John A Brown

[striipidy]

Did they sell popcorn in the store?
I keep hearing stories about the downtown location being described as a maze, rabbit den, or fire hazard. Why is that?

[striipidy]

I worked at Capitol Hill Brown's in the mid 70's, in the basement. I remember trying to work those cash registers! I don't know if I ever rang anything up correct or not, but they were beautiful. JAB's name was marbled in the sidewalk in front of the entrance doors.

I never went in while it was an actual store, only corporate offices. What were the registers like?
Do you have any pics that were taken inside of the store, by chance?

[Prunepicker]

I never went in while it was an actual store, only corporate offices. What
were the registers like?
Do you have any pics that were taken inside of the store, by chance?

Prunette worked at Brown's for a summer job. Each employee went to
workshops in order to learn how to address the public, how to dress,
hygiene and any specifics about the department they were to work in.

She worked in the China department and was instructed to wear black, so
when she held the plate up the customer wouldn't be distracted. They
had to know the stock. This was a high schooler on a part time job.

There's hardly a place in town that has standards like that. BC Clark's
is one.

[striipidy]

I was told that Della had a strict dress code. Was it black bottoms, white tops??? Something like that.

So...did you or Prunella ever venture to the Kerr's ("Miracle Center") in Reding Shopping Center where the TG&Y at later on?

[striipidy]

And where in the world would there be room for all the dishes, washing machines, etc? The JAB looks so small to my mall-accustomed eyes.

[Prunepicker]

So... did you or Prunella ever venture to the Kerr's ("Miracle Center") in
Redding Shopping Center where the TG&Y at later on?

Firstly, Prunette is the wife and Prunerella is the daughter.

I don't remember Kerr's in Redding, but I do remember the TG&Y. What was
Kerr's Miracle Center?

[striipidy]

Sorry about that name mix-up. I will remember that in the future. Good names all around, though!

Kerr's Miracle Centers, as I understand it, was kind of an outlet store for the fancier downtown Kerr's (which was a major Brown's competitor for decades) They must have not done too well since the Shepherd Mall location closed in 1966 and left just the Reding location, which shut in May 1967. TG&Y moved in right after that.

[Prunepicker]

And where in the world would there be room for all the dishes, washing
machines, etc? The JAB looks so small to my mall-accustomed eyes.

It was on the second floor. By the way, Prunette worked there during
Christmas.

[Generals64]

Sorry about that name mix-up. I will remember that in the future. Good names all around, though!

Kerr's Miracle Centers, as I understand it, was kind of an outlet store for the fancier downtown Kerr's (which was a major Brown's competitor for decades) They must have not done too well since the Shepherd Mall location closed in 1966 and left just the Reding location, which shut in May 1967. TG&Y moved in right after that.

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TG&Y moved into the location in '67, while leaving the old TG&Y opened through the Christmas Rush....Was a fast remodel and store set as we were running out of time. Ernie Kitsmiller was the store manager....

[Prunepicker]

TG&Y moved into the location in '67, while leaving the old TG&Y opened
through the Christmas Rush... Was a fast remodel and store set as we were
running out of time. Ernie Kitsmiller was the store manager...

Generals64, I remember being at the Redding Shopping Center when Santa
Claus came in a helicopter. I know you were probably close to 70 years old
at the time... well maybe close. Was TG&Why there?

I was so excited. I was only 35 or 40, but you're a lot older...

[Generals64]

Generals64, I remember being at the Redding Shopping Center when Santa
Claus came in a helicopter. I know you were probably close to 70 years old
at the time... well maybe close. Was TG&Why there?

I was so excited. I was only 35 or 40, but you're a lot older...

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Yep, TG&Y was ther just in a different location. TG&Y was an original Anchor store along with Humpty Dumpty. The Helicopter landed in the back area of the center and he came through a Hallway that divided some of the stores....Then later on in years, TG&Y took over the old Kerrs building and was there until the demise....

[striipidy]

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TG&Y moved into the location in '67, while leaving the old TG&Y opened through the Christmas Rush....Was a fast remodel and store set as we were running out of time. Ernie Kitsmiller was the store manager....

Good info. I remember seeing the Kerr's name painted on the back exterior wall into the 90's.
Did you ever go in when it was a Kerr's?

[Generals64]

Good info. I remember seeing the Kerr's name painted on the back exterior wall into the 90's.
Did you ever go in when it was a Kerr's?

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Yes, I did...It was a place where they tried to send all of their out of season goods and yet, they tried to keep the Ker's atmosphere of an upscale Department store....

[striipidy]

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Yes, I did...It was a place where they tried to send all of their out of season goods and yet, they tried to keep the Ker's atmosphere of an upscale Department store....

I know the out of state owners owned several expensive department stores in other states, so maybe they funneled all the stock to Reding and Shepherd Mall.
It's funny that the owners blamed the smaller TG&Y in Shepherd Mall for their failure to be successful there.
I have a thread for Kerr's & Halliburton's running. Any memories or comparisons you'd like to share? I am especially curious about Halliburton's and Kerr's Uptown location.

[Generals64]

I know the out of state owners owned several expensive department stores in other states, so maybe they funneled all the stock to Reding and Shepherd Mall.
It's funny that the owners blamed the smaller TG&Y in Shepherd Mall for their failure to be successful there.
I have a thread for Kerr's & Halliburton's running. Any memories or comparisons you'd like to share? I am especially curious about Halliburton's and Kerr's Uptown location.

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When you are talking about the smaller TG&Y at Shepherd Mall who are you saying that they were not successful? The Number ONE Cubic Ft. in sales store in the TG&Y Chain was Shepherd Mall. There was no where for the store to expand in that mall so they (TG&Y) sent a bunch of US Assistants (at the time) in there to completely remodel the store and we built the counters Up to the ceiling so they could get MORE merchandise on the counters....I can't remember the store managers name right now but it was one of the best stores in the chain. All stores were judged by the Sq. Foot in sales except Shepherd Mall due to the amount of sales they were judged by the Cubic ft. The small store was put in because the owners of the mall were trying to get Ben Franklin in there and Ben Franklin wanted a toe hold in OKC even though there was an agreement they could not come into OKC....

[CarltonsKeeper]

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When you are talking about the smaller TG&Y at Shepherd Mall who are you saying that they were not successful? The Number ONE Cubic Ft. in sales store in the TG&Y Chain was Shepherd Mall. There was no where for the store to expand in that mall so they (TG&Y) sent a bunch of US Assistants (at the time) in there to completely remodel the store and we built the counters Up to the ceiling so they could get MORE merchandise on the counters....I can't remember the store managers name right now but it was one of the best stores in the chain. All stores were judged by the Sq. Foot in sales except Shepherd Mall due to the amount of sales they were judged by the Cubic ft. The small store was put in because the owners of the mall were trying to get Ben Franklin in there and Ben Franklin wanted a toe hold in OKC even though there was an agreement they could not come into OKC....

Sometimes I almost think you might have worked for TG&Y; I wonder what prompts me to have such thoughts?

[Prunepicker]

Sometimes I almost think you might have worked for TG&Y; I wonder what
prompts me to have such thoughts?

You're old, maybe as old as Gen64, ergo (therefore, wherefore, to wit
etc...) that's REAL old and you must be suffering from Oldtimers or
something like it.

I've seen him on the street corners, since the 1930's... LET ME REPHRASE
THAT! My great grandmother told my grandmother who told my extremely
young mother that she saw him with a sign that says...

WILL COMPLAIN FOR CASH!
NO CHECKS!

He's very good at it... complaining that is. I hear he has a Swiss Bank
account that's out of this world... He could start his own country.

[striipidy]

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When you are talking about the smaller TG&Y at Shepherd Mall who are you saying that they were not successful? The Number ONE Cubic Ft. in sales store in the TG&Y Chain was Shepherd Mall. There was no where for the store to expand in that mall so they (TG&Y) sent a bunch of US Assistants (at the time) in there to completely remodel the store and we built the counters Up to the ceiling so they could get MORE merchandise on the counters....I can't remember the store managers name right now but it was one of the best stores in the chain. All stores were judged by the Sq. Foot in sales except Shepherd Mall due to the amount of sales they were judged by the Cubic ft. The small store was put in because the owners of the mall were trying to get Ben Franklin in there and Ben Franklin wanted a toe hold in OKC even though there was an agreement they could not come into OKC....

No no. When Kerr's was fighting their Shepherd Mall eviction, Kerr's, Inc. blamed the small TG&Y (Kerr's was where Dillards took over) as bringing down the classiness in that wing. Shepherd Mall proved otherwise in court, though.

[Generals64]

No no. When Kerr's was fighting their Shepherd Mall eviction, Kerr's, Inc. blamed the small TG&Y (Kerr's was where Dillards took over) as bringing down the classiness in that wing. Shepherd Mall proved otherwise in court, though.

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That store was a training ground store for some of the best Store Managers TG&Y ever had. The managers had the advantage of having a larger store for a close at hand warehouse as well as having access to the new merchandise before the regular Variety Stores. There used to be a tremendous hobby shop directly across from the Small store and it was there that many of the managers learned the importance of watching Toy Trends as whoever owned the hobby shop was a great merchant. You know,the little store was quite a ways down from the old Kerr's store. It was there that I bought my wife her wedding present....43 years ago...Just thought about that....

[striipidy]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That store was a training ground store for some of the best Store Managers TG&Y ever had. The managers had the advantage of having a larger store for a close at hand warehouse as well as having access to the new merchandise before the regular Variety Stores. There used to be a tremendous hobby shop directly across from the Small store and it was there that many of the managers learned the importance of watching Toy Trends as whoever owned the hobby shop was a great merchant. You know,the little store was quite a ways down from the old Kerr's store. It was there that I bought my wife her wedding present....43 years ago...Just thought about that....

I hope you're talking about a gift from Kerr's, not TG&Y.

[Generals64]

I hope you're talking about a gift from Kerr's, not TG&Y.

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Yeah but I worked for TG&Y for so long she got quite a few gifts from T.G.& Y.
Man, I miss the Variety store business.....Read making of a merchant if you get a chance...

[papaOU]

I might be repeating earlier material but here it is. There was a John A. Brown's in Capitol Hill. Outside what were the front doors is the name of the store in stone. It has been renovated and houses government offices. Could be city, county, state or all 3. An office for RX Oklahoma is there on the second floor. The business adjacent on the east side was J. C. Penny's, an alley and a large church. Might be Capitol Hill Baptist.

The business adjacent to Brown's on the west side was Langston's. They had a "seconds" department in their basement. Used to be the place to get Levi's cheap. Adjacent to Langston's west side was Katz Drug. The sidewalk in front of that building is custom also. Don't know if just the name Katz or if the Katz figure is there.

To the west across Hudson from Katz was the S. H. Kress store. It also had a basement.

Straight south across Commerce from Katz Drug was OTASCO. Adjacent east of OTASCO was Jack and Jill's (Children Clothes) I think it was the last "old time" store to go out of business.

There are other's I remember but not in sequence as above. If I were to go up there and look I could.

[striipidy]

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Yeah but I worked for TG&Y for so long she got quite a few gifts from T.G.& Y.
Man, I miss the Variety store business.....Read making of a merchant if you get a chance...

That was a good read. I am hoping to find it on Amazon one fine day. I do miss TG&Y. Never really liked McCrory's or that terrible Bargain Time. They sold used book. USED BOOKS of all things.

So, was that Kerr's set up like Reding with seconds and off-season merch? I don't suppose you ever went to the Kerr's Uptown over on NW 24th, did you?

[striipidy]

I might be repeating earlier material but here it is. There was a John A. Brown's in Capitol Hill. Outside what were the front doors is the name of the store in stone. It has been renovated and houses government offices. Could be city, county, state or all 3. An office for RX Oklahoma is there on the second floor. The business adjacent on the east side was J. C. Penny's, an alley and a large church. Might be Capitol Hill Baptist.

The business adjacent to Brown's on the west side was Langston's. They had a "seconds" department in their basement. Used to be the place to get Levi's cheap. Adjacent to Langston's west side was Katz Drug. The sidewalk in front of that building is custom also. Don't know if just the name Katz or if the Katz figure is there.

To the west across Hudson from Katz was the S. H. Kress store. It also had a basement.

Straight south across Commerce from Katz Drug was OTASCO. Adjacent east of OTASCO was Jack and Jill's (Children Clothes) I think it was the last "old time" store to go out of business.

There are other's I remember but not in sequence as above. If I were to go up there and look I could.

Thanks for that info. I need to get a pic of that Katz sidewalk. I have an old photo my mom & an friend took in a photo booth at that Katz. Funny, she can't remember anything about any old store, but she can recall talking a booth photo in 1955.

[Generals64]

I might be repeating earlier material but here it is. There was a John A. Brown's in Capitol Hill. Outside what were the front doors is the name of the store in stone. It has been renovated and houses government offices. Could be city, county, state or all 3. An office for RX Oklahoma is there on the second floor. The business adjacent on the east side was J. C. Penny's, an alley and a large church. Might be Capitol Hill Baptist.

The business adjacent to Brown's on the west side was Langston's. They had a "seconds" department in their basement. Used to be the place to get Levi's cheap. Adjacent to Langston's west side was Katz Drug. The sidewalk in front of that building is custom also. Don't know if just the name Katz or if the Katz figure is there.

To the west across Hudson from Katz was the S. H. Kress store. It also had a basement.

Straight south across Commerce from Katz Drug was OTASCO. Adjacent east of OTASCO was Jack and Jill's (Children Clothes) I think it was the last "old time" store to go out of business.

There are other's I remember but not in sequence as above. If I were to go up there and look I could.

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That Kress store was built in 1965...the old one was further down the street. Don't forget Mr. Buck's, and then Emmer Brother's.....