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| Old Time Erie photo of the Boston Store by John E. Baker, used with permission. |
The incredible photo shown above was taken by former Boston Store employee John E. Baker around 1961, looking east toward State Street. The Boston Store had multiple entrances, and when it was raining or snowing people often cut through the store to get to the opposite street. The main floor had a high ceiling with incandescent lighting, which is captured in the picture of the store. The pillars were identified by letter, starting with "A" near the State Street entrance. Each department had a sales person and a cash register.
The Boston Store is on the National Register of Historic Places.
What do you remember about the Boston Store? If you would like to leave a comment, click on the title of the post above. You can then type your comment into the white box near the end of the article. Can't wait to read your memories!
Here's an old Boston Store shopping bag: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2013/02/shopping-my-closet-boston-store-bag.html
Reminisce about Downtown Erie at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com
I have fond memories of the candy counter right next to the escalator. They sold a candy I'll never forget and have never found since. It was shaped like a thin wafer - light green colored chocolate on the outside and the creamiest caramel on the inside. YUM! Also loved the mezzanine which was located behind the photographer to the left. And buying all the colors of shaker sweaters in the women's/girls department and saving my money to get as many colors as possible. There never was and never will be a store to compare.
ReplyDeleteI had the navy blue and the cranberry colored shaker sweaters. I'd love to have another one now. And.. a Pea coat!
DeleteAlso next to the escalator (see post from 2:55 PM) you could pick up the Top 40 list from WJET radio. Occasionally they would have special lists, such as the Top 500 songs of all time. I still have one copy of that list from the 1960's.
ReplyDeleteOn a floor above there was a restrurant where luncheons could be held. I attended one such luncheon to "honor" the football players of the Save an Eye classic played onThanksgiving Night at the "Stadium" (Academy High)in 1949 some of those in attendance were Joe Concilla,Gene Garn, Art Pitts, Marshall McCall
ReplyDeleteAl Baker. My coach for the East squard was a fellow by the name of Ted Robb from the Old Erie Tech. Talk about fond memories..........
Who can forget that the fifth floor was a kid's Mecca...best toy dept I ever visited. And, I remember that the elevator attendant would announce the type of merchandise one could purchase on any given floor as the elevator doors opened. My fave announcement was "ladies better dresses"...no idea what floor that was!
ReplyDeleteThe Tower Dining room on the sixth floor?
ReplyDeleteI remember going to the Boston Store as a child in the early 50s to see Santa. I remember the creaky wooden floors and the magic feeling. My mother refused to ride the escalator so we always used the elevators.
ReplyDeleteW.C. Arnold
I frequented the BS cafeteria which was in the basement while I was attending Gannon in '71-'72. I think a bowl of hearty vegetable soup and a roll was all of a $1. A great bowl of soup hit the spot on a cold day as did being in the BS.
ReplyDeleteDuring my years as Gannon student (late 70s), lunch on payday in the Tower Dining Room, grilled cheddar with tomato on rye. The rest of the time, it was lunch in the basement cafeteria -- what a great milkshake they made!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the once a year jewelry sample/trunk show they had those years -- a finer kind of costume jewelry, on a student budget.
I have wonderful childhood memories of special shopping days with my mother at the Boston Store...Easter dresses, school shoes, our Christmas visit with Santa in the fabulous Toyland! Nearly every time, my sisters and I had the "Little Red Hen" dinner in the dining room...chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy...yum!
ReplyDeleteI certainly loved riding those escalators when I was a little kid (late 60`s).
ReplyDeleteI loved the Boston Store: trips with my mom (in the 50s)shopping for clothes and Christmas gifts and also after high school at Mercyhurst to meet all our friends in the cafeteria (early 60s)
ReplyDeleteThe "Little Red Hen" was my favorite too as was Breakfast with Santa. In the early 70's my friends and I went to "Charm School" on the 6th floor. After you completed the classes you got to model new fashions in the dining room during lunch. We also used to buy inexpensive makeup and lipstick in the basement. We thought the white lipstick was especially cool. I can only imagine how that looked!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I forgot about "Charm School"!
ReplyDeleteWhat nice memories I have of the early '50s...Meeting in the downstairs cafeteria or under the clock. I remember when it was opened until 9:00 p.m. on Monday nights and so often hearing "hey, are you going down town tonight - if so, I'll meet you out front of the Boston Store at such and such a time". Always lots of people and traffic on State St. that night.
ReplyDeleteMy memories of the Boston Store are painful to say the least. I was in the store with my mom about 1964 when I was 5 years old and I was running thru the middle of the clothes racks and ran smack into the metal rod at the end of rack with my head and ruined some clothing on the rack with quite a bit of blood. I remember one lady who worked there had a kerchief and my mom had tissues in her purse and they stopped the bleeding and that was the end of it. I don't think my mom had to pay for any damages either. I also remember the escalators and the store just being huge to me at the time.
ReplyDeleteI remember my mother taking me there as a young girl and being allowed to buy lollipops when we were finished shopping. Then as a young mother, I took my daughter there to have her first picture taken (with a baby doll which was purchased in the toy department.) It is very sad to see the clock where it hangs now!
ReplyDeleteOn the ground floor across from the escalator . I remember the green drinking fountain, the water stream was full and yet soft, and the most satisfying water stop ever. Engraved in the bowl were 4 words "Drink and be Refreshed". I have yet to find a fountain or a retail store that could compare . MMM
ReplyDelete"Mr. Selfridge" on PBS reminds me of the Boston Store. Great memories of taking the elevator and stopping after school at St. Ben's for a cherry phosphate before catching the bus home. We would often take the bus downtown to "shop" Woolworth's, Kresge's, the hat shops and the Boston Store. Great memories!
ReplyDeleteI spent so much time in the Boston Store with my mom in the late 50's on (I was born in 1951). I remember the jewelry counter near the escalator, having ice cream sodas on the mezzanine, a nice lunch in the basement cafeteria, shopping for Bobby Brooks clothes, the elevator attendants who called off what items were on what floors. I remember hearing The Doors "Riders on the Storm" being played while I shopped for Bobby Brooks fashions. All my friend met "under the clock" when we were downtown. One of my very last memories of The Boston Store was seeing an old boyfriend surrounded by girls and I wished I could talk to him. That was probably in, oh, 1971 or 72. I left Erie on March 31st, 1974 and have never returned. I miss my home town terribly. Maryellen (Mel) Heimo Meister
ReplyDeleteMy mother would take my brothers and me to the soda fountain in the basement in the 1960s--a favorite outing. I have a memory of a lovely green marble water fountain down there too--I wonder if it is still there! I too remember the creaky wooden floors, the escalators, the plush elevators, the handmade Christmas ornaments, the clock--the elegance of the whole place. It made such an impression me as a child--and it would have continued to give Erie a "there there." (I haven't lived there for years.) So sad that the mall put it out of business.
ReplyDeletei remember riding the escalators and visiting santa.
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was small ( about 1971) her grandmother and I took her (and her little brother) to the Boston Store. It was close to Christmas and EVERY kid loved to see Santa and his workshop. This was THE place to be! AS we started up the escalator we could hear Christmas music. My daughter was so excited she began hopping up and down on the step. Just as we were ready to step off her boot got caught in the gears of the moving steps. It began to chew her boot and twist her foot in unnatural ways. She began crying, clerks ran from every direction, people were trying to stop the escalator while others tried to "free" her. One clerk reached inside the boot and lifted her leg out. He calmed her down (and her mother too) and sat her down to tell her how brave she was. He took her to the head of the line to see Santa (and we all know Santa makes everything better). It was a Christmas miracle! As we left the clerk came over to tell us there was a surprise in the shoe department for her. When we arrived she was told she could pick out ANY pair of boots she wanted FOR FREE! I am sure she thought Santa had a hand in this too!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a newlywed (and for a few months before) my mother in law would get her hair done at the Boston Store Salon every Saturday morning. The routine was to get her perm or haircut and then go to the Boston Store dining room. Velma would invite me at least once a month to meet her for lunch. I was 17 and this was the most beautiful room I had ever seen. I felt so grown up. Through the years I learned many things from this lovely woman. Conversations, manners, etiquette. Once I ordered I would watch the diners to get clues on how to "do it right." If I remember there were mirrors on all the walls also. Thank you Velma for taking the time to make a young girl feel so important and grown up!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother was part of a craft organization that showed at Boston Store every year. I remember going with her to demo crafts and sell. My favorite the apple head people. I also have a picture of me kissing Santa Clause at Boston Store it was in the newspaper late 50's.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about four (In the late 1930s), my mother was concentrating on shopping, and somehow I found my way into one of the State St. side display windows. I was told that a crowd gathered as I proceeded to undress one of the mannequins.
ReplyDeleteA previous comment about the water fountain near the elevators struck a chord. I also remember the fullness of the flow. You could really get a drink!
My mom worked at as an Elevator Operator at Boston in the 50's.
ReplyDeleteI had my son's picture taken there when he was a year old. They put it on display in the front window. What a proud mama lol.
ReplyDelete