May 2, 1948
Some of you may recall the John Bressmer store downtown.
First escalators in Springfield. Departments on each floor.
Ladies wearing white gloves, shopping on Wednesdays.
Then lunch at Maldener's and a matinee at the Lincoln.
Sixty years ago this month, the store burned down.
I stood there with my Dad, watching this scene.
Later they rebuilt the store.
It remained on East Adams until 1980.
Thanks to Judi Dunkel Headrick for the tip.
4 comments:
The fire was a heart rendering experience for my mother.The new carpet for our home, had been delivered to the store and a piece of the same carpet was hanging from a front window. The carpet was later ordered from Dirksen's, but it sure was traumatic for my mother at the time of the fire.
Libbie Britton
My father, Willard Tobin, was notified of the fire. A narrow alley separated the Bressmer and the Tobin buildings. Dad immediately went to the jewelry store. A young lawyer, John Chapin, who was watching the fire came to the store to help Dad unload the store of its valuable jewelry.
The fire department kept water on the roofs of the buildings boarding Bressmer's and saved all of them.
It was a grand day when Bressmer's reopened with those new fangled escalators.
My how time flies.
Ann Tobin Hart
My mom worked at Bressmer's for 47 years. On the morning of the fire,
she received a phone call about it and we rushed to town. Dad worked
for CIPS in the Illinois Building and we went up to an office on the
4th or 5th floor and watched the fire from there. Mom worked in the
office and after the fire had cooled down, they were able to get in
and open the safe which contained all the records. They opened a
temporary office in the basement of the bank at 5th and Adams.
Mom had just finished needlepoint for the seats of our dining room
chairs and had taken everything in to the store to have it all put
together.
It was a sad day for our family. I have 8mm movies of it.
Carolyn Quinlan
I loved Bressmer's. Strangely enough, I don't remember the fire, but I do remember my first ever ride on an escalator which was in the new store. Gosh I'm old!
The neighbor kids here think I'm ancient because I remember a world without TV, cell phones, etc. I won't tell them about escalators:)
Barbara
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