T.G.&Y. Stores:Gone but not forgotten

[papaOU]

There was a kid on our block who raised some of those chicks from TG&Y!
They lived for quite a while. 3 years?

I tried several times to raise chicks but always failed. Think I was planting them too deep?

[Doug Loudenback]

I've looked through each page of this very long thread but did not find what I was hoping for ... a photo of the TG&Y at 220 W. Commerce ... didn't find it in your photobucket account, John, and didn't find anything at OHC's Star Archives.

Does anyone have a pic that I could use in the as yet undone Capitol Hill series that I'm planning to get back to shortly?

[Prunepicker]

I've looked through each page of this very long thread but did not find what I
was hoping for... a photo of the TG&Y at 220 W. Commerce...

Does anyone have a pic that I could use in the as yet undone Capitol Hill
series that I'm planning to get back to shortly?

Gen64 might have one. He's shown me the place where TG&Y is still in the
tile in front of the entry way.

[papaOU]

I've looked through each page of this very long thread but did not find what I was hoping for ... a photo of the TG&Y at 220 W. Commerce ... didn't find it in your photobucket account, John, and didn't find anything at OHC's Star Archives.

Does anyone have a pic that I could use in the as yet undone Capitol Hill series that I'm planning to get back to shortly?

Tile from East and West front enterance. Front of store from the north side of commerce. Back door in alley with the painted TG&Y sign still visible.

Probably need a better picture of store front.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks, John. I'd surely like to use a version of the building image if it shows the TG&Y store before it closed. I can't tell from the thumbnail, though.

[papaOU]

Thanks, John. I'd surely like to use a version of the building image if it shows the TG&Y store before it closed. I can't tell from the thumbnail, though.

The face of the building has nothing to show it was TG&Y. Sorry I couldn't help.

[Generals64]

Thanks, John. I'd surely like to use a version of the building image if it shows the TG&Y store before it closed. I can't tell from the thumbnail, though.

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I've got one somewhere, I'll start digging and try and find it....If not I know a guy who definitely does.....I did find a picture of the first TG&Y management Seminar...1947.....If you can use it I'll make sure you get a copy....

[Alek Hidell]

By gum, a TG&Y thread! Worked at the World's Largest (74th & Penn) from 1982-1986. That store was like home away from home when I was a kid - seems like we went there almost every Sunday after church. Loved it then because they had not one but [I]two[I] comic book racks - one was in Toys and the other was farther west (can't remember exactly where - by the Camera department, maybe?)

Starting at the west end of the store, there was the small jeweler (Murcer's, right?) along with the Camera department, Cosmetics, and Stationery. At the back of the west end was the snack bar (behind a little wrought-iron fence, as I recall). Then into clothes: Infants, Shoes, Men & Boys, and Women's. Near Women's, at the front, were Lingerie and Jewelry. At the back of the center of the store were the Service Desk and a small portrait studio.

Down the first ramp into Fabrics and Notions (curtains, bedsheets, etc.). There was a flower shop at the front of this section, too. Then into Pets and then Sporting Goods. Across the parking lot was the Auto Center.

Down the second ramp into Hardware and the east end of the store. Then out the doors there and across the street to the Garden Center.

The big watermelon feed was always held on Labor Day, as I recall. There was usually some sort of entertainment too - I remember a live C&W band one year.

I can recall an experiment they did once when I worked there - the store stayed open 24 hours! That was unusual back then. Not much of a success either, as I recall - I worked a midnight-to-eight shift and the place was stone dead. They were just ahead of their time, I guess.

If you were in the store between '82 and '86 you probably saw me. I worked most of that time in the Men & Boys clothing department (anyone remember Opal Calton who worked there for years? I'm sure she's gone now), some in Shoes, then during the last year I was in the Cash Office (near the service desk, behind the scenes). Looking back I'm surprised they let two 20-year-old kids handle all that money. Fortunately for the company we were honest. : )

[mugofbeer]

I think of all the businesses OKC has had and lost over the years, TG&Y was the most tragic because it was the prototype for Wal Mart. If TG&Y hadn't been raped and plundered by those McRory (or whoever) folks who bought it, those Wal Mart stores around the world might very well be TG&Ys. What a waste.

[Generals64]

By gum, a TG&Y thread! Worked at the World's Largest (74th & Penn) from 1982-1986. That store was like home away from home when I was a kid - seems like we went there almost every Sunday after church. Loved it then because they had not one but [I]two[I] comic book racks - one was in Toys and the other was farther west (can't remember exactly where - by the Camera department, maybe?)

Starting at the west end of the store, there was the small jeweler (Murcer's, right?) along with the Camera department, Cosmetics, and Stationery. At the back of the west end was the snack bar (behind a little wrought-iron fence, as I recall). Then into clothes: Infants, Shoes, Men & Boys, and Women's. Near Women's, at the front, were Lingerie and Jewelry. At the back of the center of the store were the Service Desk and a small portrait studio.

Down the first ramp into Fabrics and Notions (curtains, bedsheets, etc.). There was a flower shop at the front of this section, too. Then into Pets and then Sporting Goods. Across the parking lot was the Auto Center.

Down the second ramp into Hardware and the east end of the store. Then out the doors there and across the street to the Garden Center.

The big watermelon feed was always held on Labor Day, as I recall. There was usually some sort of entertainment too - I remember a live C&W band one year.

I can recall an experiment they did once when I worked there - the store stayed open 24 hours! That was unusual back then. Not much of a success either, as I recall - I worked a midnight-to-eight shift and the place was stone dead. They were just ahead of their time, I guess.

If you were in the store between '82 and '86 you probably saw me. I worked most of that time in the Men & Boys clothing department (anyone remember Opal Calton who worked there for years? I'm sure she's gone now), some in Shoes, then during the last year I was in the Cash Office (near the service desk, behind the scenes). Looking back I'm surprised they let two 20-year-old kids handle all that money. Fortunately for the company we were honest. : )

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Alek:....I started with TG&Y in June of 1962....in June 1964 (June 4th, 1964 to be exact) we began receiving freight at store #411. I had the fortune or misfortune of haveing to be the first to sweep the original store with a push broom. Knew Opal Calton the day she was hired. Don't know if she is still alive or not but she was a great person. Murcer's jewelry was right and the Camera Center was right. Paul Epperson (Epperson's Photo) was the initiator of the Camera Department along with a guy by the name of Danny Chesnut. Don't know what happened to Danny but Paul Epperson is very successful in the photo business. The first remodel put the Sporting Goods department at the top of the first level. Second remodel moved the Sporting Goods down on the second level and it was there for quite some time. The sporting goods department was (at that time) one of the best and largest in the State. The Watermelon feed began it's tradition in 1968. We had melons brought in from Rush Springs and had a huge outdoor sale. Miss that store and the people that worked there. My wife (at age 17) ran that service desk you talked about all the way through her college years.....Many stories about that store.....

[gen70]

In the 60's my family lived on S. Klein near 74th. I used to pick up pop bottles on the side of the road on the way to the 74th and Penn. shopping center, then collect the deposit at the grocery store and spend the money at the T.G.&Y. store.

[Generals64]

In the 60's my family lived on S. Klein near 74th. I used to pick up pop bottles on the side of the road on the way to the 74th and Penn. shopping center, then collect the deposit at the grocery store and spend the money at the T.G.&Y. store.

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Hey 70, I used to do that at the old Airline store.....it was easy there though, Humpty Dumpty kept their bottles outside in a fenced cage (with no lock) they didn't know or notice everything...25 cents for the movie...20 cents for Popcorn and 10cents for a coke....55 cents equaled 1 full case of pop bottles 2 cents for the bottles and 25 cents for the crate:...."Hey let me carry it back to the cage for you"....Thanks son we are kinda busy.....empty shopping basket another kid and another 55 cents....now comes the Milk Duds...Oh what a life....finally got caught.....had to start at another store....

[Prunepicker]

Hey 70, I used to do that at the old Airline store... it was easy there though,
Humpty Dumpty kept their bottles outside in a fenced cage (with no lock)
they didn't know or notice everything...

7/11 did the same thing. They kept them stacked behind the store. To kids
it was like 'free money'!

[papaOU]

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Hey 70, I used to do that at the old Airline store.....it was easy there though, Humpty Dumpty kept their bottles outside in a fenced cage (with no lock) they didn't know or notice everything...25 cents for the movie...20 cents for Popcorn and 10cents for a coke....55 cents equaled 1 full case of pop bottles 2 cents for the bottles and 25 cents for the crate:...."Hey let me carry it back to the cage for you"....Thanks son we are kinda busy.....empty shopping basket another kid and another 55 cents....now comes the Milk Duds...Oh what a life....finally got caught.....had to start at another store....

Shame on you...........

And the way you rave about shoplifters at TG&Y............

It was just payback..............

What karma caused the curse of the kidney stones............

[Generals64]

Shame on you...........

And the way you rave about shoplifters at TG&Y............

It was just payback..............

What karma caused the curse of the kidney stones............

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WOW, you hurt my feelings Papa....I was going to bring you some of the funny little pills they have me on. But, NOOOOOOO I'll put them back in the Safe....I hope and pray none of you guys EVER have to put up with Kidney stones.........

[papaOU]

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WOW, you hurt my feelings Papa....I was going to bring you some of the funny little pills they have me on. But, NOOOOOOO I'll put them back in the Safe....I hope and pray none of you guys EVER have to put up with Kidney stones.........

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH MaNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

[rocket-j-squirrel]

A T.G.&Y. thread! Holy cow! I worked for O.H. Goss (Owen...much to his chagrin...Honey, Goss) who started his rise to V.P. of the construction division by sweeping the stockroom in some forgotten store a hundred years ago. Of course, I really worked for his underlings, but most corporate brackets include a network of people you have to answer to. Mr. Goss, however, could call you to his office (a rather splendid work of mahogany and brass) and talk to you like he was your Dad. Whenever something didn't go quite right, he'd start the conversation with 'Now, I'm not finding fault here, but what happened and how do you propose we fix it'. What a great leader!

I was in charge of the Interactive Graphics Department doing the layouts for every freakin' store in every dadgum state (2 million sq. ft. per year) for 5 years before bailing to another job in '84. I worked with the buyers (you all remember the program plans for each counter?), the Central Fixtures co. that made the counters, Central Maintenance co. that serviced all the stores. All of their info had to go through my computers. The AIM stores was the last gasp of a dying empire. I was part of the research team that traveled to Phoenix to spy and take pictures of the Smitty's stores to develop a prototype of a racetrack concept of higher-end product to sell at discount rate. All was for naught, we were a huge company, but Dayton Hudson (and Del Santo) took us down. I really don't blame Del Santo, he was just the guy hosting the wake.

For all the DMs, DVPs, or whatever title you acquired, it was fun while it lasted!

[Generals64]

A T.G.&Y. thread! Holy cow! I worked for O.H. Goss (Owen...much to his chagrin...Honey, Goss) who started his rise to V.P. of the construction division by sweeping the stockroom in some forgotten store a hundred years ago. Of course, I really worked for his underlings, but most corporate brackets include a network of people you have to answer to. Mr. Goss, however, could call you to his office (a rather splendid work of mahogany and brass) and talk to you like he was your Dad. Whenever something didn't go quite right, he'd start the conversation with 'Now, I'm not finding fault here, but what happened and how do you propose we fix it'. What a great leader!

I was in charge of the Interactive Graphics Department doing the layouts for every freakin' store in every dadgum state (2 million sq. ft. per year) for 5 years before bailing to another job in '84. I worked with the buyers (you all remember the program plans for each counter?), the Central Fixtures co. that made the counters, Central Maintenance co. that serviced all the stores. All of their info had to go through my computers. The AIM stores was the last gasp of a dying empire. I was part of the research team that traveled to Phoenix to spy and take pictures of the Smitty's stores to develop a prototype of a racetrack concept of higher-end product to sell at discount rate. All was for naught, we were a huge company, but Dayton Hudson (and Del Santo) took us down. I really don't blame Del Santo, he was just the guy hosting the wake.

For all the DMs, DVPs, or whatever title you acquired, it was fun while it lasted!

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can't private message you right now But, I knew Mr. Goss very well...Knew Mr. Price, Henderson, Gosselin, Young, Hubbell, All of the original old-timers. I started with TG&Y in 1962 working for H.O. Price in a small variety store sweeping the floor and ended up in the buying department and left two weeks after they announced the sell of the Company.
One time I had gotten mad at Mr. Price and quit TG&Y and went to work for C.R. Anthony for about two months at Casady Square....I was having lunch when a tall blonde headed man sat down beside me and placed his order and then in his commanding voice said, "Don't you think it's time you come back to where you belong?".....It was Mr. Goss...My answer was timidly, " Yes sir...Where and When"....Monday of the next week and back where you quit......You need to get some ketchup....I asked "Ketchup"? Yes...you've got a lot of crow to eat......... Miss that company and the old-timers....David Green (Hobby Lobby) was a TG&Y old-timer.....good one too....

[RealJimbo]

Carolyn Smith, O.H. Goss' secretary grew up down the street from me. We keep in touch to a degree. The "home-grown" T.G.&Y. brass were all the "real deal". I actually got to know Dan Kelly much better after the company was gone. We visited at his store in Tulsa quite often. He was a store operator and was never so happy as when he was tooling around the store with a pad and a feather duster.

[Generals64]

Carolyn Smith, O.H. Goss' secretary grew up down the street from me. We keep in touch to a degree. The "home-grown" T.G.&Y. brass were all the "real deal". I actually got to know Dan Kelly much better after the company was gone. We visited at his store in Tulsa quite often. He was a store operator and was never so happy as when he was tooling around the store with a pad and a feather duster.

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Saw Dan's Brother (Jim) yesterday. They ahd me go around the country looking for merchandise for their stores. They bought the old TG&Y in Carnegie and it was successful for quite some time.....When the auctioneer started the bidding on the first item in the store I paid little for it. I told everyone there that I came to buy the store intact for a new variety store. Most of the people there were from Carnegie and they just backed off. I got that store fixtures and all for little of nothing.....

[rocket-j-squirrel]

I'd forgotten about Mr. Kelly. He and my Dad played a lot of golf at Twin Hills C.C. Heck, with those connections, I should have been a DVP or something. lol!

My experience at ''Corporate'' was interesting, challenging, and rewarding. I had an office with walls that went up to the ceiling and a door you could shut. It had no window or built-in furniture, but it was a move up from my desk in the storage room next to the blueprint machine...the smell of ammonia still haunts me. And then there was the cafeteria! The food was great (except for burrito day). I think at one time, there were 1,500 employees occupying the main building and the adjunct building where I worked. Another part of my job was to design displays for new products like the computer games and I designed the office remodels for the guys on ''Mahogany Row''. CFC built a lot more than your standard double sided 10' long 5' high display counter. Geez, now I can't remember the icon classification we keyed into the drawings to produce the cut sheets for CFC to manufacture the cabinets and order the racks! Oh well, T.G. &Y. was at the forefront of CAD/CAM back in 1979.

[Generals64]

I'd forgotten about Mr. Kelly. He and my Dad played a lot of golf at Twin Hills C.C. Heck, with those connections, I should have been a DVP or something. lol!

My experience at ''Corporate'' was interesting, challenging, and rewarding. I had an office with walls that went up to the ceiling and a door you could shut. It had no window or built-in furniture, but it was a move up from my desk in the storage room next to the blueprint machine...the smell of ammonia still haunts me. And then there was the cafeteria! The food was great (except for burrito day). I think at one time, there were 1,500 employees occupying the main building and the adjunct building where I worked. Another part of my job was to design displays for new products like the computer games and I designed the office remodels for the guys on ''Mahogany Row''. CFC built a lot more than your standard double sided 10' long 5' high display counter. Geez, now I can't remember the icon classification we keyed into the drawings to produce the cut sheets for CFC to manufacture the cabinets and order the racks! Oh well, T.G. &Y. was at the forefront of CAD/CAM back in 1979.

By the way, you weren't the little "twerp" that kepr raiding my Candy samples were you?....Jimbo will tell me I'm Sure. By the way Bobbie Elmore passed away and so did Bill Phillips. I ended up in the buying department for the last three years of my time with TG&Y.....

[rocket-j-squirrel]

Ha! Nope, I never took your lousy candy! By the time you set up the display counters and took a picture, it was already stale. LOL You might want to think about those creeps in advertising. They took everything that wasn't nailed down!

There was a buyer (I think) that was a Native American who was one of the funniest guys to talk with. I'm not sure of his name, and maybe you could help me...was it Mr. Williams? He was a runnin' buddy with Mr. Goss. Most of his adages couldn't be repeated in mixed company.

[wheltzel]

My best TG&Y memories are tied to the Skytrain and Del City theatres. I seem to remember that TG&Y had stores right across from both. The folks used to drop sis and me at one or the other of a Saturday afternoon with $1.00 (not each, a buck between us.)

For my half of that buck I could get into the show for $.35 and a popcorn for $.15. OR, I could bop across the street and get three times as much popcorn and still have a nickel left for a candy bar.

The Skytrain never said anything about it, but the old gal that ran the Del City didn't like it a BIT. She used to raise the devil about it with us 'til one day I invited her to speak with my mom about it. After that she still made a stink about it, just not with me and sis

[Generals64]

My best TG&Y memories are tied to the Skytrain and Del City theatres. I seem to remember that TG&Y had stores right across from both. The folks used to drop sis and me at one or the other of a Saturday afternoon with $1.00 (not each, a buck between us.)

For my half of that buck I could get into the show for $.35 and a popcorn for $.15. OR, I could bop across the street and get three times as much popcorn and still have a nickel left for a candy bar.

The Skytrain never said anything about it, but the old gal that ran the Del City didn't like it a BIT. She used to raise the devil about it with us 'til one day I invited her to speak with my mom about it. After that she still made a stink about it, just not with me and sis

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Don't remember the location of the Skytrain but you are right about a Store being across from the Del City theater.....Used to be a good Store too...