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| Walker's opened in downtown San Diego in 1935, but wasn't renamed Walker-Scott until the 1950s. |
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| The 8-story building was a combination of Spanish and Art-Deco influences. |
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| The store eventually took over a few floors of the adjacent Owl Drug building next door. |
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| Walker Scott . . . The Friendly Store |
Walker Scott Company
1014 Fifth Avenue at Broadway
San Diego, California
Belmont 3-8221
Lower Level
Charl-Mont Restaurant and Soda Fountain • Music Center • Records • Piano and Organ Salon • Toys • Televisions
Men' Shop Men's Furnishings • Men's Sportswear • Natural Shoulder Shop • Men's Clothing • Varsity Shop • Cambridge Shop
Street Floor
Fine Jewelry • Fine Silver • Watches • Clocks • Costume Jewelry • Hamndbags • Small Leather Goods • Gloves • Fashion Accessories Boutique • Hosiery • Hat Bar • Blouse Bar • Neckwear • Handkerchiefs • Umbrellas • Street Floor Sportswear • Street Floor Lingerie • Cosmetics • Toiletries • Stationery • Cameras • Fine Candies • Epicurean Foods
Second Floor
Closet Shop • Notions • Luggage • Shoe Salon • Boulevard Shop • Complete Optometric Service
Third Floor
Hat Bar • Dresses • Blouses • Sportswear • Coats • Suits • Better Dresses • Town and Country Sportswear • Andrea E Shop • Fifth Avenue Shops • The Gold Room • Del Pacifico Shop • Millinery • Bridal Salon • Junior Whirl Shop
Fourth Floor
Lingerie • Robes • Foundations • Bra Bar • Patio Shop • Maternity Shop • Portrait Studio • Beauty Salon
Young World Shops Infants' Shop • Nursery Furniture • 3-6x Shop • Boys' Shop • Girls' Shop • Children's Shoes
Fifth Floor
Gift Shop • Lamps • Pictures • Draperies • Bedspreads • Pillow Corner • Upholstery Fabrics • Rugs • Patio Furniture
Sixth Floor
Linens • Bedding • Bathroom Accessories • Hoover Cleaners • Fashion Fabrics • Needlework • White Sewing Machines • Sleep Shop • Hide-A-Bed Center • Furniture
Seventh Floor
Homewares • China • Glassware
Eighth Floor
Top o' the Town Gift Shop • Major Appliances • Books • The Bay Room • General Offices • Personnel • Credit Sales Office • Cashier
(110,000 s.f.)
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| La Jolla Girard at Wall 1959 |
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| College Grove Highway 94 at College July, 1961 160,000 s.f. Helix House |
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Kearney Mesa
2335 Linda Vista Plaza
August, 1963
41,000 s.f.
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| Escondido Village Valley Blvd. and Ash St. East March, 1964 60,000 s.f. |
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| Clairemont Clairemont Square March, 1967/1973 63,000 s.f. |
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| Lomas Santa Fe Plaza of the Four Flags October, 1969 30,000 s.f. |
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El Cajon
El Cajon Plaza
March, 1967
50,000 s.f.
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| Ocean Beach 4878 Newport Avenue February, 1970 |
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Palm Springs
Palm Springs Mall
March, 1970
63,000 s.f.
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San Carlos
1973
Mission Valley
1973
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| Mira Mesa Mira Mesa Blvd. at Camino Ruiz February, 1975 63,000 s.f. |
There was also one at The City complex in Orange, opened in October 1970. This and the Palm Springs store were Walker-Scott's only two stores outside San Diego County. The Orange store was sold to May Co. in early 1974. Also, did this have any connection to Walker's of Long Beach?
ReplyDeleteWhen I get around to adding the history text, you will see that Walker's was first a store in Los Angeles, that opened a Long Beach branch. The next move was to San Diego. The Walker's in Long Beach had a branch, which was taken over by The Broadway. Ralf Walker died before the San Diego store opened, and his widow opened it with Scott, a young business partner under whom the store prospered in San Diego, and it was eventually renamed Walker-Scott. The Los Angeles and Long Beach stores were not as slong-lived.
ReplyDeleteThere were also Walker-Scott stores in Solana Beach at Lomas Santa Fe Center, and somewhere in Oceanside. I'm unsure of the opening dates of those stores.
ReplyDeleteDid Walker Scott have anything to do with Chicago's Carson,Pirie Scott store? The Walker Scott logo looks very much like CPS's....
ReplyDeleteNo affiliation with Carsons. Boston Store of Milwaukee used to have a logo very much like Carsons classic 50s-70s era logo, but Boston Store was owned by Federated, while Carsons was its own company. Federated sold Boston Store to Peoria-based Bergner's in 1985, and moved their HQ's to Milwaukee, then bought Carsons in 1989. Today, they are owned by Bon-Ton Stores of York, PA, along with Younkers of Des Moines, Herbeger's of Rochester, MN, Elder-Beerman of Dayton, OH, and the Parisian stores in the Detroit area (from the former Birmingham-based Nordstrom-esque chain). All divisions, except Bon-Ton and Parisians, have the red hexagons next to their script logos.
ReplyDeleteI worked for the company from 1979-1989. The corporate headquarters were located near I-5 & I-8 at 908 Sherman ST/5252 Lovelock ST. The chain was acquired by Desmond's and Associates who took it private in 1986. They began to shut down and liquidate the chain in 1986 and completed the liquidation in 1989.
ReplyDeleteThere were 14 stores that operated during the time that I worked there (The store number is the number used to route merchandise):
Downtown (5th & Broadway--Store #2)The building is in use as of 2012. I was in this building once. It was the first of the 14 to close.
College Grove (Highway 94 and College Grove--Store #3) closed in 1987 and was demolished soon thereafter. I was here often.
La Jolla on Girard in La Jolla (Store #4). It also closed in 1986 or 87. I'm quite sure that the building has been demolished and replaced. I was never in this store.
Oceanside (Store #5). I was in this store once. I know that it was west of I-5 and I think it was on West Mission. It was a smaller store. I don't know if the building still exists.
Escondido (Store #6). It was either the second to last or last store to close). I visited this store on occasion. The mall was radically remodeled as WS moved out.
Lomas Santa Fe (Store #7). I never was in this store. I do not know the status of the building it was in.
National City (Store #8). This store was originally a Penny's store in the 50s or 60s. Walker Scott opened it along with the Pacific Beach location under the name Savers. They were converted to a regular Walker Scott store about a year after opening. It was on the corner of Highland & National. The replacement tenants went under the name Price Breakers. They are still there today. I was in the store this week.
San Carlos (Store #10). I don't remember where it was. I was only there once. It was in a Big Bear Supermarket mall.
Palm Springs (Store #11--Tahquitz & McCallum in Palm Springs). It was the last or second to last to close. It had a gigantic chandelier in it that was removed by the new tenants, Buffams. They vacated shortly thereafter. I understand the location is vacant at this time.
Pacific Beach (Store #12--Garnet Street, Pacific Beach). This was one of the 2 Savers stores that opened in 1982 or so. It was also an old Penny's store.
Mira Mesa (Store #15--Camino Ruiz & Mira Mesa Blvd). I was in this store once.
Mission Valley (Store #20-Next to what is now Macy's in Westfield Mission Valley Shopping Mall). One of the smaller stores. I shopped here often because it was closest to where I lived.
Clairemont (Store #21--Clairemont Square at Clairemont & Clairemont Mesa Blvd). One of the last to close.
El Cajon (Store #22--Between Main St & I-8 on Magnolia). I'm pretty sure it was torn down years ago for redevelopment.
The City (Orange County), Ocean Beach, and Kearney Mesa were all gone before I came on board in July of 1979. Everything else was gone by 1989.
Oh, and one final thing, the 908 Sherman ST location has been a self-storage facility since 1987-1988 and the 5252 Lovelock ST location is now a Toyota body repair shop.
the Walker-Scott store in LaJolla was lovely
ReplyDeleteI have 2 original $10 Walker Scott coins (1974) in their original holders. Do you know of anyone who would be interested?
ReplyDeleteI remember the Walker Scott at the Clairemont Square. Going there after Mass on many a Sunday with my grandmother, mother, brother and sister. I got a pair of PF Flyers there (just had to have them), and they had maybe the greatest appliance salesman in history also working there. He talked my mom into new washers, dryers, and refrigerators, as much as he could.
ReplyDeleteThey also good prices on Levi's 501s, Hang Ten, and OP shorts, and shirts, which were all the rage from about 74 to 77, or so. As I recall.
Buffum's too was another store we'd visit. Making the trek down I-5 to Fashion Valley, before 52, and 805, were built. My nephew, got his foot caught in the escalator one time, at that store. He survived though, because we got his picture taken in the photo studio, a few minutes later. Must be a family thing because my older son also did it a few years back. He's no worse for wear either.
We lived in University City, which was the end of San Diego proper back in those days. I remember distinctly Genesee; dead Ending at Governor Drive, all that open space! I got as much time running through Rose Canyon, in clothes, and shoes, bought at either Buffums, Walker Scott, or Millers Outpost, then my kids have on the X-box.
It aint just the stores that have changed.
I was the Store Manager at the Oceanside location and then the Mira Mesa location. The company was a real challenge to work for.
ReplyDeleteAm looking for photos taken inside the Walker's Dept store in Long Beach, at 4th and Pine. Especially the beauty salon. I worked there in 1966. Fond memories. The Walker's building in LB is now loft apartments. There's one for sale that I'd buy if I had money!
ReplyDeleteThe Walker Scott store in Oceanside had been a W.T. Grant, opened in 1955, and expanded to a Grant City in 1972. It was in the Mission Square shopping center, adjacent to Von's #51, at the corner of Mission Avenue (then Highway 76) and Interstate 5. When Grant's shut down in 1976, the store was empty for about a year before Walker Scott went in.
ReplyDeleteThe location still exists but has been subdivided. The front portion is now a 99-Cent Only store; the back half is Harbor Freight, and the rearmost is an MMA fight club.
I remember the Linda Vista, College Grove and Downtown locations.
ReplyDeleteI recently learned that the Downtown store housed San Diego's first escalators.
I recall my first encounter with these very unusual looking escalators, in 1970, when I was seven. I remember asking my mom, "Are these escalators?" She smiled and told me that they were.
These escalators had very unusual handrails and balustrades. The handrails were coiled metal, caterpillar-like handrails, called bellows. These were likely Peele escalators, according to my research. I remember thinking that the handrails would pinch my hands. The balustrades pointed upward and then tucked under. These were very long, steep and narrow escalators, and I got a little dizzy on the down escalator to the street level.
This eight story building also had several elevators with operators. My sister and I were absolutely fascinated, as we watched the operators work the elevators: manually opening/closing the doors, pulling the levers and seeing the number of each floor as we traveled with our mom and grandmother between floors.
I would love to see some pictures of the interior of this store, especially pictures of the escalators. So far, I have not been able to find pictures of these type of escalators on the web. I have seen a picture of Otis escalators with bellows handrails.
The San Carlos store was in the mini "stip mall" behind the Big Bear and Sav-On stores near the intersection of Navajo and Jackson. The Walker Scott store faced Navajo.
ReplyDeleteI too use to work at Walker Scott. I have really enjoyed reading these passages. I thought I'd add my memories for others too.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the College Grove Walker Scott. I was a "contengency" employee which meant that there was no set schedule. They called you when they needed you.
Every morning before that store would open, they would always open with a daily prayer. Everyone stopped what they were doing and participated. Mr. Scott was very religous.
The ads in the newspaper always said, "After Church." He would never open the store on Sundays until twelve noon, so as not to interfere with church.
I worked for $1.65 and hour and worked in all the departments. I did quite well in linens and fabrics.
I always remember the folks coming up from Mexico and practually buying out the store. I would wait on those folks, teat them nicely and get major sales. Back then to spend $500.00 on clothing, 501's etc. was a big deal. The "regular" employees use to get mad that I took the sale because I was not on commision and they were. They should have treated the Mexican customers better and they would have had the sale. I loved them.
Walker Scott always said that "To sell fashion, you have to dress fashion." I hated that because we'd have to wear dresses and heals and also climb ladders that way. But the good thing was with this belief, they gave all the store employees 25% off all their own purchases including what was on sale.
Walker Scott was one of my first jobs. I worked there during 1969. My boss wanted to take me with her as a fashion buyer. She wanted me to relocate with her to Palm Springs when they opened that store.
I remember the "bell system" used to page a manager. One bell ring was this manager and two the other etc.
I also use to work their freight elevator in the College Grove store. That was very intersting, manually operated. I learned alot about how elevators work which even helps me today.
Below the Walker Scott was a Safeway store. College Grove Shopping center was so different in those days. I think College Grove was one of the best of all the shopping centers in San Diego.
I have lived in San Diego since 1955. I wasn't born here; but, I can remember so many things of the early days here. In fact, when I first moved to San Diego, there were no freeways! Can you believe that? The main road to LA etc. was 101 and then 395. I-5 took over 101 and I-15 took over 395.
Gone are the days of the customer service and also the caring for the employees. I don't think you'd ever see an employer give their employees all 25% off on their purchases.
The overall quality of the merchandise at Walker Scott was very good. Although, I sort of got tired of hearing all the time how that store was answering so much to their "stockholders." In those days few owned stock. And, no stock was given to the employees.
Anyway, good reading from others as well.
Insodently, Walker Scott was famous for their white chocolate of which you had to ask behind the counter in notions to get. And, then you'd have to go back to some storage area near the dressing rooms to get the boxes. I always thought that to be kind of wierd.
Sam's Club is now in the old College Grove building.
Bob King. January 6, 2013
ReplyDeleteI worked at Walker's downtown San Diego in 1951 as a cosmetics stock boy....in all modesty, the ladies loved me. Of course, the job was part-time as I was a student at Hoover High and at E.R. Snyder Continuation High School.
Fun days.....and I was able to buy my "steady", Nancy, some great fragrances and other merchandise. She appreciated those gifts very much.
Walker's had a "club" for high school girls called "The Hi-Debbers"......there may have been a monthly meeting of this "club"....don't know exactly, but I do recall that there'd be a whole passel of young ladies on occasion.
Do recall some of the words to the Hi-Debbers song....."Hi, Debbers, hi, Debbers, what do you know and what do you say?"
Pretty good marketing......at these meetings, Mr. Waljer would lead the singing......good stuff!
Fun store......lower level had some storage rooms that were located under the sidewalks on Briadway and on Fifth.....very thick green glass 4" rounds were laid in the concrete.....provided some light and one could see the pedestrians feet.
Those days, and the days of Marston's, The Lion store and Jacobson's Clothing in the U.S. Grant Hotel, where I worked after military service, are part of a great "downtown" history in San Diego and in many other cities. Recall people actually "dressing up" to go "downtown". Alas, we'll never see those days again......but I can dream, can't I?
Fun site.....let me know if I can provide any information to you about Long Beach Buffums', Long Beach Desmond's, J. Magnin's San Francisco and other department stores with which in familiar.
majskyking@gmail.com
Another thought.....Orbach's.
Ciao.
Hello.
ReplyDeleteI have a women's shirt and jacket brand new with tags still attached to it from the walkers Scott store.
It's in perfect condition
If you're interested in this please contact me.
Beautymarkstudios@gmail.com