J.L. Hudsons - Downtown

[One Shot]

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1153692126
I found this old topic from the forum while searching for pics of the old store. This discussion has interior photos from just before and during demo. I too always wanted to see what it looked like in its mothballed state. These were great. If the member hardhat is still around and has anymore pics like this please share them!

[English]

English I think we are about the same age if I remember correctly. I agree with you completley on all counts. I have always wondered if the neighborhoods were so idyllic, the shopping so wonderful, and the experience of growing up in the city so grand why people ever left? The suburbs were built to be everything Detroit wasnt..people purposley planned to rid themselves of the very lifestyle they claimed superior! Previous generations made the choices that lead to today. I do take encourgement in that our generation seems to be free of the burdens that might have entrapped others before us. Young people are going to turn the city around because I think many of us are craving certian aspects of era's gone by and looking for a modern way to re-invent them. I think close knit neighborhoods will make a comeback and downtown shopping will thrive again
My Great aunt worked her entire life at Hudsons from the time she was a teenager until her retirement. She was a hair stylist in the salon. All of her lifelong friends were Hudson employees and in her later years she lived with a roommate who was an old co-worker. We have her salt and peper shaker collection in one of those white Hudsons gift boxes mentioned previously in this post. After many many decades the box is in excellent condition.
The one thing I miss is one thing I have never truely known, and that is the legendary customer service I have heard about. Talking to my mom about the store just last week she was saying how shopping was an all day event and the sales ladies knew you, knew your tastes and size so when you came they knew just what to bring out to show you. We were looking at the Hudsons calendar I bought her for Christmas and I asked why everything was behind glass and not just out for the customers to choose. She looked at me a little funny and laughed and said back then it was a sales persons job to inform you about the products, offer suggestions and then get the product for you. I cant even find sales people to ring up my order most days at Macys let alone find somone to show me something. I would honestly have loved the old version of customer service.

Totally agreed. The perfect song for our region is Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."

"I said don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot..."

Janet Jackson, sampling the song more than a generation later, sang something I mutter to myself as I drive around Detroit... "Joni Mitchell never lied."

[fryar]

I agree 100%.

[Ray1936]

The original J. L. Hudson is buried in Woodlawn cemetery. The Findagrave site has a short bio of him at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...r&GRid=7030231

[Pingu]

Does anyone have any interesting stories about visiting the J.L. Hudson store on Woodward? What are your favorite memories of shopping at Hudsons or having lunch there? Any photos of the store?

Well, boys and girls, back in the day, there was a train that took you from Plymouth down to the towering concrete-and-steel caverns of the big city. My birthday was in early December, and as long as my grades were good, my mom would call me in sick [[and one of my buddies' moms too), and we'd take the C&O [[Chesapeake and Ohio) down to the station, walk over to Hudson's, grab lunch on the twenty-whateverith floor, and go see the "real Santa". Then after the sun set, we'd head back to the train station and choo-choo back to Plymouth, assured in the knowledge that all the presents we told Santa about he would put under the tree on that appointed Day. And, sure enough, he did.

[canuck]

English I was thinking the same thing when I heard the song recently. I love Joni Mitchell, and that is only one of her great catalogue of songs. If I may bring another good one My City Was Gone by Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders. I always loved that song and the music is dead on of course.


I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY CITY WAS GONE
THERE WAS NO TRAIN STATION
THERE WAS NO DOWNTOWN
SOUTH HOWARD HAD DISAPPEARED
ALL MY FAVORITE PLACES
MY CITY HAD BEEN PULLED DOWN
REDUCED TO PARKING SPACES
A, O, WAY TO GO OHIO
WELL I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY FAMILY WAS GONE
I STOOD ON THE BACK PORCH
THERE WAS NOBODY HOME
I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED
MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
SLOWLY SWIRLED PAST
LIKE THE WIND THROUGH THE TREES
A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO
I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE
HAD BEEN PAVED DOWN THE MIDDLE
BY A GOVERNMENT THAT HAD NO PRIDE
THE FARMS OF OHIO
HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SHOPPING MALLS
AND MUZAK FILLED THE AIR
FROM SENECA TO CUYAHOGA FALLS
SAID, A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO

[Downrivergal]

I think the last time I was there was around the time my mom quit working downtown, early nineties. I had quite a few photo ops with Santa, until I got to a certain age of course. My mom worked at a law firm in First National Building... if she had to go in on a Saturday, I would usually go with her and then we would have lunch at Hudsons. We didnt go as much after Tally Hall opened in Greektown, and then she stopped having to go in on Saturdays.
They demolished it on my birthday, and that was a drag.

[LeannaM]

hudsons must have been a joy to see. it does make you wonder why people abandoned it. probably most large cities have had similar buildings, but not all cities tore theirs down. few were probably as large as hudsons. it does make you wonder why people decide to demolish buildings that could have a good purpose later. city leaders don't always think ahead, though.

[Kathleen]

January Author Series
Detroit Historical Museum
Wednesday, January 19
6 p.m.

Michael Hauser, author of Remembering Hudson’s: The Grand Dame of Detroit Retailing will discuss one of Detroit’s most beloved retailers – Hudson’s. The J. L. Hudson Company redefined the way Detroiters shopped and enjoyed leisure time. A solid and lofty icon built by businesspeople who followed their passion, Hudson’s defined Detroit’s downtown, creating trends and traditions in consumer culture that still resonate with us today.

Tickets:
FREE - DHS Members
$10 – Guests - open to the public

http://www.detroithistorical.org/mai..._programs.aspx

Michael always brings a nice selection of memorabilia to share. And often attendees share their memories of going to Hudson's or working for Hudson's.

[stasu1213]

Isn't there another book about Hudsons that had came out a couple of years back by the same author?

[stasu1213]

Hudson's was an example of how a local business had became a sucess and competed against a national icon such as Macy's. Hudsons to me was a much better store than Macys at that time. Detroit doesn't need a giant store like Hudsons. Detroit need smaller local businesses and specialty stores that caters to many taste not just urban or ghetto styles. If one store closes it would not effect the who district and each store could just specialize in what the owner feels he/she could sell to the public.

[Kathleen]

Isn't there another book about Hudsons that had came out a couple of years back by the same author?

Yes, Michael co-authored two related Arcadia titles:

Hudson's: Detroit's Legendary Department Store [[2002)
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5...w=&range_high=

20th-Century Retailing in Downtown Detroit [[2008)
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5...w=&range_high=

[Hermod]

Hudson's was an example of how a local business had became a sucess and competed against a national icon such as Macy's. Hudsons to me was a much better store than Macys at that time. Detroit doesn't need a giant store like Hudsons. Detroit need smaller local businesses and specialty stores that caters to many taste not just urban or ghetto styles. If one store closes it would not effect the who district and each store could just specialize in what the owner feels he/she could sell to the public.

Other than for talking and pride purposes, Hudson's never competed with Macy's. Each had their own markets as did Marshal Field's and Wanamaker's. Hudson's competed directly with Crowley's and with the smaller specialty stores such as Kern's. At the low end, they also competed with Sears, Federal, and Monkey Ward for the Detroit area business. Later the downtown store competed with its own branches in the suburbs [[and lost).

[slick]

That is what tarnishes the glory and the grandeur of the past for me. If it were that wonderful, it should have lasted for your children and grandchildren to enjoy.

One word GREED! The bean counters said, we cannot afford sales people, we cannot afford FREE delivery, we cannot afford to give out free things to our customers at Christmas, not even a calendar.

That is what has changed the consumer climate and the lemmings of the human race go shopping at Walmart, big box whoever!!

Support the small business man who appreciates you the customer,not the bottom line.

[canuck]

Yes, competing with their own stores or shooting themselves in the foot. When Eaton's built Eaton Centers in Toronto and Montreal, they honored guarantees on products sold by boutiques in the shopping plazas they built. People got used to the trendier style shops in the downtown plazas and the department stores were more expensive to renovate in the long run. Eaton's went bankrupt. I often went to the 9th floor dining room which was modeled after the Ile De France oceanliner's
dining hall. It is one of the best art deco venues in our city. I miss the style of the place, the elevator ladies with uniforms and white gloves, like Michael Jackson except they had two of them.

[SWMAP]

Hermod, I remember a Hudson's that had couture clothes, fine art galleries, a fine jewelry store with antique paneling imported from some european castle and numerous specialty salons. Crowley's had its own niche - but Hudson's was certainly ranks above. There was Hudson's bargain basement, of course - actually two floors of bargain basement that I thought would have competed with Hot Sam's.

[Hermod]

Hermod, I remember a Hudson's that had couture clothes, fine art galleries, a fine jewelry store with antique paneling imported from some european castle and numerous specialty salons. Crowley's had its own niche - but Hudson's was certainly ranks above. There was Hudson's bargain basement, of course - actually two floors of bargain basement that I thought would have competed with Hot Sam's.

Yes, Hudson's always outshone Crowley's [[same as most cities with two large department stores, one was number one). Crowley's always seemd sort of seedy to me.

You also had a book store, a toy store, and a furniture store in Hudson's. A lot of what departments stores used to do hve become the province of various "category killer" big box stores.

I spent a lot of tie in downtown Hudson's with my wrist gripped in my mother's hand and my feet waving out behind like a flag as she charged through the store. My reward was getting an egg salad sandwich on whole wheat wrapped in the amazingly thick wax paper in the cafeteria at JLH.

[thomprod]

It was like walking into many, many different stores all in one building. An appliance store, a mens store, a stereo shop, etc, each on their own separate floor, in their own part of the building. It was like a high rise shopping center.

That was when the term "Department Store" had some real meaning.

[English]

English I was thinking the same thing when I heard the song recently. I love Joni Mitchell, and that is only one of her great catalogue of songs. If I may bring another good one My City Was Gone by Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders. I always loved that song and the music is dead on of course.


I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY CITY WAS GONE
THERE WAS NO TRAIN STATION
THERE WAS NO DOWNTOWN
SOUTH HOWARD HAD DISAPPEARED
ALL MY FAVORITE PLACES
MY CITY HAD BEEN PULLED DOWN
REDUCED TO PARKING SPACES
A, O, WAY TO GO OHIO
WELL I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY FAMILY WAS GONE
I STOOD ON THE BACK PORCH
THERE WAS NOBODY HOME
I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED
MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
SLOWLY SWIRLED PAST
LIKE THE WIND THROUGH THE TREES
A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO
I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE
HAD BEEN PAVED DOWN THE MIDDLE
BY A GOVERNMENT THAT HAD NO PRIDE
THE FARMS OF OHIO
HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SHOPPING MALLS
AND MUZAK FILLED THE AIR
FROM SENECA TO CUYAHOGA FALLS
SAID, A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO

Great song! I guess our generations will have to just build anew, but I don't know if we'll ever have the quality of workmanship of the past. Some of those grand old buildings just can't be duplicated today. :-[[

[English]

January Author Series
Detroit Historical Museum
Wednesday, January 19
6 p.m.

Michael Hauser, author of Remembering Hudson’s: The Grand Dame of Detroit Retailing will discuss one of Detroit’s most beloved retailers – Hudson’s. The J. L. Hudson Company redefined the way Detroiters shopped and enjoyed leisure time. A solid and lofty icon built by businesspeople who followed their passion, Hudson’s defined Detroit’s downtown, creating trends and traditions in consumer culture that still resonate with us today.

Tickets:
FREE - DHS Members
$10 – Guests - open to the public

http://www.detroithistorical.org/mai..._programs.aspx

Michael always brings a nice selection of memorabilia to share. And often attendees share their memories of going to Hudson's or working for Hudson's.

Thanks, Kathleen! It's on my calendar. Looking forward to it.

[English]

I remember the old Hudsons and the Michigan Central Station -- but as in a dream. I was very, very little the last time I was in both, and both were fading gems.

There isn't much from Detroit's glory days that I remember or have firsthand knowledge of. My mother had all these stories about each abandoned building, but I'd always ask "When did that close down?" and she'd say "Oh, you were a baby," or "you were a tiny girl."

I remember the Olympia being torn down. My bus from Bates Academy went that way. I also remember the Hudson's demo, but since I went to get my hair done across the street in the early 90s [[Library bldg. where Cafe was) and it seemed scary and smelly right before the end, I couldn't relate to the mourning. If it was that great, I told my folks, they should have saved it.

I was young and didn't know anything back then. This decade, I've traveled the world and seen old department stores. And I posted here about the Wanamaker's store in Philly at Christmas last year -- I cried and cried at its beauty. The stores of my generation are cardboard and glass and plastic -- I could not believe you could shop at such a place. It was also emptier and less frantic than Macy's in New York, so when the organist played, I could just linger and enjoy. I kept going back between breaks at my conference. And I was inspired to volunteer for Preservation Wayne this year. I hope to get even more involved with them in '11.

I think that's what makes it more poignant for those us under 40. We've never known a time when not only our city, but our state and our nation, were not all in decline. When will it end? Are our best days behind us?

I'm just sad that we torn down Hudson's. I know we wouldn't have Compuware or Campus Martius revitalized without that demo, but it still hurts. When they tore down Tiger Stadium, I finally understood what you guys are going through when you miss Hudson's. And when they tear down Cass Tech, I know I'll mourn again. It's like Detroit is a crack or a meth addict -- we keep mutilating ourselves needlessly. It's so sad!

[Stinger4me]

• As a child I can recall being downtown and seeing police horses tied in the covered alley which separated parts of the Hudson store.
• Seeing staff workers cleaning the brass.
• A super clean store with courteous and helpful sales people.
• Green delivery trucks making rounds in the neighborhoods delivering parcels to customers who called in their order.

[Hermod]

Green delivery trucks making rounds in the neighborhoods delivering parcels to customers who called in their order.

Not so much "call in" orders. When you bought something at Hudson's, the clerk would ask "will you take it with you or do you want it sent?" You could shop all day buying back to school clothes or Christmas presents and go home with nothing or next to nothing on the streetcar/bus. Depending on your address, two or three days later, the Hudson's truck would pull up and the driver would bring your packages to the front door. Free, gratis, complimentary, a service of Hudson's.

[fryar]

Not so much "call in" orders. When you bought something at Hudson's, the clerk would ask "will you take it with you or do you want it sent?" You could shop all day buying back to school clothes or Christmas presents and go home with nothing or next to nothing on the streetcar/bus. Depending on your address, two or three days later, the Hudson's truck would pull up and the driver would bring your packages to the front door. Free, gratis, complimentary, a service of Hudson's.

Sounds like a great way to shop, just my style [[eeeee-zeeeee).

[msamslex]

Hermod, I remember a Hudson's that had couture clothes, fine art galleries, a fine jewelry store with antique paneling imported from some european castle and numerous specialty salons. Crowley's had its own niche - but Hudson's was certainly ranks above. There was Hudson's bargain basement, of course - actually two floors of bargain basement that I thought would have competed with Hot Sam's.

Don't forget they sold appliances. My mom bought a side by side which I think she got at Hudson's. Had to be back in the 70's. They also sold material, notions, and machines for sewing and yarn for knitting if I remember correctly. Sundries too??

My grandmother always dressed up when we went downtown nearly every Saturday for a day of shopping.We always ate lunch on the mezzanine, I favored the slopppy joes or chicken pot pies as a kid. I was very impressed when my grandmother paid for lunch with her charge card.

Employees had a "book" and hand wrote out your receipt.

The store closed promptly at 5:45 and I remember rushing to the store's deli with my mom to pick up a loaf of Pepperidge Farms thin sliced bread and lunch meat, usually old fashioned loaf. I'm not sure if they still make that bread but I thought it was pretty good.

Back in the mid 80's I worked at Fairlane and many folk I worked with came from downtown and said when the store closed for the day it was closed. None of that staying open til 9 pm or holiday hours or 24 hours right before Christmas stuff.

Paying 10 cents to turn the knob on the ladies restroom stall door to unlock it. They always had me crawl under the door and unlock it from the inside. How cheap is that??

It's just so sad that kids will never know Hudson's, Crowley's, Kresge's, Woolworth's, the movie palaces, a downtown filled with shoppers, and the variety of stores on Woodward. Simply heartbreaking.