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| The Lion Store's physical plant, shown here from the corner of Adams and St. Clair Sts., consisted of a number of connected buildings on Summit, Adams, and St. Clair Streets. |
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| The oldest portion of The Lion Store was known as the "annex" and fronted on Summit Street. |
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| Around the corner, On Adams St., The Lion Store's eastern-most component was a three-story structure. |
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| Just to the west along Adams St. was a lower, older structure which turned the corner around to St. Clair St. |
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| The façade of the corner building was the same on both streets. |
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| Continuing north on St. Clair St. was this 3-story portion, similar in design to the one around the corner on Adams St. |
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| The next section of the store was a two story storefront without an entrance. |
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| A more modern two-story section next to the previous one also had no entrance. |
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| The final component of the store on St. Clair St. was a 5-story commercial structure of four bays. |
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| In later years, the whole ensemble was painted white in order to unify the various buildings into one, but the cobbled- together nature of the store remained. |
Familiar with Toledo's department stores? Do you have pictures of The Lion Store, Lamson's, or Lasalle's, or interesting stories about your experiences with them? I need your help with a new book project, The Three 'L's: Shopping in Toledo's Big Three Department Stores. If you would like to contact me about this exciting project, you may do so by e-mailing me at bakgraphics@comcast.net
The Lion Dry Goods Co. (The Lion Store) (1857)
St. Clair, Adams and Summit Streets
Toledo, Ohio
Lower Floor
China • Silverware • Gifts • Housewares • Small Appliances • Clocks • Toys
The Lion Thrift Basement
Street Floor
Fine Jewelry • Jewelry • Watch Repair • Hosiery • Slipper Bar • Wig Bar • Hat Bar • Neckwear • Accessories • Umbrellas • Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Gloves • Popular Sportswear • Budget Lingerie • Cosmetics • Notions • Drugs • Stationery • Books • Records • Candy • Gourmet Shop • Trim the Tree Shop • The Copper Kettle Restuarant • Men's Furnishings • Men's Dress Shirts • Men's Sport Shirts • Men's Sportswear • Men's Clothing • Young Men's 11th Hour Shop • Rivets Shop • Men's Shoes • Men's Hats
Street Floor Annex B • Linens • Bath Shop
Street Floor Annex C Luggage • Art Needlework • Art Goods • Sewing Machines • Fashion Fabrics
Summit Street Annex Appliance Center
Second Floor
Dresses • Sportswear • Formal Shop • Suits • Fashion Coats • Women's World • Better Dresses • Designer Dresses • "77 " Shop • Sophisticate Shop • Ottawa Room • Fur Salon • Millinery • Bridal Shop • "Tempo" Shop • Junior Dresses • Junior Sportswear • Junior Fashion Coats • Young Juniors • Women's Shoes
Children's World Infants' Shop • Kindergarten • Infants' Furniture • Jr. Girls' Shop • Girls' Shop • Jr. Teens' Shop • Boys' Shop • Jr. Boys' Shop • Children's Shoes • Beauty Salon
Second Floor Mezzanine Casual Dresses • Casual Sportswear • Popular Dresses
Third Floor
Draperies • Floor Coverings • Mirrors • Pictures • Lamps • Furniture
Bowling Green
145 N. Main Street
May, 1944
Fremont
217-219 South Front Street
November, 1950
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| Westgate Central at Secor August, 1957 100,000 s.f. |
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| Southwyck August, 1972 Reynolds at Ryan Roads |
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| North Towne August, 1980 Alexis Road at 1-75 |
Coming in Due Course
I went a couple of times to the Lion Store in Fremont, but it was closed by 1970. I went more often to the store in Westgate. It was near my great-aunt's home there, and she would take us there as a real treat. I remember it well as it was my first escalator ride. It was still there when my daughter was a toddler and I took her to see TV favorites Patches and Pockets. Lion turned it into a home store when they took over an empty building (Lamsons?) at the Franklin Park Mall in the 1980s. The Westgate building remained open after Dillard's bought the chain and it closed in the late 1990s. Westgate was torn down in the 2000s, but rebuilt and has a Costco and some smaller stores. The Southwyck store was closed and demolished also in the 2000s. Northtown closed in the 1990s, although the building is there no stores are open.
ReplyDeleteThey took over Lamson's space at Southwyck, not Franklin Park. That space was Jacobson's. Bowling Green was gone by the 70s.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfather was AJ Pete, career-long employee [ahhhh for those days again!] and later President of the Lion Store from about 1934-1959 [?] He believed in the expansion of Toledo to the west/northwest after WW2 and committed Lion to anchor the new development at Westgate.
ReplyDeleteQuite a man. I wish often that I had the opportunity to have known him more deeply!
there was a location in downtown toledo that featured 2 lions at the enterance of the store.There was a picture of my mom sitting on one of those lions to keep the contractor from removing them.that had to be back in the late 60's
ReplyDeleteThe original flagpole from the downtown location flew over the gold lions (above post). When the store closed, that flagpole was turned into our family lamppost.
ReplyDeleteMarvin Yaffe was the men's clothing buyer and met our mother, Zandra while she was working in the shoe department.
That flag/ lamppost adorned our driveway till it rusted in half, 20 years after our parents had passed away.
Actually, Franklin Park Mall (now Westfield) built a fourth "wing" in the early 90's and the Lion Store was its anchor department store. Dillard's now is in the space. Jacobson's was demolished in the early 2000's and replaced with a movie theater, food court and Dick's Sporting Goods.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to take me by bus to the Downtown Lion Store in the 70's. I remember she always bought a bottle of lavender bubble bath that I think was made with the Lion Store name on it.
My Grandmother, Bertha Gunn, worked as a saleslady at Lion downtown in the Better Dresses Department! She always corrected people who mentioned she worked in dresses that no it was "better dresses"! My brother and I would take the bus from The Colony area to visit my Grandma. She would take us to lunch at the Woolworth lunch counter and we thought that was so cool! I remember walking over the grates in the sidewalks and being concerned about falling in!
ReplyDeleteI remember getting up early and walking to the great Southwyck Mall, to go to work for the Lion furniture department. I had 27 years in this department of selling great lines of furniture and bedding. Most often being the top salesman and being rewarded by mention from top management of the store. Unfortunately today where the Lion store once stood is nothing but a open field with weeds knee high, and no one seems to care of the area anymore.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great joys of going to the Lion Store with my mother in the 1920’s & 1930’s was seeing and sometimes sitting astride the life-sized stone lions that stood on the sidewalk outside the entrance. As mentioned in a memory shown above that is dated 11 Nov 2011, there were two of them. Whether they were carved out of solid stone or molded out of some kind of concrete-like substance, I don’t know, but they were brown and beautifully polished and always exciting to see.
ReplyDelete