Heya. I am starting work on a project about Kerrs and Halliburtons and am having a tough time finding personal stories or pics.
The Uptown, Reding, and Norman Kerrs locations are proving especially tough.

I figure Halliburton's is pretty much a lost cause since it closed so long ago, but surely someone has something from Kerrs?

email me and let's talk.
steve@okchistory.com

I have some photos that I've taken from other publications. Let me know if you want them.

Thank you for replying. My email is stripoxy [at] yahoo [dot] com

I like your blog on JAB. Great pictures!

I'll send some later today.

Hey Doug,

I never got those pics. I wanted to make sure they didn't end up in the wrong email.

Sorry, didn't send yet. I'll try to do that tomorrow (i.e., later today).

I know this is a bit late, but I have a pic of Kerr's downtown. It is a 8x10 glossy that shows all 8 floors and it's signage. On the left you can see a partical view of a Planter's peanut stand and on the right I believe it's a partcial view of the Mercantile building. I also have a brochure from Harbor-Longmire.

rondvu, I'd love to be able to show those on Welcome to OKCHistory.com (http://www.okchistory.com). We would be happy to give you credit on them, and if you need help scanning them, we can do that too.
Email me at steve@okchistory.com.
-Steve

rondvu,

I would love to see that pic as well!

I don't remember visiting either store, however, the names sound familiar.

I have the pic loaded on my desktop, but not that advanced to know how to capture and send it to the link. Suggestions anyone?

I have the pic loaded on my desktop, but not that advanced to know how to capture and send it to the link. Suggestions anyone?

The easiest ways are to save it as a jpg file and attach it to an email. Or upload it as an attachment on here. Or save it to Photobucket and post the link address.

Let me know if this helps at all.

Kerr's Dept. Store downtown Oklahoma City


280

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp31/rondvu/4-4-200942130PM.jpg

Kerr's Shopping list

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp31/rondvu/Mellons.jpg
I believe (could be wrong) that Mellon's later became Halliburton's

Here are some pics from the Harbour Longmire 1947 Christmas Catalog

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp31/rondvu/HarbourLongmireII.jpg

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp31/rondvu/HarbourLongmire.jpg

Wow! Great stuff.

And Mellon's did become Scott-Halliburton. The two worked for Mr. Mellon and bought the company when he died. (On a side note, Halliburton apparently married Mellon's widow)
They moved from the building in 1927, and Barth's Clothing moved in. Barth's eventually became Rothschild's.

Rothchilds had to be one of the most premier stores in OKC. If you dug you could find a bargain....

You know, no one has mentioned AMC aka American Mutual Company on NW 10th and Penn. It was great, a wonderful selection from garden to silver. I still use a electric coffee grinder I purchased in 1985. I can remember walking in the front door where the jewelry was, it had a great terrazzo floor. The rest of the store had red concrete floors and that unsual ceiling. You could buy most anything you wanted. For those of you that don't know it was kinda like a SAMS store. You had to have a membership. Later they did relax the memembership and most anyone could shop at the store. I believe the Holmsey family operated the store. Also AMC would send out a monthly sale newspaper. It had pages and pages of sale items. I truely miss shopping there. On 1111 S Eastern there was GEX, but I never when there so I don't have any comments or memories of it.

You know, no one has mentioned AMC aka American Mutual Company on NW 10th and Penn. It was great, a wonderful selection from garden to silver. I still use a electric coffee grinder I purchased in 1985. I can remember walking in the front door where the jewelry was, it had a great terrazzo floor. The rest of the store had red concrete floors and that unsual ceiling. You could buy most anything you wanted. For those of you that don't know it was kinda like a SAMS store. You had to have a membership. Later they did relax the memembership and most anyone could shop at the store. I believe the Holmsey family operated the store. Also AMC would send out a monthly sale newspaper. It had pages and pages of sale items. I truely miss shopping there. On 1111 S Eastern there was GEX, but I never when there so I don't have any comments or memories of it.
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AMC was mentioned in the old Southside thread...and old memories of OKC. You're right about the Holmsey's owning the store but, they had some of the department's leased out...for instance the HBA and the Pharmacy area. The store actually started in an "Old" machine shop building about 6-7 blocks to the east of the location...It was originally AMC (American Candy Company) and then changed to AMC (American Mutual Company)

I only went into AMC once when it was a store (not a flea market). All I remember is that it was absolutely huge and dimly lit.
Oh, and the shorts my aunt bought me from there shrunk and changed colors.

I liked it better as a flea market.

Shoulda bought a coffee grinder.:Smiley278

As far as AMC goes, I remember when it was in a building that resembles a
Quonset hut on the east side of Penn, across from the existing building.

I always wanted to go there, but, since we lived on the southside, we rarely
ventured to the stores on the northside. AMC was one of the few northside
stores we'd go to, but not very often.

As far as AMC goes, I remember when it was in a building that resembles a
Quonset hut on the east side of Penn, across from the existing building.

I always wanted to go there, but, since we lived on the southside, we rarely
ventured to the stores on the northside. AMC was one of the few northside
stores we'd go to, but not very often.

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The Homsey brothers were good "Junk" merchants and then better regular store merchants....If it didn't sell...they didn't buy next time.....

You know, no one has mentioned AMC aka American Mutual Company on NW 10th and Penn. It was great, a wonderful selection from garden to silver. I still use a electric coffee grinder I purchased in 1985. I can remember walking in the front door where the jewelry was, it had a great terrazzo floor. The rest of the store had red concrete floors and that unsual ceiling. You could buy most anything you wanted. For those of you that don't know it was kinda like a SAMS store. You had to have a membership. Later they did relax the memembership and most anyone could shop at the store. I believe the Holmsey family operated the store. Also AMC would send out a monthly sale newspaper. It had pages and pages of sale items. I truely miss shopping there. On 1111 S Eastern there was GEX, but I never when there so I don't have any comments or memories of it.

GEX= Government Employees Exchange. Not an employee you don't get in. I don't remember much about it. Had a good music section. I think it tried to compete with the BX/PX on military bases. '64 might know.
What I remember most was the empty fields to the North of the place. There were these high and steep hills. People would take their motorcycles and climb the hills. We weren't old enough but would ride our bicycles down the things. You could really get some speed. Now I yell at my granddaughter for going too fast on her bike.:053:

GEX= Government Employees Exchange. Not an employee you don't get in. I don't remember much about it. Had a good music section. I think it tried to compete with the BX/PX on military bases. '64 might know.
What I remember most was the empty fields to the North of the place. There were these high and steep hills. People would take their motorcycles and climb the hills. We weren't old enough but would ride our bicycles down the things. You could really get some speed. Now I yell at my granddaughter for going too fast on her bike.:053:
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There is a group of buying departments called AEFES....They are a government purchasing agency, There is an office in the Dallas Region. A group of those guys thought they could compete for the Government Business...Air Force Personnel, Tinker Field Personnel and so on. They also included City, State and County employees...But, under capitalization Blues hit them...Could not compete with TG&Y and Gibson's at the time....along with Sears, Penney's and 90% of the Grocers in OKC were independent and bought through Fleming. So, competition was too great.....

There is a group of buying departments called AEFES... They are a
government purchasing agency...

AEFES is still big business at Tinker.

AEFES is still big business at Tinker.
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right, they are still big business around the world...It was a group of those buyers who thought they could do as well by themselves.....You know visions beyond finances.....When you are buying for the big guy you're a hero to the Salesmen...When you think YOU are the Big Guy, No salesmen anywhere.....Been there....done that....Danced with the bear and he has "Bad Breath"....

One of the local stores we never discussed was Lerner's and Mode 'O Day....Anyone????

Can someone check my memory? I am thinking that when Shepherd Mall was planned, Kerr's was going to be the anchor at the north end of the mall. Then, before the mall was opened, Brown-Dunkin was announced as the major tenant instead of Kerr's. What is the truth? Thanks.

One of the local stores we never discussed was Lerner's and Mode 'O Day....Anyone????

My mom shopped at Lerner's, but I have no idea about Mode 'O Day.....

Moved back recently from living in London. Picking up this project again, with some John A Brown memories thrown in.

Anyone have some stories to share ot mementos to sell? :)

Jeez this has been a long while! Back from living in the UK for three years (with a credit card bill to prove it).

Resurrecting the hunt for old store stuff and memories.

You know, no one has mentioned AMC aka American Mutual Company on NW 10th and Penn. It was great, a wonderful selection from garden to silver. I still use a electric coffee grinder I purchased in 1985. I can remember walking in the front door where the jewelry was, it had a great terrazzo floor. The rest of the store had red concrete floors and that unsual ceiling. You could buy most anything you wanted. For those of you that don't know it was kinda like a SAMS store. You had to have a membership. Later they did relax the memembership and most anyone could shop at the store. I believe the Holmsey family operated the store. Also AMC would send out a monthly sale newspaper. It had pages and pages of sale items. I truely miss shopping there. On 1111 S Eastern there was GEX, but I never when there so I don't have any comments or memories of it.

Rondvu,

Do you still have your AMC Card? I am doing research on the American Mutual Company and am interested in finding an original AMC card. Do you know of anyone who might have one and be willing to share a photograph of one?