RETAIL OF YESTERYEAR : March 2017

Saturday, 4 March 2017

Department store ARCHIVES - Dayton's Minneapolis MN

Dayton's at 700 Nicollet Avenue opened in 1902 as Goodfellows. Its founder was George draper Dayton. He was a silent partner in the business at first but it was eventually renamed Dayton Dry goods. By the 1930s it was renamed the Dayton company and they had begun the bottom floors of the addition section of the building. In 1948 Dayton's installed escalators. Also around this time all of the addition was completed! It was designed by Minneapolis firm Larson and McLaren. On it's twelth and top floor were three restaurants. The skyroom , the Oak Grille and the Tiffin. In 1961 the next addition was completed. It was a parking ramp, on the opposite side of the building as the original section. On it's top which lined up with the old buildings 8th floor was an auditorium. This would be the very auditorium were years of Christmas displays and flower shows would take place. In 1978 the marketplace was added to the basement. In 1988 a building wide remodel was completed with interior design and store fixtures designed by the legendary Andy Markopolos. The building looked the best it ever had. Much of the 88 remodel was intact when the store closed. In 2001 the Dayton's nameplate fell victim to consolidatation. The store was converted to Marshall Fields. In 2006 Macy's took over. After Christmas in December of 2016 Macy's announced the store would close the following year. On January 28th 2017 all three restaurants the Oak Grill ,Skyroom and marketplace closed forever. And after 115 years of operation on Sunday March 19th 2017 at 6pm the Store shut it's doors forever.....