From the roof of AM&A’s in 1960, very few of the buildings seen here would still be standing a decade later. While the venerable Buffalo retailing names like Tanke and Ulbrich, which dated back to the 1850s and 1870s, would hold on until the 1980s, the buildings they’d called home for generations would not. Most of the block was torn…
Source: Torn down Tuesday: Make way for the Main Place Mall – BN Chronicles
As always printer friendly copies:
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The following are from:
BUFFALO EVENING NEWS: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1916.
THIS quaintest of all American cities offers all that any other winter resort offers plus a great deal. A perfect climate, restful palatial hotels, romance, diversion, wonderful cookery.
For the sportsman racing. golf, yachting, duck shooting, quail a little distance out; and. within a radius or twenty-five miles every variety of land and and water game known to the semi-tropics is found and killed and brought back as evidence of the huntsman’s prowess.
Some very enjoyable excursions may be made from New Orleans down the Mississippi to the jetties or to Grand Isle; over Lake Ponchartrain to Mandeville. Chinchuba, Covington and Abita Springs.
Along the Mississippi Coast to Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian and Biloxi; short rail trips to Leake Borgne; to the pine hills of Magnolia and Chatawa; to the state capital, Baton Rouge.
The picturesque Teche country, in which dwell the quaint Acadians is distant from New Orleans less than half a day.
The route to this romantic wonderland can be as fascinating as the wonderland itself, if you travel on
The Panama Limited
Chicago to New Orleans in Twenty Three Hours.
Faster than the fastest schedule ever made before. A hundred percent more luxurious than any train ever run between North and South Ease, security, and freedom from care, the most satisfying cuisine, the most scrumptous surroundings; all these are yours when you travel this premier train to the Southland. No extra fare.
If you are going to Cuba, to Panama, to California or to South America, by all means inclue New Orleans in your trip. Over the Illinois Central you can do thai at minimum expenditure of money and time.
Leaves Chicago daily at 12:30 P. M.—Arrives New Orleans at 11:30 the following morning.
Illinois Central
BUFFALO COURIER EXPRESS
BUFFALO, N. Y., FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 9, 1930
Starting Today at 9 A. M.
Celebrates 25 Years of Success!
• • and to You Women who are judges of quality• •
• • whose Touch tells of Fabric are Judges of Quality • • whose Eyes tell of Workmanship • •
• • to whom the Language of Fashion is an Open Book • •
Even back in 1905, when Berger’s started business as a little one floor Shop, discerning Buffalo women were prompt to recognize it as a Shop catering to those seeking the unusual . . and because Buffalo women appreciated the smarter Fashions . . the more personal Service found at Berger’s, the little one-floor shop Grew . . and Grew . . and GREW!. , until today Berger’s is quoted as the finest Specialty Shop between New York and the Coast.
to ” Thank Buffalo” for the Great Success which gave Berger’s in 1929 the Largest Per Cent Increase of Any High Class Store in the United States
Finally from the Niagara Gazette in 1926:
I really hate falling into rabbit holes and today I blame the guys over at Forgotten Buffalo.com (and facebook) for today’s rabbit hole. The Rainbow Centre mall was part of the dystopian future envisioned by the proponents of Urban Renewal (aka tear down any interesting 19th century buildings and replace them with stuff designed by Brutalist style flunkies). I can’t fault the designers of the Rainbow Center too much- the inside was modern and very cool- the outside had all the stylings of a soviet era parking ramp (well considering that it was built inside of a parking ramp…)
Why yes, Google Street view comes in handy again…
This lovely view is what people coming from the falls itself would see- again so inviting:
The first view of the parking ramp err mall from Canada:
And people wondered why people think of the American side of the falls as being ugly…
A few newspaper clippings from 1982
List of stores opening day, July 2, 1982
BON APPETIT* Food Court
FOR FASHION
FOR GIFTS TO GIVE AND SOME TO KEEP
FOR FAMILIES AND FUN
FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY
A few other random ads I found in the rabbit hole
The thrift store. the funky smells, the Bible verse screaming woman, the men in dog collars… err wait not that sort of post today. One of the fun things to do when at the thrift is to look for old store tags. If you are lucky the store separates the “New with Tag” clothing from the regular donations. Those racks can be a treasure trove of old price tags from old school and dead retail (and a few laughs when the thrift tries to price stuff for more than the final markdown price…).
This week was sort of boring in the old school price tags, but a few were found.
Ahh Kmart the land of the blue light specials. I’m not sure when Kmart switched over from using these tags to using the UPC scan system but I know these pants were in someones closet for quite a long time.
I can say these pants were in a closet somewhere for at least 20 years. Bon-Ton Stores bought out AM&As in 1994 and it took a few months for the rebranding to happen. I still miss AM&As. Bon-Ton is OK but it is not the same.
Hills is where the toys are! Growing up my family was not Hills shoppers- Kmart yes, Twin-Fair (later Gold Circle) yes, Two Guys yes. I don’t know if they didn’t like Hills or if it was their long time cash only policy. I really started to “shop” at Hills when I was in college. I would go to the Ames across the street since Ames had a much better Arts & crafts supply department but for some reason Ames could be empty but there would still be lines at the registers. I last shopped at Hills in Richmond, VA before moving to Texas. So I missed the whole Ames buying out Hills and running them into the ground.
The Sheridan Drive, Amherst, NY location circa 2007:
The Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY location circa 2007 (It is now a Kohls). The Big Lots is a former Tops Supermarket:
Not new but a few other fun finds:
A
A lovely 100% acrylic sweater from Grants department store. It was actually a fairly nice looking cable knit sweater but again- cheap acrylic. I’m sure Salvation Army was selling it for close to what it cost new.
Finally- the coveted clear memorex tape. Everything about this tape screams 1980s mix tape with a side of sitting by the radio waiting for the songs you love to come on so you could record it.
So that’s all for now.
