Humphrey - Vanishing Seattle

Donald E. Frederick and Nels Nelson started a used furniture store on Second Avenue in 1890. It initially thrived in helping families furnish their postfire homes. Over the next quarter century, the store expanded into apparel, shoes, and food. Frederick, who took over after Nelsons 1907 death, built the business on quality merchandise, understated good taste, and impeccable customer service. In 1918, Frederick undertook a bold move away from Second Avenue, then Seattles premier shopping street. He built a steel and terra-cotta shopping palace at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, initially dubbed Fredericks Folly by local wags who thought it a dumb idea. Instead, Frederick thrived at the new store, which became the anchor for Seattles new principal retail district. It is seen here following a 1951 expansion, which added five more floors. The new store had three restaurantsan elegant tea room, the distinguished Mens Grill (for husbands who sought a respite from chattering females), and the Paul Bunyan Room (a coffee shop and soda fountain in the bargain basement). (MOHAI, Post-Intelligencer collection, No. PI-23265.)

The stores in-house display department prepared colorful window treatments throughout the year but saved its most elaborate statements for Christmas. F&N also had one of the first department store Santas. Donald Frederick retired in 1929 and sold the store to Chicagos Marshall Field and Company, who kept the stores management and traditions in place, but F&Ns postWorld War II expansion was throttled by Fields tight purse strings. Chicago management approved the downtown expansion and three relatively small suburban stores but refused to participate in Northgate, the regions (and the nations) first major shopping mall. By the 1970s, a fast-growing Nordstrom had eclipsed F&N as the Northwests dominant high-fashion retailer. At right, Laurale Lange is pictured with Santa. (Both Julie Albright collection.)