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    Bullock's Department Store
    Bullock's Department Store
    Bullock's Department Store
    Ebook200 pages1 hour

    Bullock's Department Store

    By Devin T. Frick

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    About this ebook

    From the store's beginnings in March 1907 until its closing on June 25, 1983, Bullock's was Los Angeles's store of choice. Throughout its 76 years of operation, Bullock's flagship department store became an icon, a commercial beacon in the vast city. The name Bullock's has engendered many memories in many people. For those loyal patrons who grew up, lived in, or visited the City of Angels, Bullock's was--and still is--a part of their lives. Bullock's was a rite of passage. From baby clothing to back-to-school gear, prom dresses to bridal gowns, Bullock's offered quality merchandise and exemplary customer service. The store's professional sales staff solidified its place in retail history. The staff knew you by name, and Bullock's was more than just a shopping destination. It was part of the community; it was your family and was always there for you.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateMar 23, 2015
    ISBN9781439650424
    Bullock's Department Store
    Author

    Devin T. Frick

    Devin T. Frick has written numerous books on California arts and institutions. The author has collected within this book numerous photographs that have not been viewed by the public until now. This is a must read for those who are interested in California history, fashion, and architecture.

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      Book preview

      Bullock's Department Store - Devin T. Frick

      did.

      INTRODUCTION

      The story of California’s Bullock’s department stores and the Bullocks Wilshire specialty stores begins with its founder, John Gillespie Bullock, who was born in the Paris province of Ontario, Canada, on January 14, 1871. When he was only two years old, his father, Joseph, a railroad man of Scotch ancestry, passed away, leaving his mother to take care of the family. When he was 11, John had to leave school in order to help with the family’s needs, his first job being a stock boy at Rheder’s Grocery for $2 a week.

      Over time, John’s responsibilities at Rheder’s increased, and he was given a delivery wagon. With great pride in this promotion, he took to the streets, soliciting orders and delivering them. Bullock zealously guarded against any errors. Years later, he revealed, it was my ambition while driving that delivery wagon to have, some day, as big a store as Rheder’s.

      At the age of 20, John received a letter from an uncle who lived in California, extolling the virtues and opportunities available out West. It lit a fire within Bullock. Sensing her son’s desire, John’s mother consented to the trip, giving him $150 from her small savings. In January 1896, Bullock made it across two countries and one large continent. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, the thrifty young man deposited his money in the Citizens’ National Bank. However, finding work in his new city was a difficult matter.

      In February of the same year, Bullock noticed a newspaper advertisement from a store at the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway, selling a large amount of bankrupt merchandise. Bullock went down to the store early the following day to secure employment, but a large crowd had arrived and filled the store. Bullock was informed by a man at the store entrance that he had all the help he needed and that they were no longer hiring. Bullock did not take no for an answer, and stayed near the facility as the crowds kept coming. With so many customers, the store was forced to lock its front doors and let customers out the back. Bullock weaved through the customers to find the man who had turned him away. His persistence paid off, as the man recognized him and, amid the mayhem, asked Bullock, Do you want to go to work now? John was paid $2 a day as a salesman in domestics. Thus began a new future for both men.

      Arthur Letts, the proprietor of The Broadway Department Store, was new to the area himself. In Bullock, Letts saw an eager and ambitious man and soon had him working in various departments, including men’s furnishings, and eventually, the buying department. As time passed, Letts awarded Bullock additional roles, such as superintendent, and saw in him the makings of a fine executive, one who was truthful, temperate, and direct.

      Over the next few years, The Broadway Department Store grew rapidly but haphazardly. The store itself expanded into adjoining buildings, on different levels. Expansion into a new, modern addition was in the works at the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway, but still more good fortune lay in Arthur Letts’s hands.

      In 1906, an Eastern-based company began building a store at Seventh Street and Broadway. The company’s capital ran out, however, and the structure’s steel frame was halted at the seventh floor. This Tehama building was now half-built and without a tenant. The owner had few options but to submit an offer to Arthur Letts, who was interested. Letts, however, felt that taking on the operations of another store could be difficult. Letts required that the rent on the building be kept low for the first 10 years of business. The owner, Edwin T. Earl, agreed, and Letts signed a 50-year lease on the yet-to-be-finished building. With a fully operating Broadway store just a few blocks away, John G. Bullock was put in charge of the new store at Seventh and Broadway.

      Arthur Letts’s confidence in Bullock led to the new store being named The Bullock, with a stipulation that it would revert back to the Broadway name if necessary. Providing $250,000 in capital for Bullock’s, Letts remained in the background, feeling that the stores should be kept completely separate. Bullock and his personally-chosen fellow Canadian, Broadway errand boy P.G. Winnett, retained full responsibility for the store from its inception.

      Bullock’s connections with the Broadway were severed on November 1, 1906. Arthur Letts and John Bullock did not communicate with each other until March 2, 1907, when Bullock invited Letts to see the new store prior to opening. Letts looked the store over with a smart eye and upfront criticism. The surrounding streets were in gridlock as thousands visited the new store. A large rooftop marquee illuminated the night sky. A newspaper described the opening gala: 2,500 people flocked to the opening of Bullock’s mammoth department store and packed the building from basement to rooftop garden and children’s playground. There seemed to be something for everyone, as curious patrons browsed the sales floors, viewing merchandise and floral displays while listening to live

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