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| Postcard showing Lichtenstein's as it looked after moving to its new home in December 1941. |
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| Sign etched into marble on the side of the abandoned Lichtenstein's store site in downtown Corpus Christi. The bolt holes were probably from another sign covering it that said Frost Bros., which operated there from 1977 until closing. |
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| Lichtenstein's as it looked in May 2006 |
Lichtenstein's department store was originally opened in a rented wood-frame building at Chaparral and Peoples in Corpus Christi in 1874 by founder Moritz Lichtenstein, a German immigrant who arrived in Texas in 1857. By 1890, the store had outgrown this site and moved into the Uehlinger building (now gone), in the 500 block of Chaparral. In 1911, the store moved into a new three-story brick building on Chaparral at Schatzel, with the city's first elevators and one of the first with a sprinkler system. This building survived the 1919 hurricane, but no longer stands today.
In 1903, Moritz formed a partnership with his two sons, Selig Julius and Abraham Albert Sr., and the store was renamed M. Lichtenstein & Sons. The founder died in 1904; Julius and Albert managed the store until their deaths in 1923 and 1929 respectively. Albert's son Morris L. bought out heirs in 1932; and persuaded younger brother Albert Jr. (husband of my relative Annie Carol Wolfe) to join the company as vice-president Later, during World War II, their first cousin Morris Spitz Lichtenstein (son of their uncle Emil) joined the company as secretary-treasurer.
In 1941, the store moved into the building pictured, a brand new facility at Chaparral and Lawrence, one block south of the existing store. The postcard pictured at the beginning of this post described it as "a striking example of modern store planning. Its 80,000 square feet of area is designed to afford many unique customer services and make every-day shopping a thrilling experience." A tea room opened on the fourth floor of this building in 1942 and was a popular place for lunch. No doubt our relatives shopped or ate here (or, in the case of some, helped run the place). Even former employees have fond memories.
The store was sold in 1972 and the name was changed to Frost Bros. in 1977, but it closed a decade later. I do remember going to this store when I lived in Corpus Christi in the early 1980s. The building has sat vacant since then, with a number of proposals for redevelopment falling through. Now, despite art projects, its deterioration has gone beyond peeling paint to crumbling walls and rusting rebar. The main building is currently in a shell condition, having the interior walls, asbestos abatement and the removal of hazardous materials completed in 2007. The tax value of the building has gone down while the land value has gone up, and the building is now slated for demolition.
© Amanda Pape - 2012 - click here to e-mail me.
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ReplyDeleteThis was the start of the Christmas Peppermint walk
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Eduardo! Can you tell me more?
DeleteMy grandfather worked at Lichtenstein's, delivering purchases to customers.
DeleteThat's how he met my grandmother. He was delivering packages to a customer and my grandmother was the cook who answered the back door.
So thank you Lichtenstein's Department Store , without you I wouldn't be here!
Dan G., what a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it!
DeleteMy Father died in 1944 when I was only one year old. My mother soldered on for several years trying her best to provide for four of us children. In 1947, her sister, Evelyn & her husband Herbert McDonald who had spent their youth "wildcating" for oil in Oklahoma Texas in the 30's and 40's said they could help provide for us. They purchased a house in Corpus Christie and asked my sister and I to "come down for the summer." We stayed for five years. It was wonderful !! We had good schools, learned that our Mexican neighbors were wonderful loving people, and spent our summers on the beaches of Padre Island. Life was great !! My Uncle Mac, worked for the Humble Oil Co. and my Aunt Evelyn worked for M. Lichtenstein & Sons. It was a great company, directed by a great family, and she loved working there.
DeleteThank you for commenting and sharing your memories!
DeleteI remember going to Lichtenstein’s in the 50’s with my grandmother. It was thrilling because the store was beautiful and it was air conditioned. I didn’t have air conditioning in my home until 1975. I don’t know what I would do without it today.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered how my mom grew up in Houston without A/C! Thanks for commenting, KJT!
DeleteMy great grandfather worked there and I have this little button that he would wear to that says Lichtenstein's service on it with a diamond on the bottom does anyone know anything about it ?
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't know anything about a button with a diamond, but I will look into that! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteLichtenstein family is another branch of my family. Are there any survivors? (posted 7/26/20)
ReplyDeleteYes, there are a number of descendants still alive, but I'd rather not post any names publicly. Send me an e-mail at amanda dot pape dot gresham at gmail.
DeleteMy mother was a Houston Lichenstein. Research revealed, her grandfather dropped the t with his immigration. A notable family, to be sure.
DeleteThanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories. The children 's Christmas shopping experience will always make me smile. Elves and Santa would help us shop for our moms and dads. This gave mom and dad time to shop for us.
ReplyDeleteI have a glass plate with the photos of M. Lichtenstein, A.A. Lichtenstein & S.J. Lichtenstein including photos is the 3 stores & the dates when there were opened. I’m not sure if these Lichtenstein’s were distant relatives of my daddy Ernest J. Lichtenstein Jr born & raised in Gary, Indiana where his daddy had a meat packing place that was handed down from my daddy’s great grandfather.
ReplyDeleteThe M. Lichtenstein was Moritz, father of Albert Abraham Sr. and Selig Julius. Moritz was born in Wittstock, Brandenburg, Germany, in 1835, and immigrated to the USA in 1852. He lived in St..Louis, Omaha, and Colorado before serving in the Texas 4th Cavalry in the Civil War. He spent the rest of his life in Texas. He had an older sibling, Louis (born 1827) who also came to the USA. I found him in Illinois prior to the Civil War, but he also ended up in Texas. He had two daughters that survived into adulthood, but no sons. Of course, they could have had another sibling that was perhaps your ancestor.
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