The Emporium (Long Beach)
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The Emporium was a department store in Downtown Long Beach, California.
The Emporium's origins go back to Harry Brown and Stephen L. Powers, whose company S. L. Powers & Co. opened The Great Cash Bargain Store on July 28, 1904, at 32 Pine Street (later 332 Pine) in the then-new W. H. Martin Building.[1]
1st Emporium 1904–1907, 332 Pine
On March 30, 1905, Powers changed the store name to The Emporium. In January 1907, this first "Emporium" closed.[2]
Meanwhile, Henry D. Meyer of Pasadena who owned Meyer's Department Stores (also written Meyer or Meyers) in Pasadena, Holtville, and Hemet,[3] opened a Long Beach branch at 151 Pine around 1905.[4] In March 1908 T. Sundbye of Huntington Beach partnered with Meyer and the store was known as Meyer & Sundbye's.[5]
2nd Emporium 1909–1932
151 Pine
Under Meyer's ownership, The Emporium would reopen again on July 31, 1909, this time at 151 Pine,[6] which Meyer had operated as "Meyers Department Store".[7]
Broadway and Locust
On March 29, 1912, The Emporium moved to a new building at the northwest corner of Broadway and Locust.[8]
Meyer sells to Ahlswede
On May 1, 1914, Henry D. Meyer of Pasadena sold the store to Ed. Ahlswede[9][10][11][12] who had operated a large dry goods store in Chicago,[13] and his son Herbert F. Ahlswede (b. July 5, 1878, Chicago).[14][15]