Hudson's

Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Hudson's
company_
slogan =
fate = locations re-branded as Marshall Field's in 2001
successor = Marshall Field's (2001 - 2006)
Macy's (2006 - )
foundation = 1881
defunct = 2001
location = Detroit, Michigan (1881 - 1969)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (1969 - 2001)
USA
industry = Department store
key_people = Joseph L. Hudson
products =
num_employees =
parent = Dayton-Hudson Corporation (later Target Corporation)
subsid =

Hudson's, or The J.L. Hudson Company, was a retail department store chain based in Detroit. Hudson's flagship store, on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit (demolished October 24 1998),cite web
title =J.L. Hudson Department Store
work = Services: Buildings
publisher =Controlled Demolition, Inc.
url =http://www.controlled-demolition.com/default.asp?reqLocId=7&reqItemId=20030225133807
accessdate =2006-09-16 ] was the tallest department store in the world as of 1961,cite news
last =Baulch
first =Vivian M.
title =How J.L. Hudson changed the way we shop
publisher =The Detroit News
url =http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=29&category=business
accessdate = 2006-09-16 ] and, at one time, claimed to be the second largest department store (next to Macy's) in the United States, in terms of square footage.

History

Founded in 1881 by Joseph L. Hudson, the store thrived during the growth of Detroit and the auto industry during the first half of the 20th century. The family also founded the Hudson Motor Car Company, which eventually became part of the American Motors Corporation.

Hudson's expanded into suburban Detroit, starting with the anchor store at Northland Center in nearby Southfield, Michigan, the largest shopping center in the United States when it opened in 1954. Similar suburban malls followed (Westland Center and Eastland Center), as well of other stores throughout the tri-state region. The Dayton Co. of Minneapolis acquired The J.L. Hudson Co. in 1969 to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, although "The J.L. Hudson Co." continued to operate as a semi-autonomous entity. Dayton-Hudson eventually acquired and sold several other department store chains.

The flagship Hudson's store closed January 17, 1983 (at the nadir of Downtown Detroit's decline). After closure, Hudson's maintained its headquarters staff of about 1,100 in the downtown store. In May 1984, The J.L. Hudson Co. formally merged into The Department Store Division of the Dayton Hudson Corp., although Hudson's stores continued to carry the Hudson's name. All executive and buying positions transferred to Minneapolis, and other staff moved to space at the Northland store in Southfield. The last corporate department in the downtown Detroit building, credit operations, moved out in October 1986. Dayton Hudson sold the building in December 1989, and it was imploded on October 24, 1998. Hudson's longtime warehouse on Brush St. in downtown Detroit closed to make room for the new Detroit Lions stadium, Ford Field. Ford Field partially incorporated the warehouse into its design.

In 2000, Dayton-Hudson Corporation took the name of its most successful operation, becoming Target Corporation, and one year later re-branded all Hudson's and Dayton's locations with the Marshall Field's moniker, an operation purchased by Dayton-Hudson in 1990. After being briefly owned by May Department Stores, the former Hudson's stores fell under the ownership of Federated Department Stores in 2006 and all Marshall Field's stores were renamed Macy's.

Former locations

All locations were converted to Marshall Field's in 2001 and Macy's in 2006, unless noted otherwise.

Indiana

*Fort Wayne - Glenbrook Square - opened 1981, Marshall Field's 2001, closed August 2005, vacant
*Mishawaka - University Park Mall - opened 1980, became Marshall Field's 1997, closed August 2005; store torn down 2007, site now open air shops

Michigan

*Ann Arbor - Briarwood Mall- opened 1974
*Battle Creek - Lakeview Square Mall - opened 1983
*Dearborn - Fairlane Town Center - opened 1976
*Detroit - 1206 Woodward Avenue - flagship store; closed 1983, demolished
*Flint - Genesee Valley Center - opened 1970
*Grandville - RiverTown Crossings - opened 1999
*Harper Woods - Eastland Center - opened 1957
*Portage - The Crossroads - opened 1980
*Kentwood - Woodland Mall - opened 1975
*Lansing - Lansing Mall - opened 1979
*Novi - Twelve Oaks Mall - opened 1977
*Okemos - Meridian Mall - opened 1982
*Port Huron - Birchwood Mall - opened 1997
*Saginaw
**Fashion Square Mall - opened 1976
*Southfield - Northland Center - opened 1954
*Sterling Heights - Lakeside Mall
**Main store - opened 1978
**Men's & Home Store - opened 2000 as Hudson's Men's & Home in former Crowley's location, became Marshall Field's Men's & Home 2001, Macy's Men's & Home 2006
*Taylor - Southland Center - opened 1970
*Traverse City - Grand Traverse Mall - opened 1992
*Troy
**Oakland Mall - opened 1968
**Somerset Collection - opened 1996
*Waterford Township - Pontiac Mall (now Summit Place Mall) - opened 1962; previously included separate Hudson's Budget Store
*Westland - Westland Center - opened 1965

New York

*Buffalo - Specialty store for men's and boy's wear operated on Main Street starting in 1886. In 1932, purchased by AM&A's and operated under the Hudson's name until 1946. This store was operated by Joseph L. Hudson's brother William from 1896 until his death in 1928. [Rizzo, Michael F. (2007) "Nine Nine Eight: The Glory Days of Buffalo Shopping" Lulu Enterprises, Inc.; Morrisville, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4303-1386-1.]

Ohio

*Toledo - Franklin Park Mall (now Westfield Franklin Park) - opened 1971, converted to Marshall Fields in 1992, now Macy's (2006).

ee also

*J. L. Hudson Department Store and Addition
*Dayton's
*Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

References

Further reading

*Hauser, Michael, and Marianne Weldon. (2004). "Hudson's: Detroit's Legendary Department Store". Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738533556.

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/de2/detroitpix/hudson_1.html A history of Hudson's Department Store] , and the subsequent status of the site after implosion of the building
* [http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/photobook/hudsons.htm Hudson's Department Store] at the official City of Detroit website
* [http://www.controlled-demolition.com/default.asp?reqLocId=7&reqItemId=20030225133807 Controlled Demolition of Hudson Department Store]
* [http://www.detroityes.com/downtown/index.html Detroit Ruins - pictures of the old J.L. Hudson Building Downtown Detroit]