Department stores once anchored downtowns and shopping centers across the country, drawing families in for holiday windows, bargains and parades. Many of the best-known names have since closed, been absorbed or been renamed. Here are ten that Americans may remember, each shown through a building that was photographed.
1. Hudson’s: Detroit’s 25-story flagship
Founded in 1881, Hudson’s grew its Detroit flagship into a 25-story building billed as the world’s tallest department store until 1961, according to the Detroit Historical Society. The store also hosted Detroit’s first Thanksgiving Day parade in 1924.
The downtown store closed in 1983, and the building was imploded on October 24, 1998. Hudson’s remains one of the most remembered names in Michigan retail, and the parade it started is still tied to the city’s holiday calendar. The imposing flagship made the store a downtown landmark, and shoppers often recall holiday window displays and the crowds that gathered for the parade each autumn.