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Seitner’s Department Store
by
Verlinder Baston

It was an early 1970s wintry October day when I received a call from my mother, telling me to take her to Seitner's Department Store because they were having a sale. The sale was only from 8:00a.m.-10:00a.m. Once we arrived at Seitner's, I remember standing outside by my mom and hearing other women talk about how many dresses they were going to purchase. I was cold, so I told my mom I was going to go get back in the car and listen to the radio and turn on some heat.

By the time I was warm, I saw a short man with black hair and glasses approach the door of the store and begIn unlocking it. Suddenly, all the women went running to the stairs--and into they went. When I got upstairs, ladies were already rushing to the fitting rooms. I found a seat and I waited for my mother. She came over and gave me several dresses and said, "Hold on to these." It felt like she was taking forever. Her dresses were blue, pink, ruby red with cream trim and buttoned down the front and flared out from the waist. Finally, my mother decided on her purchases.

When we got to the counter, my mother's total was one-hundred and seventy-two dollars. In seeing how much it was I said, "Wow!" She glanced at me and smiled. We finally left the store and I was glad.

It has now been twenty years since this experience at Seitner's Department Store, but I am left with such an awesome impression. There are still warm memories of this store, even though it is now only a memory, a part of Saginaw's history.

The Seitner Brothers came to Michigan in 1870, and they moved to St. Louis, Michigan, then Saginaw, where they felt there was a need for a Seitner Store. In 1913, the Seitner Brothers had 35 employees working in the store. An early 1900s photo from the Saginaw News illustrates men dressed in long suit coats with four buttons and slacks. The women were depicted in long, flaired skirts with cotton blouses. Those were the good old days, now long passed ( "Those Good Old Days").

The first Seitner’s location was on Genesee Avenue, where the store was moved on August of 1948. Later, Seitner’s moved to Federal and Franklin. When Seitner's moved to the Franklin and Federal location, they closed for remodeling. They had been in business for fifty years before moving in that location. Seitner's reopened on a Monday in May. In this store they were two entrances that faced Federal. The store contained men's and women's shoes, apparel, and accessories departments ("Seitner Brothers New Home"). The business was booming and the downtown Saginaw area had many more businesses in the area, such as Sears, Beverly's, The Three Sisters Store, and many more. The business area was such a success. At that time, the Seitner's family decided to build a store in Bay City, Michigan, in 1904. The Bay City store later burned down in 1928.

According to Saginaw News, the grandson of Samuel Seitner stated, "With only $180.00 capital my uncle started the business" ("Downtown Tradition"). Mr. James Krohn became president in 1960 and reopened the Bay City store in 1970. Since then, he added a store in the Fashion Square Mall in 1972 ("Seitner's Fashion Square Mall"). He also opened a store in the Northpointe Mall in Bay City. He purchased a store in 1982 that was located in Port Huron. Krohn said, "We have survived very well," meaning the recession. He thanked all of the associates because he said he was a great believer in people, and that was true because of all of the booming business that were in downtown for many years. During this time Seitner's became well known throughout the town, city, and townships. In July of 1983, James R. Krohn said, "The longer I'm in the retail business, the more I realize how much I don't know. I'm lucky" ("Downtown Tradition").

However, by July of 1988, the store had a "Sale of the Year." At this time Saginaw was slowly
turning into a ghost town. Business started to move to the Bay Road area for more room and parking space. Other businesses remained, trying to keep the downtown area alive, but it couldn't be done. Now, Downtown Saginaw seems so empty and full of open space all around.

I had a personal interview on March 20, 2001, with Sal Mond, a manager of the Saginaw Alteration company, and he told me he knew the Seitner' s family very well. He said, "The Seitner's store was a family owned business." In the 70's Seitner's store there was a unique change machine that was constructed through the wall and the ceiling, and the clerk would carry the change canister to the customers to give them their change and receipt (Mond). This is similar to a drive-thru window at a bank. In 2001, the store was still there with its blue and white and green carpet and eggshell color walls.

The Seitner's store building remains where it was, but it is not the same anymore. Now it is closed for good. When I visited this deserted location and looked in the large, empty display windows, I saw peach cabinets, countertops of cream and trim with chrome, and a fixture and shelf against the walls. At the main store entrance, you can look into the window and see the floor has fallen down. The building is for sale.

The downtown remains, but not as the fast booming business of the past. Business is just moving along , even though only in a small section.The New Bancroft Hotel is for senior citizens. The first store that was on Genesee, in that building, is now a mini-mall. Next to it is a church supply store. Across the street is the WNEM-TV Station and the Eddy Hotel and parking lot. We now have only one bank downtown, where there used to be three. There is also a small dry cleaners and the Saginaw News Company, which are spaced out around the downtown area. With fine stores such as Seitner's closed, looking at downtown Saginaw now is like looking at a puzzle with many missing pieces. However, along with many other local people, I will always have wonderful memories of Saginaw businesses such as the Seitner's Department Store.

Works Cited

  • Bays, Dr. Personal interview. 2 Apr. 2001.
  • "Business Expansive." Saginaw Courier Herald 4 Apr. 1913: 2.
  • "Downtown Tradition." Saginaw Evening News 22 Mar., 1900: 3.
  • "Downtown Tradition." Saginaw Evening News 23 Mar. 1900: 5.
  • Mond, Sal (Manager). Personal interview 20 Mar. 2001.
  • "A New Seitner Store Here Will Garb Children Only." Saginaw News 14 Jan. 1951.
  • "Seitner Brothers New Home." Saginaw News 24 Dec., 1948.
  • "Seitner's: Downtown Tradition." Saginaw News 7 July 1983.
  • "Seitner's Fashion Square Mall." Saginaw News 5 Nov. 1972.
  • "Seitner's Moved to New Store." Saginaw Evening News 1 Mar. 1901: 5.
  • "Seitner's Store Closing" Saginaw News 9 July 1988.
  • "Those Good Old Days: Memory Lingers." Saginaw News 10 Oct. 1948.
 
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