Wednesday, February 9, 2011

LEONARDS Vintage Thinges Thursday



I am really taking you back in time with Coloradolday today. Some of the best of vintages things are found at http://coloradolady.blogspot.com each Thursday.


In 1918, Marvin Leonard and his brother opened a small store that sold groceries and salvaged merchandise. It eventually grew to occupy over 6(six) blocks in downtown Fort Worth,Texas.
By 1929 they were the largest single-site purveyor of meat, groceries, baked goods and produce in Texas. It was known as the "one stop shopping center".

In 1935 a state-of-the-art creamery was added. The store made its own frozen Fudgesicles.
These are various things they carried in the store. They are now on display at the Leonard's Department Store Museum here in Fort Worth.







Internet picture courtesy of "Dr. Jon Bell, Presbyterian College, SC".

Eventually the Leonard Brothers built a subway to connect to their store with remote parking lot. It was called the M&O Subway. When I moved here in 1964, I worked downtown Fort Worth. I was a country girl coming to the big city. I was in awe of this store and a subway. The store was located on the far North end of town and I worked on the South end. That was the thing to do, park on their lot and ride the subway. Walking on to my job was worth it. In 1967, Tandy Corp. bought Leonards and the subway. It continued to operate as Leonards until 1974. At that time, it became Fort Worth's Tandy Subway. The Tandy organization kept it running until 2002. That was the end of the original Leonards Department Store and the M&O Subway.
This little couple sat every day in front of the store as long as it was Leonards. They were blind, sang songs, sold pencils for income. They were faithful till the end.

28 comments:

Tete said...

This is an amazing story and so glad that they have a museum for all the hard work and ethics that went into making it a most grand business. I love the trolley, what a great idea to get the customers from one end of town to the other.
Lucky you to have known such an experience.
Walmart and the like have laid to rest all of the local mom and pop shops here. Local favorites that was the in place to go and empty storefronts or full of offices and the like.

Sadly, we just lost the last 2 small movie theatres in our area. The one is one that my mother attended as a child for the feature and news reels on WW2.
Great post- I so enjoyed it and was saddened also.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

i like the fudgesicle maker!! how cool!! thanks for sharing your pics!

http://inthehammockvintage.blogspot.com

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

tete said it so well. Love the pictures and miss my 5 & 10.

That fudgesicle maker looks like one Martha Stewart had on the today show just this am!

Donnie said...

I loved reading all about this wonderful place. I worked for W.T Grant way back when and it too was a wonderful store.

NanE said...

I love reading about old department stores, they had so much character! Would you get a load of those prices, hats for 95 cents, boys shirts 2 for 1 dollar! Thanks for sharing! Nan

George said...

Thanks for sharing this fascinating store with us. I had not heard of it before, but I imagine it must have been something to behold. I thoroughly enjoy learning this kind of history.

Crystal said...

I think this is the best post yet!!! I loved everything about it!! All the pics are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful piece of history!!!

Pam said...

What a wonderful story. Love the photos.

Cindy Adkins said...

Wow, that is an amazing story, LV! And I love all your photographs...they are awesome!!!
XO

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Interesting, LV.. The Leonard Brothers were smart, beyond their time, weren't they? That may have been the first 'one-stop' shopping place in America.

Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

Love the new look;-)
What an amazing story, so much history. The popsicle maker is so interesting, but I love the old ads.

Linda said...

Great post!! I shopped Leonards until they closed! The subway was so much fun. My kids loved to ride it as much as I did. And the BARGAINS! Leonards was a wonderful place to shop. I still miss that place! Now isn't the Montgomery Ward's on 7th Street gone too? Remember Stripling's Dept. Store? All the old places have gone....and we are left with WalMart!

The Old Parsonage said...

Oh what fun to see and hear about. Love this kind of thing.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Leann

Ginny Hartzler said...

What a story!! Radio shack used to be owned by Tandy, I wonder if it's the same one? That is a painting of the couple? And with a dove flying away, very affecting!!

Red Nomad OZ said...

Great story - but can't help feeling a bit sad to find a store (empire!) with high standards, customer service and interesting product lines - but that it no longer exists!!

Bring back those high standards, I say! Or is that just me??

Maureen said...

What a wonderful story and history. All of it was so very interesting.

Short Poems said...

Lovely story's, all the pics are Beautiful... love your blog...great work!
Warmly
Marinela x

Heather said...

What a great post! I love the pictures of the old newspaper clippings and the painting of the couple. Have a great Thursday!

Hootin Anni said...

Oh my goodness!!! I so very much enjoyed this post of all the vintage lifestyles in post cards, paintings and everything under the TEXAS sun [I'm living in Texas too]. Very very fun to read. You did good.


PS...thanks so much for the birthday wishes and your visiting with me yesterday!!!

Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...

What a great story and the photos really bring it home. Thanks for a great share!

Susan Freeman said...

What a wonderful story and I sure do love that fudgesicle maker!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Oh, LV, this is an awesome post! I love all the info that you shared here, and it is even neater that you actually worked there. I didn't know that you lived in Fort Worth. If our grandson Tyler chooses to play for TCU (they've offered!!!!) I'm sure that we will fly out to at least one game. If so, I would love to visit with you and see this cool museum.

Take care and God bless,
Kathy

Michelle@ A Full Cottage said...

Hi LV!

Thanks so much for sharing this history. I love these kinds of museums. A lot of out collections started because we had seen stuff like this. If we ever make it to Fort Worth I will have to visit Leanord's. I really like your REdsday post too. I remember those koolaid cups!

Thanks too for coming by for a visit. It is always so nice to hear from you.

:) Michelle

Ann said...

LV Your insightful story was really a joy to read. It's so neat to have worked there. Great pictures too.
Happy VTT
Ann

Connie in Hartwood said...

This is my first visit here, and I can already see that it definitely will not be my last! I loved your story of Leonard's!! I am also a history nut, especially history of my town and its businesses and buildings. Thank you for showing us one of YOUR town's treasures.

Anna said...

This is the kind of museum that I would love to stumble upon on a road trip so somewhere I've never been. Thanks for the tour! I love the painting of the couple at the end, that's a great ending to the story.

Rebecca said...

How I wish I could have seen this-great trip into the past!

Leslie said...

Was that a hummel I spotted all the way up top?