 
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 75
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 12:40 pm: |    |
My first job was at downtown Hudson's in the Book Department on the Mezzanine. I worked after school, and weekends.
For extra hours I also worked evenings in the credit authorization area on 8 (the 8th, 9th, 10, and 11th floors were closed as selling space by 1978 and the space converted to corporate use). For those who remember Hudson's protocol back then, if a credit transaction required authorization, and the credit rep could not authorize the sale, a floor manager was to be called and they would take over and call a manager in the credit dept. In the evenings that would have been me, interesting work to say the least.
After the downtown store closed in January of '83, I stayed there as a p/t credit manager. That was a strange time, as the bulk of the building was empty, and it got even spookier after the Buyers were moved to the Dayton's HQ. For those who remember this time frame, Hudson's kept the Woodward Avenue display windows decorated until 1984, I walked down to watch the trimmers at work, and it was sad seeing the once grand Street Floor so forlorn looking.
1978 was the first year the Hudson's put the city on official notice that it would close downtown unless the Caddilac Square Mall was underway by 1980. Downtown Hudson's lasted a couple more years than that and to Hudson's credit, they announced the official closing of downtown in July of '82, and kept the store running business as usual until December 31, 1982, and the downtown going out of business sale was
conducted low key, and by Hudson's itself.
There never will be another downtown Hudson's. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 694
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 12:48 pm: | |
Krapug, it sounds like businesses were more careful about issuing credit in those days. |
Chuckjav
Member
Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 896
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 2:28 pm: | |
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Aarne_frobom
Member
Username: Aarne_frobom
Post Number: 76
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 3:37 pm: | |
Seeing these pictures brings back a couple more recollections.
I was in the store when the world's largest flag was raised - well, lowered, actually - for Flag Day in 1970. That must have been one of the last times it was used. It was kept in a red, white, and blue wooden crate. I wasn't beefy enough to help lower the flag. The davits from which it was hung could still be seen on the Woodward face of the building when it was demolished.
Of the building's hundreds of windows, I don't believe that a single one was visible to customers inside the store, except from the 13th-floor restaurant. The rest opened only to offices and storage space, probably with the intention of keeping the customers' eyes on the merchandise.
You can see the difference between the Woodward and Farmer Street facades, in the picture behind the flag. The Woodward frontage was built in, I believe, 6 different stages comprising 7 segments as other buildings on the block were bought and demolished. The Farmer Street frontage was built all at once, during the single largest expansion, in, I think, 1925 or `27. |
Jimb
Member
Username: Jimb
Post Number: 10
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 2:09 pm: | |
FYI, Barnes and Noble (possibly Borders and maybe even other stores) has a book that's about Hudsons. I've looked through it and there are lots of great pictures from the past in it. Every page is an old picture and a little story about it. I forget if it's only the downtown store or not. B & N has a section with books about many Detroit-area related things (various cities, Detroit itself, Hudsons, Sanders, etc.) and that's where the Hudsons book is. As a side story, my sister was in town a couple of years ago, I told her to meet me at Twelve Oaks Mall in front of Hudsons, completely forgetting that it had been Marshall Fields for several years! Just like I still call DTE Theatre Pine Knob. |
Big_baby_jebus
Member
Username: Big_baby_jebus
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, October 09, 2008 - 2:01 pm: | |
This site has pictures of the Hudson's as well as many other long gone Detroit landmarks. Really a cool site.
http://onlyndetroit.com/html/r ip/rip.htm |
Steamaker
Member
Username: Steamaker
Post Number: 71
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, October 10, 2008 - 3:26 am: | |
Hey Johns, My mother worked at the Rainbow Store and at Fairlane in the Fine China section. Do you remember Laurie Lane? |
Johns
Member
Username: Johns
Post Number: 14
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, October 10, 2008 - 9:19 am: | |
Steamaker - The name is vaguely familar, but I can't place her. I was at the Budget store 1973-1975 and worked in security. I don't remember fine china being at that store, but it's been a long time. |
Jimb
Member
Username: Jimb
Post Number: 12
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Friday, October 10, 2008 - 2:30 pm: | |
Steamaker, would that be the Laurie Lane who went to school at St. Marys of Redford, had a brother Eddie, mother's name was Dottie? |
Steamaker
Member
Username: Steamaker
Post Number: 72
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 12:24 am: | |
No Jimb, She had a sister named Gail and her moms name was Viola. Johns, I don't know which department she was in at the Budget store. She worked in fine china at Fairlane. |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 136
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 4:41 pm: | |
If Jan M., who worked at Hudson's records in the mid sixties is out there, thanks for the tip. The Rolling Stones were, indeed, an up and coming band!
Someone still has my "England's Newest Hitmakers" album that came up missing a year later. Has my initials scratched near the label. Give it back! |
Sharms
Member
Username: Sharms
Post Number: 74
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 12:03 am: | |
I remember when you could go to the record dept at Hudson's and listen to the records...at least at the downtown store. When I had a summer job there, I used to go to the record dept on my lunch hour and listen to the newest Beach Boys and Beatles albums. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 753
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 7:03 pm: | |
When I watch the movie "A Christmas Story", I think that the neighborhoods and stores are probably similar to Detroit in it's heyday.
Can anyone confirm or correct that? |
Johns
Member
Username: Johns
Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 10:58 pm: | |
The story was based on the author's home in Hammond, Indiana. The exteriors were shot in Cleveland. Tours of the house are available. |
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 76
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 8:36 am: | |
The Department Store featured in A Christmas Story was Higbee's on Public Square, in downtown Cleveland.
Higbee's became Dillard's in the early 1990's, and the store itself closed after the Christmas Season of 2001.
It was Dillard's last downtown location.
The building itself was renovated into a mixed use complex.
Ken |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 755
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 8:44 am: | |
From the descriptions on this thread, it seems like that movie represented the experience of downtown shopping with the crowds, street cars, window displays, and multiple Santas. Then there was the blue collar neighborhoods with the school, bullies, walking to school, the Bombases' dogs. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 816
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2008 - 6:17 pm: | |
bump for the 10th anniversary of the implosion.
Any more memories to share? |
Chuckjav
Member
Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 993
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, October 24, 2008 - 11:08 pm: | |
Dfd....Yes - I feel the same, warm & fuzzy old-school Detroit vibe, when I watch A Christmas Story. |
Mauser765
Member
Username: Mauser765
Post Number: 3362
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 7:53 am: | |
"Did any of you ever witness any shoplifter struggles or takedowns?"
I saw a Harper Woods cop mace a guy in the parkinglot of Eastland for getting lippy - does that count ? This was two years ago tho..
heh |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 851
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 11:28 pm: | |
Check out this thread:
Old paper Hudson's Credit Card (1943) |
Lpg
Member
Username: Lpg
Post Number: 92
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 - 10:17 pm: | |
The Wikipedia list of J.L. Hudson's does not list the store located in the Lincoln Park Plaza at Fort and Emmons. It was one of the Budget stores. When Hudson's left it became a Farmer Jack grocery store. It now sits empty. I remember when Lincoln Park Fire Department got it's first aerial truck, they brought it to Hudson's parking lot to show it off. That was in the mid 50's. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 856
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 - 10:44 pm: | |
Did Hudson's have a "bell" system that would ring out numbers. ding ding ding...ding, (for dept. 31?) |
Johns
Member
Username: Johns
Post Number: 17
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 6:28 pm: | |
The old budget store used an intercom, and people had code #s. There were also numbers for the different areas of the store and security emergencies. Anybody could use the intercom and people were paging constantly. I think Northland used lighted numbers. |
Onthe405
Member
Username: Onthe405
Post Number: 89
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2008 - 12:24 pm: | |
Maybe someone else can shed some more light, but I believe the Wikipedia listing may have also missed a stand-alone Hudson's Budget Store in Madison Heights.
I seem to recall it was just a few miles south of Oakland---something like John R & 11 Mile? |
Detroitbred
Member
Username: Detroitbred
Post Number: 160
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Monday, November 03, 2008 - 1:08 pm: | |
John's you are right, Northland did use lighted numbers on the posts throughout the store. |
Sumas
Member
Username: Sumas
Post Number: 333
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 - 11:04 am: | |
I worked at Hudson's in the buying dept from 1977 to 1980. The Downtown Detroit Sales were the best. Customers would brawl over the bargains. |
Jungaleer
Member
Username: Jungaleer
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 - 2:11 pm: | |
I worked at downtown Hudson's from 1954 to 1960. I started at Shopper's Parking on Broadway which was owned by Hudson's. From there I went to the 19th floor and worked as a copy editor for the Basement Store Advertising Department. I thought I wanted to make a career at Hudson's so I needed sales experience and went to the Men's Dept. in the Basement Store. I eventually became a Sales Supervisor there while I was going to Wayne University. They wanted me to go into the Executive Training program, but by this time I decided I wanted to be a teacher and made that my choice. It was the right choice, but I loved my days at Hudson's. When I was on a break or at lunchtime, I would wander all over the store and used the employee elevators to snoop around all the floors that weren't sales floors. It was a fascinating place. I remember going to the Mermaid's Cave bar behind Hudson's after work on Wed. and Sat. nights. I also was in 4 Thanksgiving Day Parades and a few years after I left Hudson's sang in a Woodward Ave.window in a barbershop quartet for Good Old Summertime days.
Detroit lost a great institution when it lost Hudson's. |
Royaloakian
Member
Username: Royaloakian
Post Number: 104
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 - 4:09 pm: | |
The Hudson's budget store was at 12 mile & John R as I remember it. It is now a Kmart and at one time was also a Korvette store. My cousin Ray worked in display downtown until the 80's then at Lakeside till he retired. He always had the best Christmas display at home with what they threw out the previous year. |
Onthe405
Member
Username: Onthe405
Post Number: 90
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 - 1:23 pm: | |
^ Thanks for confirming my recollection of the Madison Heights Budget Store.
Re: your cousin Ray's hand-me-downs, I had a few myself. Although they would bring out many of the same artificial trees every year, the theme of the ornaments & decor changed annually. On occasion, they would package up the ornaments from the previous year and sell them in the Holiday Trim department the following Christmas.
Before the days of Made in China, I was amazed at how elegant-looking the stuff could be when it was really made of cheap materials, which would only make economic sense since it was only used for one season and most patrons were looking at them only from a distance. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 885
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 7:02 pm: | |
So what was it like to be part of the Thanksgiving Parade? Building, or riding on floats, walking etc. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 916
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 1:00 am: | |
What time did you have to report for "parade duty". |
Nemoman
Member
Username: Nemoman
Post Number: 11
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 1:13 am: | |
Hey Jungaleer: Do you remember my grandfather - Henry E, Heater? I think he was head of the music department in the fifties. |
Mortalman
Member
Username: Mortalman
Post Number: 491
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 9:13 pm: | |
I was working at the J.L.Hudson Company Department Store downtown on November 22, 1963 exactly 45 years ago today when word spread that JFK had been assassinated. Everyone, employees and customers just started wandering around like in a daze. I was on the 13th Floor when we got the word and I wandered into the Gift Wrap area where there were a lot of women working that I knew and there was lots of sadness and tears. When I left work I went to the bus stop in Cadillac Square to catch the Chene Bus home and saw the crawler on the Michigan National Bank, I believe, that was downtown with a news crawler going around the building that said, "Kennedy had been assassinated and was dead!" As I said that was 45 years ago today. It was a BIG deal on that day with it plastered all over TV, radio and newspapers. But, today I don't think I saw anything until tonight when I was on the internet and saw a video of the news report from that day. Pete Rozelle made a controversial decision to air football on the following Sunday which I think was a good decision given the depression that the country was in and the despair that was in the air. The J.L. Hudson Company went ahead with their Thanksgiving Day Parade a few days later and I was glad for lots of reasons. One of those reasons was that we were paid a day's wages for marching in the parade and I was 18 years old and needed money for the necessaries of life. That's the way it was 45 years ago! |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 957
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2008 - 12:54 pm: | |
bump
There's gotta be some great stories about Christmas time at the store. |
Jungaleer
Member
Username: Jungaleer
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 - 4:39 pm: | |
All 4 years I was in the parade I was one of the "Big Head" people. I remember arriving at Hudson's warehouse downtown in the dark to pick up my costume. The parade was very well-organized. The name Henry Heater rings a bell, but I can't say I knew him.
Christmas at Hudson's was magic. The store windows were magnificent, music was piped outside, and there were Salvation Army bell-ringers at every door. If I remember right, Toyland was on the 12th floor and I'm sure I went there every year from the time my mother first took me as a little kid until after I graduated from Wayne State. |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 912
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 11:49 pm: | |
bump |
Gingellgirl
Member
Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 229
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 9:41 am: | |
Johns, Detroitbred -
In addition to the tones and lights, there were code names called out for special circumstances (such as security). I can't remember the codes, but if you heard something like "Mr. Johnson, code 1" that meant a shoplifter was headed for the mall entrance.
My mom tells the story of a promotion at the downtown store that went on for several weeks. It had something to do with "thrifty," so naturally, it had a Scottish theme (talk about stereotyping!). Every half hour or so, they'd pump bagpipe music over the speaker system. Well, as you all know, a bagpipe is just the most soothing instrument in the world >>NOT<<. To this day, my mother cringes at the sound of a bagpipe. |
Johns
Member
Username: Johns
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 7:59 pm: | |
Our store's communication was entirely by loudspeaker, so there were codes for everybody and security requests.
I forgot about the music. The only time the overhead music stopped was for three hours on Good Friday and for pages. |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 301
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 8:48 pm: | |
Mortalman: I was at the store the weekend before, buying an album. Your description of the decision by Rozelle to go on with the NFL football game, and the decision by Hudson's to carry on with the parade reminds me of the decision to go on with the "Goodfellows" high school football game in Detroit, featuring the parochial high school champs vs the public school champions. Denby 7, Notre Dame 0.
The Denby coach's son attended Notre Dame, who had squeaked by Royal Oak Shrine in a scoreless tie at the Soup Bowl the week before. They had four yards more rushing! |
Dfd
Member
Username: Dfd
Post Number: 925
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 - 12:51 am: | |
Here is a qoute from another thread:
In 1979, I was a area sales manager for Hudsons at Northland. I had a PT xmas staffer going through some very very hard times. I went to my divisional manager to discuss this woman's problems. It turned out that my DM and her friends always devoted money at Christmas to charitable causes.
That year, they gave this one woman (she had seven children) $1000 dollars in cash. My boss asked me to give her a Christmas card, I did not know what was in it. This was on Christmas eve. My DM, told me to tell her go shopping. Gave her the day off with pay to provide for her family.
I still cry when I remember this story. The joy they brought to this woman was beyond words to describe. It was a true Christmas moment. I don't remember the name of the woman who received this gift but I will never forget the name of the donor. |
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