Rhodes Brothers, Tacoma, Washington













Rhodes Brothers (1892)
950 Broadway
Tacoma, Washington


Market Street
Budget Store

First Floor
Jewelry • Fine Jewelry Handbags • Small Leather Goods • Gloves • Umbrellas • Hosiery • Fashion Accessories • Neckwear • Blouses • First Floor Sportswear • Cosmetics • Toiletries • Cameras • Stationery • Candy • Notions
Men's Shop Men's Furnishings • Men’s Sportswear • Men’s Shoes • Men’s Hats • Men’s Corner • The Place

First Floor Balcony
Luggage • Sewing Machines

Second Floor
Intimate Apparel • Sleepwear • Lingerie • Robes • Foundation Shop • Uniforms • Jr. Lingerie • Shoe Salon
Young World Infants' Wear • Tots' Shop • Little Girls' Shop • Girls' Shop • Subteens • Hi Shop • Little Boys' Shop • Boys' Shop • Children's Shoes

Third Floor
Fashion Sportswear • Fashion Dresses • Little Money Dresses • Casual Dresses • Terrace Shop • Knit Shop • Better Sportswear • Better Dresses • Young Sophisticate • Young Tempo • Ms. Shop • Boulevard Shop • Formal Shop • The Gold Room • Bridal Shop • Career Coats • Salon Coats • Dress Circle • Salon Suits • Fur Salon • Millinery • Maternity Shop
Miss Tacoma Shop Junior Dresses • Junior Sportswear • Junior Coats • Juniorette Shop • The Place

Fourth Floor
Linens • Bedding • China • Glassware • Silver • Gifts • Accessories for the Home • Pictures and Mirrors • Housewares • Electricals • Major Appliances Art Needlework • Books • Toy World • Sporting Goods

Fifth Floor
Curtains • Draperies • Yardage • Rugs • Lamps • Furniture • Mattresses • Televisions • Radios • Stereos • Credit Office • Cash Office • Personnel Office

Sixth Floor
Tea Room • Photo Studio • Beauty Salon



November 12, 1954
March 15, 1957
1959

October 27, 1960
May 3, 1963
February 14, 1964
October 1, 1965
1974










9 comments:

  1. Hi BAK,
    I just found your very fun blog~I was born also in 1958 and came to the US from England in 1959. We found a home in Oregon close to Portland. One of our very special yearly events was to travel to the city to go to Lloyd Center, and one of our stops was Meyer & Frank. I have two very special finds that I found at the Goodwill online both from Department Stores. One is a very small demitasse spoon from Bonwit Teller still in its little box. The second and the reason I came upon your site is a beautiful Cream and Sugar with the label Rhodes Bros. Tacoma on the bottom. It is china with an Art Neuveau pattern very beautiful. My question to you is Did Rhodes ever make or at least mark china with their store name? Normally I would not even question that but I see no other china anywhere online marked Rhodes Bros Taocoma. Since you are an expert on this subject I thought you may know.
    thanks for your great site and your time
    Nicola

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  2. There is much cherished memorabilia from the Rhodes Brothers' store still floating around Tacoma & Pierce County. It was a much loved & remembered store. I have a large hanging "Maternity Shop" sign, professionally lettered, which I understand was from the store. Do you have any information on the layout of the departments, etc. or where I could locate historic photos from the store? -Phil oldbrickhousefarm@yahoo.com

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  3. This is a GREAT blog! I remember Rhodes very well. Growing up in Tacoma it was always a GREAT to go to Rhodes. Christmas in all of downtown Tacoma was really special. I remember when they would put up the tree in front of the Roxy, now Pantqges, theatre. It was a huge deal and everyone showed up for the lighting. Then all the streets would be festooned with lights and bells. We would go shopping not only at Rhodes Brothers but also at The Bon, Penny's and The People's Store. Sears was a block or two away and out of the normal shopping area. We would always stop to see the beautiful window displays and, being a boy, I was fascinated by all the moving figures. However, my favorite memory of Rhodes was the train they set up on the 4th floor in the toy department. I believe the whole floor was turned into the train ride as they had tunnels and all the cool stuff that kids Christmas dreams are made of. It was one of the amusement park trains that was set up for the Christmas season. I remember it like yesterday. I recently met the person who ended up with the ride on amusement train from Rhodes. Christmas was a magical time in Tacoma and my dad and mom would take me shopping. We always stopped for mashed potatoes and gravy and went to all the stores on broadway. Let's see if I can remember them all. There was woolworths where everyone caught the bus or transferred, Addison electric where my parents bought my first tape recorder, Payless drug store, The metropolitan dime store, Kress's store, Horlucks ice cream store, Mierows jewelers, Lerners stores, then there was the Manning's Market. It was more of less the Pike Place Market of Tacoma. I also remember The Mecca Cafe, the California Oysterhouse, the U and I cafe, and lots of other by gone establishments. My mom worked at The Bank of California and my 'dad at the Washington building for the IRS. They could see each other from their windows and wave at each other throuout the day. Downtowns are mostly gone now, but not forgotten. There is something magical about saying you are going downtown as opposed to heading to the mall. Downtown just sparks a romantic feeling that just cannot be duplicated. Thanks again for your cool blog.

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  4. John Deible and I use to ride are bikes from 84th street to down town. Have fun riding in the sears parking garage and go to Woolworths have milkshakes! Sure miss them days! Benny Goss

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  5. John Deible and I use to ride are bikes from 84th Street to downtown Tacoma and ride around in Sears parking garage! Then go to Woolworths for milkshakes
    ! Them where the days!

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  6. I worked part-time, evenings and weekends, at the Lakewood store about 1970-71. My husband was a 2nd Lt. at McChord AFB and my "day job" was as a secretary at Pacific Lutheran University. My job at Rhodes was in the business office as the switchboard operator. I worked with the nicest ladies there. I remember each dept. on the sales floor had it's own clerk and customers paid for their purchases in the dept. the items were in. There was also a little coffee shop on the sales floor, that employees and customers could use. Each December there was a Santa Breakfast in the coffee shop for children and that event was quite popular. Rhodes carried the nicest items, I thought. I still have in my home several decorative items I purchased at Rhodes, three of the items still have the Rhodes sales tag on the back. The reason I took the part-time job at Rhodes was to earn money to purchase airfare for my mother and younger sister to fly from Denver to Sea-Tac to visit us for Christmas 1972. Rhodes was a wonderful experience--all around for me as an employee and a customer.

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  7. I found a box with Rhodes brothers, Tacoma inscribed in the top of the box with a bib and baby bonnet inside. I believe this belonged to my mother or grandmother. Is there somewhere I can donate it to?

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  8. I have a rosette and timbale iron of my mother’s. The price sticker is labeled Rhodes. She paid $2.25 for it. It must have been a souvenir purchase when she lived in Longview, WA and made a trip to Tacoma. She made rosettes every Christmas from the time I was a toddler in the 1950’s.

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  9. I have a beautiful ca. 1935 colorized 8X10 photo of my mother that is stamped on the back "Photograph Studio of RHODES BROS. TACOMA, WASH." It has the negative number on the back. It also says the negative will be kept on file! What I wouldn't give for that negative now! I see in the directory on this site that the photography studio was on the sixth floor. Great to know exactly where my mother went to get her portrait taken some 86 years ago:)

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