Home
Jacobson’s--Old Yet Elegant
by
Sarah McKim-March

I step out of my car and look up at the old brown building. The word "Jacobson's" across the side of the building is large enough to get anyone's attention. I look in the window displays and notice the manikins dressed in elegant, dark-colored coats with nicely-matched accessories. The clothing and displays are protected from the outside weather by shiny glass windows. I can already tell that this is a department store that a college student can't afford; in fact, one person described it as a store she couldn't even afford to dream about.

Making my way to the entrance to the oversized building, I look at the handle on the door before touching it. It is smooth and black in color, a bit curved, like a half circle. The handle, attached to a glass door, is fingerprint-free. It looks as if someone cleans it every hour. I open the door and notice the fine department store smells of brand new crisp one-hundred dollar bills. I almost feel intimidated by this elegant place.

This is no time to be shy, I decide. After all, the old building does look welcoming. The first thing I notice is the smell of perfume, like wild flowers of so many different aromas. This mixed combination is enough to make a person want to pass out. As I look around inside the huge building, I wonder how many people have shopped in this store over the years and how many of them were famous in some way. Jacobson's is one of the oldest department stores in Saginaw, and in many people's opinion, it is still the finest around. I also wonder how many people actually buy items from this extravagant place.

It is early November, so there is a large Christmas display in the main aisle. It seems as if the lighting was designed just for this one display of merchandise. There are white bulbs that outline the area of the display, and clear bulbs shine on the center, grabbing a person's attention to the most expensive items. There isn't one spot of dust on any of the light fixtures in this whole building. One might notice, however, that there aren't any pretty, bright lights lighting the sign that says "Sale" or any lights lighting up the corners of the historic building. I look to my right and can see the men's clothing. Men can come to Jacobson's to have a suit custom-made just for them.

To my left, I can see a candy counter, and it looks delicious. My mouth starts to water, then I realize that maybe it's just the idea of the candy being so expensive. I think this candy might taste better than the candy I could get at a gas station, however. My nose decides I need to buy a piece of chocolate from behind the tall glass counter. I hand the five-dollar bill to the lady and I get three pennies back. I take a bite of the first chocolate and come to realize that I can live with stopping at the gas station once in a while.

Even the walls of the store make a person feel welcome. They are of earth tone colors, with fancy pictures such as one might see in Paris. This sends a warm feeling through a woman's body. One picture really caught my attention. It was just outside the candy section, almost in the fine china department, up ahead on my right. It was of a woman and a small girl wearing long flowing dresses and sun bonnets. The dresses looked as if they were moving in the wind, and the woman was looking at the little girl. In the background, all I could see were wild flowers. I notice a signature at the bottom right hand corner of the picture, but I can't make it out.

I continue my journey through the Beverly Hills-type department store. I pass the lingerie section and up ahead, to my left, I can see the perfume counter. Even though I could smell it when I first
entered the store, I am curious to investigate more of the perfumes. Before resting my hand on the perfume counter, I look down through the glass and can see myself in it. I decide to keep my hands off and return them to my side. I start to sneeze and realize this isn't the department for me.

The sound of light music and registers ringing up new purchases fills the store. Once in a while, a salesperson will ask if anyone needs assistance. Then, a new noise grabs my attention: A machine that sounds like a belt is running echoes in my ear. I look over to my left and see the escalator. The handle is gleaming and the moving steps are clean and shiny black. Going up to the second floor, the first thing I see is the baby department on the right. On my left, the women's section is full of fashionable dresses and skirts. Unlike the floor below, this one is carpeted.
The sound of children crying for their mothers is now present. I wander to my right, to the children's section. First, I have to pass through the big selection of tiny shoes for tiny feet. I am surprised, for even though the building is old, the floor doesn't creak. The walls in the baby department look so soft and warm. The touch of one reminds me of a newborn baby's skin. But the warm look is deceiving, because it is really quite cold. The boy clothes are on the right and the girl clothes are on the left, and in the middle of the department are the newborn clothes.

On the back wall, I can see toys. Making my way to the toys, I stop and look at a few baby outfits. I notice color and then size organizes the clothes. Most of the clothes are dark in color. But after all, it is fall outside. A rack full of little dresses catches my attention. I pick up a dress for a newborn baby girl. White flowers that cover the cotton candy pink dress with the pink shoes and tiny pink hair band, all decorated with white roses, amazes me. I want to buy the outfit, but I decide not to when I look down at the white price tag and see the red writing with the word Jacobson's, displaying a price of seventy-five dollars, American dollars, that is. I couldn't put the dress back on the rack fast enough. I keep wandering towards the back of the store and notice that the seventy-five dollar price tag is not uncommon in this department. At last I make it to the toy section of the store. I see nothing but bright colored toys. Most are fire engine red and bumblebee yellow, while others are electric blue and John-Deere green.

Jacobson’s has every kind of merchandise a customer could want, from suits to dresses to toys. Before leaving the fine, elegant old building, I am left with the two questions that no salesperson can seem to answer. I want to know how much the merchandise inside has changed over the years and, if the walls could talk, what would they tell me of Jacobson’s and Saginaw’s history?

Editor's Note: Jacobson's closed its doors in August of 2001.

 
The written and visual works in Mid-Michigan Remembers-Stories about Us were chosen on the basis of their quality, diversity, community interest and appeal. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the College. This space is provided as a service by Delta College.