which is in West Covina) was torn down and the location now houses an IKEA (relocated from Puente Hills--the former STOR.)

The Wards in Country Club Centre in Sacramento became a two-level Wal-Mart.
Super S
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Re: MONTGOMERY WARDS STILL ALIVE

Post by Super S »

Jeff wrote:Montgomery Wards Huntington Beach, still sitting empty.

Former Wards turned into Target:
Eagle Rock
Rosemead
Fullerton
Lakewood
Two in Portland, OR were also turned into two-story Target stores:

Jantzen Beach
Mall 205
Jeff
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Re: MONTGOMERY WARDS STILL ALIVE

Post by Jeff »

J-Man wrote:As far as I can tell, the Rosemead Target was also a complete teardown/rebuild of the Wards. And the one in Covina (across from Eastland, which is in West Covina) was torn down and the location now houses an IKEA (relocated from Puente Hills--the former STOR.)

The Wards in Country Club Centre in Sacramento became a two-level Wal-Mart.
Rosemead was just gutted. The 2nd Level is empty, but the first level is Target. This store was huge. A MONTGOMERY WARD labelscar can be seen faintly on the northside of the building near the new Target enterance.
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RXSQ
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by RXSQ »

ieguy441 wrote:When did Wards enter the Riverside Plaza? I know that the WT Grants opened after 1957 and it became Wards thereafter.

But when?

The location was torn down (with the rest of Riverside Plaza minus Harris') when the Plaza was redeveloped a few years ago into a small "lifestyle" center.
Prior to its Riverside Plaza location, MW was housed in a small, 3-story building located downtown at the corner of Ninth and Main streets (now the site of a small parking lot). Not exactly sure when this downtown store opened, but it was likely sometime during the 1950s as it replaced an earlier downtown MW store that was removed to make way for the Riverside Freeway (1957).

However, the 3-story Ninth Street location closed in 1966 -- just as the newly-built Main Street Pedestrian Mall was set to open -- leaving Riverside without a MW until the much larger store opened in 1976 inside the former WT Grants store at Riverside Plaza (Grants closed in 1975 as part of that chain's bankruptcy). Btw, the WT Grants store did not open until 1966 and was not part of the original 1957 Plaza layout.

As you noted, the WT Grants/MW building was completely torn down during the 2004/2005 makeover of the Riverside Plaza.

Btw, the Ninth Street MW building became a Pic 'N Save after MW left in 1966. Pic 'N Save eventually moved -- in 1970/71 -- to today's Big Lots store located on Tyler Street (across from the Galleria at Tyler mall).
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Barstow2Needles
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Barstow2Needles »

Probably the most interesting re-use of a Montgomery Wards was the former store at the now abandoned Hawthorne Plaza (Hawthorne, California). The entire department store has been gutted and transferred into government offices for the City of Hawthorne. While visiting the mall a few months ago I took a picture of the Montgomery Ward mall courtyard--you can see how the exact same view looked like many years ago...
Image
(http://usera.imagecave.com/djrun1/montg ... thorne.jpg)
Jeff
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Jeff »

Barstow2Needles wrote:Probably the most interesting re-use of a Montgomery Wards was the former store at the now abandoned Hawthorne Plaza (Hawthorne, California). The entire department store has been gutted and transferred into government offices for the City of Hawthorne. While visiting the mall a few months ago I took a picture of the Montgomery Ward mall courtyard--you can see how the exact same view looked like many years ago...
Image
(http://usera.imagecave.com/djrun1/montg ... thorne.jpg)
Wow that's incredible. How did you get into the old Hawthorne Plaza?
I've been wanting to go in and look at it.

Hows the interior of the old Broadway and JCPenney stores holding out?
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Barstow2Needles
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Barstow2Needles »

Jeff wrote:
Wow that's incredible. How did you get into the old Hawthorne Plaza?
I've been wanting to go in and look at it.

Hows the interior of the old Broadway and JCPenney stores holding out?
Jeff,

Hi Jeff!

A real estate investment company currently owns the mall and makes money on the side by using the former mall for filming locations (was featured in Minority Report, Fast & Furious, and a Kings of Leon music video). Anyhow, I called the company and asked for a tour and next thing I know I'm traveling back to the 1970's as I stroll the old rectangular-tiled floor corridors.

The interior of JC Penney & Broadway are partially intact with a lot of rubble/debris from vandalism and general deterioration over the years. I didn't see much of the JC Penney department store because it was dark but the mall's skylight provided some light inside the Broadway -- pretty much in the same condition as Penney's but I spotted a "Fitting Room" with the sign still in place and an original store hours sticker.

Let me know if you want to see more pictures or need help visiting the mall...
Jeff
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Jeff »

Barstow2Needles wrote:
Jeff wrote:
Wow that's incredible. How did you get into the old Hawthorne Plaza?
I've been wanting to go in and look at it.

Hows the interior of the old Broadway and JCPenney stores holding out?
Jeff,

Hi Jeff!

A real estate investment company currently owns the mall and makes money on the side by using the former mall for filming locations (was featured in Minority Report, Fast & Furious, and a Kings of Leon music video). Anyhow, I called the company and asked for a tour and next thing I know I'm traveling back to the 1970's as I stroll the old rectangular-tiled floor corridors.

The interior of JC Penney & Broadway are partially intact with a lot of rubble/debris from vandalism and general deterioration over the years. I didn't see much of the JC Penney department store because it was dark but the mall's skylight provided some light inside the Broadway -- pretty much in the same condition as Penney's but I spotted a "Fitting Room" with the sign still in place and an original store hours sticker.

Let me know if you want to see more pictures or need help visiting the mall...
Heck I'd love to go if you set something up! As long as we can take pictures for a "location scout"/
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Barstow2Needles
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Barstow2Needles »

Jeff wrote: Heck I'd love to go if you set something up! As long as we can take pictures for a "location scout"/
The phone number to call to set up your "location scout" of the Hawthorne Plaza is: [contact author of post offline for this]

When I went (back in June 2009) they would only open the mall only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from the morning (9am?) until the early afternoon (3pm?). I'm not sure if the times have changed, but I highly encourage you to make it out if you can and take a look for yourself at this rare relic preserved in time. If you like, feel free to mention my name to the company if you think it will increase your odds of getting in.

Good luck!
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by scanman2 »

Montclair was torn down and a Target is there. The Target in Ortario which was a FedMart closed when Montclair opened.
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Re: MONTGOMERY WARDS STILL ALIVE

Post by Bearhawke »

Dean wrote:Still have my WARDS charge cards. NEVER used them.

The San Bernardino CA store is still sitting vacant.

The West Covina CA site was demolished/transformed into IKEA, which had moved from the City of Industry.

The City of Industry IKEA was demolished.
Wow. When I lived in Pico Rivera in the late 1980's; my now x wife and I used to go to that IKEA----------back when it was simply named 'StØr'. I tried to find the appropriate lower case o with the / but gave up on my character map.
Bearhawke in Arizona
Jeff
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Jeff »

Sad to say, the old Huntington Beach store that was sitting vacant since 2001, has FINALLY been torn down (along with the neighboring Mervyns) to make way for a new Costco that will be there at Bella Terra.
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Re: Montgomery Ward Locations-Southern California-1960s & '70s

Post by Dean »

scanman2 wrote:Montclair was torn down and a Target is there. The Target in Ortario which was a FedMart closed when Montclair opened.
Funny how this thread is up today...as I literally thought of MW last night.

Drove by the former Montclair site last night...as you can see the Target from the 10 fwy.

The former BROADWAY turned Macy*s now vacant...sits there in the same line of vision!
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