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I worked at Himelhoch's Stores during the summer between my freshman and sophmore years at Michigan State University.
I was a home economics major and one of my professors had a sister bthat was the personnel director. This goes back many years, 1972 and 1973.
Does anyone remember the store?
Is there anything that you can tell us about working there? Management, clientele, stories, etc.
I worked downtown for a while one summer in the early 70's. Receiving, unpacking and pricing. The pricing part was simple -- if the invoice showed the piece cost at $50, the pricetag said $100.
I seem to remember someone named Rosemary who was the wife of some city muckety-muck that ran part of the store.
Used to go sit along Grand Circus Park during lunch and people watch.
I'd stop in at Himelhoch's if I was downtown in the 1980's during summer's off from college. The usual day was Smart bus from Livonia to Jefferson. Woodward bus to J.L. Hudson's. Visit Himelhoch's afterwards. Take Woodward bus up to the Detroit Public Library and Detroit Institute of Arts. Woodward bus back downtown and walk over to my dad's office at the McNamera Federal Building for a ride home.
My mother would sometimes take me shopping in the Grosse Pointe Village when I was very young, and among other places would shop there sometimes. That was the only Himelhoch's I ever knew. I was JUST learning to read at about that time and I used to drive my mom batty by insisting on pronouncing it "HEM-EL-HOH-CHES!"
My grandmother was a seamstress there until 1968.
From the Boston-Edison web site:
Wolf Himelhoch
Wolf Himelhoch was born in 1845. In 1907, Wolf Himelhoch opened a clothing store, Himelhoch's, on Washington Boulevard. The store was successful, and eventually opened multiple branches in Detroit and its suburbs, and had offices in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Wolf Himelhoch lived at 929 West Boston from the 1910s until his death in 1922.
http://www.historicbostonedison.org/index.shtml
My mother was a secretary at General Motors beginning about 1956. First at the GM Building and then at the GM Tech Center in Warren. Back then, the ladies [[mostly secretaries) who worked for GM had to be "properly dressed". My mother not only had dresses, but "outfits". Her closet was full of shoes, hats, purses, gloves and coats that all matched the dresses hanging there. The boxes were all marked as to what color they were. Clothes got changed out for the seasons.
I say all that to say that Himelhoch's was one of her favorite stores...and Winkelman's, and Hudson's..and Crowley's. She was a very classy dresser. She and my aunt, who was also a secretary for General Motors [[to Bob Lutz, actually, when he was VP for Chevrolet), would spend hours and hours shopping, with my brother and I in tow. They would search and search to find just the right hats to go with a dress...then shoes and a purse...and jewelry, of course. I remember the time when ladies always wore gloves. I can still see the glass cabinet at the stores where gloves were available in every shade and several different lengths.
I shopped at Himelhoch's many years ago and it was a wonderful store with lovely clothes, real sales people and they had alterations. The clothes were quality made, nice materials and fit so nicely. I purchased many beautiful work and after-hours dresses at Hemelhoch's.
Don't forget Kern's downtown. When I was little, I thought it was one name, Kern's & Crowley's, because my mother would always say, "If I can't find it at Hudson's, we will go over to Kern's and Crowley's." The official title of Crowley's was Crowley-Milner and I think that Kern's was J.B. Kern.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueidone
When my mother didn't have the car, we would take the Six-Mile bus over to Gratiot and take the Gratiot streetcar downtown. When she did have the car, there was a parking lot that she favored downtown near the old Broadway Market. We would walk from there to Hudson's [[often the first and only stop). On the way home, we would stop in the Broadway Market [[sort of a flea market of food sellers) and get breakfast pastries for Sunday breakfast.
Was it 1961 that the Broadway burned down or was it earlier?? I loved going in there.
Huh? Didn't Himelhoch's close sometime in the 1970's? Did you go there for lunch? Also, there was no SMART in the 1980's. SMART came as a devolution of SEMTA and came online in probably 1990.Quote:
Originally Posted by lalynch
I initially thought SMART must have started much earlier than that so I went to check it out, but lo and behold I found you were almost exactly on the mark. SMART started in 1989 according to this link:Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner
http://www.smartbus.org/Smart/News+a...o/SMART+Facts/
I worked in the credit department. I remember folding charge statements and putting them in envelopes for mailing. It wasn't a lot that I did, but I went to wor everyday. Caught the Russell bus downtown and then the woodward bus north to the store. I was so proud of my job. Working downtown.
I remember Rosemary. I think her husband was Chief of Police or Deputy at that time.
No, Himelhoch's was still around in the 1980's on Woodward. No, I didn't go there for lunch. Did they have a lunch room? Maybe it was SEMTA. Regardless, it was the bus that would go from Five Mile and Levan in Livonia to downtown, Jefferson, unload in front of Ren Cen. It was probably about 1983 when I had been to Himelhoch's.Quote:
Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner
An acquaintance worked there, around 1966/1967. She [[J. M.) went to Osborn High School. I stopped in to visit once and was impressed by the apparent quality and style of clothing, but really didn't know....I was just a would be hippie from the suburbs.
The Himelhoch's Building had a public entrance on Woodward Ave. and on Washington Blvd.
I remember the name, and recall also seeing one in the suburbs somewhere, perhaps in a mall [[I grew up in Westland). I don't know [[and can't tell from the comments) whether or not they just sold women's clothes or if men shopped there, too.
I think some of the malls had Himelhoch's too.Quote:
Originally Posted by psubliminal
There was a Himelhoch's in Westland Mall. It occupied the space on the north side of the east court, where Payless Shoes, Olga's and the consumer research company are today.Quote:
Originally Posted by psubliminal
Many, many years ago, I believe the the original downtown Himelhoch's was a department store---a competitor of JLH/Kern's/Crowley's. However, by the time Northland & Eastland came along in the 1950s, they scaled down to only women's wear. They definitely had stores in both landmark shopping centers early on---perhaps even from opening day.
I believe Himelhoch's was an original tenant when Twelve Oaks Mall opened in 1977.
Himelhoch's was a little too tony for our family to actually shop in. And, anyway, my grandmother worked at Hudson's, so we always went there because she could get stuff at a discount. But I was in that store several times, since it provided a pass-through between Woodward and Washington Blvd. [[my aunt worked at the Stouffer's there, and later at the restaurant in the Statler/Hilton) that was particularly convenient in the winter weather. It was a beautiful store, with very nice merchandise and really lovely, Fisher Bldg.-like, ceilings in the entrances. I believe they went bankrupt and closed sometime around 1978.
I saw this online:
Quote:
Himelhoch's
Wolf Himelhoch established Himelhoch’s retail clothing store located on Washington Boulevard in Detroit in 1907. In 1957, as the store celebrated its 50th anniversary, it employed 600 people and had offices in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. The store opened multiple branches throughout Detroit suburbs in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.
In 1976, Charles Himelhoch, Wolf Himelhoch’s grandson, renewed the lease on the Woodward building where the main store was located. Only fifteen months later Himelhoch’s filed bankruptcy, and eventually the stores closed, one by one. The final store closed in December 1978. The Woodward store, once known for its elegance, has since received historic designation, and the building now houses 72 spacious vintage apartment homes and over 4,000 square feet of commercial shops.
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/d/dhhcc/re...himelhoch.html
Those days provided quite a different shopping experience than today's stores huh? My husband and I both worked at Hudson's Northland in the early 70's [[met there and been married for 38 years .....jeez that sounds like a million !). We enjoyed working there, It was a really nice place. Try and find good customer service at probably 99% of the stores out there today.....not too likely.
James Bannon was Chief of Police I recall. His wife's name was Rosemary.
Charles Himelhoch's - Grandson of the founder perhaps?
I always thought it would be fascinating, to have a time machine to go back and speak to someone like Chuck about the year 2010. I would be willing to bet that the reality of 2010 Detroit, would be completely unthinkable or even unimaginable to him. I'm not talking about technology, but more like the entire OBLITERATION of cultures, stories, memories, legacies etc. Sure we "know" about places like Hudson's or Crowley's or MCS or Tiger Stadium and the stories and history's that go along with them, but think of all of the smaller stores, neighborhoods, institutions that are basically wiped from the record of human existence in essentially the course of 30-50 years?
Honestly, Himelhoch's, while not as big as Hudson's, was a decently large institution, multiple locations and world-wide, employing over 70 years, certainly thousands of people, and yet we have an "empty", fairly tall building on Washington Blvd. and a two paragraph google search. The Detroit that I identify with has been OBLITERATED.
Even the thread about the Corridor in the 70's is depressing. It's just another time an place filled with stories of life that has, for all intents and purposes, been eradicated from existence except for a handful of stories told by people who were there.
That would be fine if something was there to take it's place, but for the most part, we're left with nothing. A mammoth void of vacancy and destruction.
"Hey Chuck! Are those plans for expansion you're holding in your hands!? What's that? You're going to open a second downtown location? That's swell buddy...you know the skies the limit here in Detroit! A city of limitless potential and opportunity. Good for you man."
In 1970, who would have thought that Hudson's, Federal's, Ward's, Crowley's, Winkleman's, Himelhoch's and so many others would be gone?
And for the suburbanites: WT Grant, Woolco, Caldor, JM Fields, Mason's, Ames, ZayreQuote:
Originally Posted by Meddle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meddle
Actually the life cycle of many retail chains is pretty short. Some of these were the exception. If you think about it, Federals was only around about 30 years; it was virtually unheard of in 1950 and by 1980 they were kaput.
Jim Bannon was the Executive Deputy Chief of Police, not the Chief. He worked under Bill Hart, who was the chief. Rosemary, his wife, used him as a model in a number of high-society fashion shows for some years. He enjoyed that, greatly. Jim had good rapport with the media, and he got a lot of publicity as a result. In another time, another world, he easily would have become Chief, but the Coal-man was the HNIC and Jim's skin color became a handicap.Quote:
Originally Posted by kenp
Ray, you are telling it like it was for sure. Jim Bannon was a good man and a good cop...but the wrong color at the wrong time in the city. I dare say, many good white officers were passed over for promotion due to "affirmative action." It happened to my dad as well...... studying like crazy for the liutentants and sargeants exam and placing very high on the list, only to be passed over. The good ole days
I'm glad that Himelhoch's survived on Washington Blvd and Woodwood Ave. While otherS chickened out! WAY TO GO HIMELHOCH'S
I am glad that brought back so many memories to everyone. I was 18 at the time and Have the same memories as you guys. I love Detroit Yes!
I just love this discussion, although I'm rather late to the party! I discovered it while in the process of developing a website with my family history and the history of our family store [[Himelhoch's). Just in case any of you revisit this discussion, I'm sharing the website. The content is based on family research conducted by my 99-year-old father back in 1994. Here is the link to the site: http://www.himelhochs.com.
Welcome!Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
One, if possible change the color scheme on the website. It's a bit hard on the eyes.
Two, I would love to see pictures of the downtown store from back in the day. Outside, inside, whatever.
Also, would you happen to know if Mr. Ford invested in Hudson's so a Jewish department store wouldn't grow in Detroit? Perhaps he was looking at your family?
Thanks for posting!
If I recall, wasn't there a Himelhoch's on the "Avenue Of Fashion" 7 Mile and Livernois? I remember my Mother shopping there. She loved that store !!
This store was luxe! Couldn't afford to buy much here, but LOVED to look!
[[ad from Detroit Free Press, May 14, 1956)
Attachment 36596
Thanks for your warm welcome, and thanks for your feedback on the website! I thought it might be fun to use colors from the former Himelhoch's box on the website, but was also concerned that it could be hard on the eyes. I'm teaching myself about website development, and have much to learn. This will be a work-in-progress.Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
I don't have old photos in my direct possession. However, I will see what I can find among old photos in storage.
I never heard the story of Mr. Ford and Hudson's. I do know that we were never approached by him.
Thanks again for this converation!
Thanks for your comments, and thanks for the ad! What fun to see fashions from the heyday years.
I'm afraid not. I suspect that Himelhoch's would have done really well on the Avenue of Fashion.
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your project.
And, yeah, that candy-cane back ground makes it brutal to read.
A quick fix is to change the body tags from:
<body bgcolor=#197C background="index_files/image002.gif" lang=EN-US
link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='tab-interval:.5in'>
To:
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
It will then look like this snip:
Attachment 36597
The culprit is the image image002.gif. If you want to keep it you can create div or table boxes for the text and lay those atop it.
Nonetheless a good and welcome project.
Never shopped at Himelhoch's, but did use it as a pass through to Washington Blvd. and stood in the doorways for the St. Patrick's Day Parade when it was on Woodward.
Hi Lowell,Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowell
I can't thank you enough. I was tinkering without success, and then checked this discussion and saw your post. I tried your code and it worked perfectly. Part of my issue is that I wrote the content in Microsoft Word. I loaded it using an ftp program, and there were many issues. Next, I got Notepad++ and worked with the source code. Now that everything is in html, it's difficult to edit without knowing much about html. I look everything up, and thanks to you, I now have the answer.
I made the changes, and am glad to report that the site seems much easier to read. It may not have the fancy pink and white stripes, but that may come later. Regardless, I don't want the stripes to detract from reading the narrative. I realize the content is dense when compared to typical websites.
I don't even understand what you mean by creating div or table boxes, but I'm going to research it shortly.
Thanks again!
Carol
Color scheme is now changed! Thank you:).
My mom used to work at Jacobson's before she married my dad in 1955. She said Mrs. Dodge would always ask for her! LOL
My pleasure! People dressed beautifully back then. And you could take the bus Downtown for 10 cents!Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
Thanks for the reply. Maybe it was B Siegel's that I was thinking of.Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
Kathy, those were the days when salespeople were true professionals.
Reliable and affordable public transportation - love it!
Nice ad and fashion drawings!! Mom shopped there - dragged me thru the place many times in the 1950s - remembering the elegant clothes, beautiful shoes.Quote:
Originally Posted by kathy2trips
So nice to see the family survived, and Ms. Himelhoch is doing a website -- important part of Michigan history! Thank you for sharing :cool:
Thank you for your kind words! I'm really happy to know that folks outside our family are enjoying learning more about the history of the store.Quote:
Originally Posted by beachboy
Does anyone know if they're redeveloping the inside? There's barrier gates on the Woodward entrance and looks like work being done inside.
Designed by Donaldson & Meier for Col Frank J. Hecker.Washington Arcade Building, 1545 Woodward Avenue built 1901-1902 Lower Woodward Historic District, Detroit, MI. Includes an image of the building from the archives of the Library of Congress, date unknown.
Builder: Vinton Company
The first and second story façade was remodeled when Himelhoch's took over the building sometime around 1923.
Designed by Donaldson & Meier for Col. Frank J. Hecker.Washington Arcade Building 1540 Washington Boulevard built 1901-1902 Lower Woodward Historic District Detroit, MI. Includes an image of the building from the Library of Congress, circa 1920.
Builder: Vinton Company
Currently Himelhoch Apartments.
1946 remuddle of the first and second story facade designed by Victor Gruen.
If that abortion 'remuddle' is a slap on like many of them were, it should be removed and the original restored.
I share your preference for the original design of the building.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meddle
Great find from the Library of Congress! I do like the enhancements to the Woodward Avenue storefront, made by Albert Kahn.Quote:
Originally Posted by p69rrh51
I don't mind the remuddle. There's been doozies for sure, but Himelhoch's doesn't look bad as it stands.
Ms. Himelhoch, question.
Do you know what each floor was used for at the downtown location? Have you a directory?
One of the few times I find Kahn's design a bad remuddle. I much prefer the original D&M design.Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
The current redesign is not that bad, as compared to other building "remuddles"... but in this case the original was so much better... really loved the ornate arched entrance.
I never had reason to shop here when the building was Himelhoch's... but at a later date I always loved the sealed off window room displays on the Washington Blvd. facade. Those candles that melted in the summer sun and bent over [[looked like rubber) onto the table were a hoot! :o
The 1946 facade has its own significance, since it was designed by Victor Gruen. Gruen went on to design Northland, Eastland, and a bunch of other shopping malls nationwide. Given recent trends, this might soon be his only work left in Detroit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meddle
Please call me Carol. I distinctly remember that the 7th floor [[top floor) was office space. I will see my dad today and ask him about the others before I venture a guess. He is 99, and it will be interesting to see how much detail he remembers. Stay tuned.....Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
Thanks Carol! Sorry, if I offended.Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
It appeared to be such a massive store just for women that I'm curious to know. Boyds Philadelphia reminds me of what Himehoch's probably was.
I can't remember what floor I worked on ... seem to recall it was the fifth. It was all work space where we unpacked boxes and hung clothes on racks or stacked them on carts to be taken to the sales floors.
Carol, I have fond memories of shopping at Himelhoch's. Or should I say going to the store to buy a dress with my mother. Fond memories.
No offense at all! I just wanted to extend some informality:).Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
Okay - I just spoke with my dad. At age 99 his memory is not what it used to be. However, I was able to learn the following from him:
Street Level - Toiletries, accessories, handkerchiefs, hosiery. Non-clothing items.
Floor 2 - Coats, Fur salon.
Floor 3 - Better Dresses, Millenary, Handbags, Shoes.
Floor 4 - Dresses, Bridal Salon
Floor 5 - Beach and Play Clothes [[what we would associate with casual dress today).
Floors 6 and 7 - Offices and work space for employees.
I'm thrilled that you asked this question. I'm going to create a more permanent record of this by entering it onto the website [[the one I recently created with family history listed earlier in this thread - www.himelhochs.com). I think I will place it on the second page of the website.
Thank you!
Thank you, Carolcb! So great to hear:).
Hi Meddle,
I'm guessing it was the sixth floor, based on what I just learned from my dad. I know that the executive offices were on the 7th floor. My dad said that the 6th floor was not used as selling space, and there certainly was a need for unpacking boxes, tagging merchandise, and the like. Does that make sense?
I’d have to ask, but I seem to remember a cousin who worked in the cash office as a teen, taking customer’s payments on their accounts. This would be back in the 1970s.
I love retail, Carol, so maybe one more if you know...
Did Himelhoch's have a house brand or did it sell designer clothes? Both?
Hi Dtwoncitylover,Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
We offered both and with great frequency. There were many items sold with "Himelhoch's" labels inside [[i.e., coats and furs come to mind). However, we also offered many designer items as well.
dtowncitylover, did you ever or do you currently work in retail?
Only seasonally in college. I have a interest in downtown's retail scene, historic and nascent. I always dream[[ed) of opening a store like Himelhoch's or Capper & Capper.Quote:
Originally Posted by chimelhoch
I sure can appreciate your interest. It's a tough business in many respects [[if merchandise doesn't sell quickly it becomes a bad investment). However, it's super exciting because one can see the strategy play out on the sales floor. It's fun to watch customers interact with merchandise.
Yes!! Capper&Capper was GREAT -- I have a cashmere sport coat from the 70s, since re-tailored [[narrower lapels) ... terrific for winter wear. Also a sole surviving scarf ... beautiful quality!!Quote:
Originally Posted by dtowncitylover
A 1970s sweetie liked to give me $$$$ gifts from C&C, Dad didn't like her [[at all!) so he called 'em "Crapper and Crappier". Their excellent merchandise was top-notch ... so sad when they closed.
Funny tidbit ... one of C&C's latter CEOs was named "Ratty":
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...308-story.html