Wurzburg's Department Store
In 1872 German immigrant Frederick W. Wurzburg arrived in Grand Rapids to start a store. He chose an existing building at the NE corner of Canal (Monroe) and Bronson (Crescent) now c.1968 the site of the City/County Building. The store opened on Nov 1872.
In 1872 at the corner of Crescent and Monroe The 1912 City Directory identifies it as 300-304 Monroe Ave in the Grinnell Bldg, the NE corner of the intersection.
GRPL Vertical File
GRPL Photo Collection
1870s 1896
In 1913 it opened at a new mid-block location between Crescent St and Lyon St. - 224 Monroe Ave
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GRPL Photo File
City Assessor demolished records identifies it as
Wurzburg Dept. Store, 220-32 Monroe NW, opened Nov 20, 1913 from Robinson
Neg 76F-A
It was while at this location that the first escalator was installed and the Santa Claus parade began.
In 1936 Wurzburg's Department store was purchased by S & H Green Stamps. See RSS: Wurzburg's, Grand Rapids
In 1951 the store moved into the former Herpolsheimer's building at Ottawa and Monroe, 101-113 Monroe Ave.
from the side showing the Wurzburg name where the Herp's name used to be.
from the front
CA The outline of these two buildings.
By the time I was a child it had expanded into neighboring buildings although I never went into the men's area. Stores and restaurants were like that then, women and men did not frequent the same places.
Wurzburg's had the Campau Room at the back and to the north It was very posh and I remember they had some special salad. Only well-dressed ladies ate there.
CA
There was no property card in the assessor's file.
Although we did our daily shopping at the neighborhood stores, my mother took us downtown to the BIG department stores for Christmas. We took the bus. I liked the ones that had a few single seats up front across from the driver. I liked having my own seat although my mother made me give it up to any elderly old lady who got on after we did which I thought was most unfair.
We stopped at Herp's Department Store who had Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer whose nose lit up when he talked to you. He would send a present down a chute with his hoof. There was a train that went around in the sky. I was only allowed to ride it once. It rattled and jerked. They had a Santa too but NOT the REAL one. He was really just one of Santa's Helpers, a big elf, dressed up to look like Santa.
There were more helpers dressed like Santa standing on the street corners ringing bells by big red kettles but they didn't give out any presents. Then it was onward as my mother dragged me along the snow-covered sidewalk while I struggled through the slush and on-rushing raised knees to our next stop, Steketees Department Store. They had Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse who were too busy to talk while they hurriedly gave out presents.
Finally we would stop at Wurzburg's Department Store which had amazing window displays of houses and trains full of people all dressed up for Christmas who moved. There were also animals who moved. I had to watch each figure move in each window. Then we had to go up the escalators to the 6th floor toy department where we had to stand in a very long line surrounded by toys so I could visit with the REAL Santa Clause. I knew he was real because he had ridden in the Santa Claus Parade and when it was over, he went right inside Wurzburg's.
From article Downtown
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info