“I thought Jakes was the best store in the land and we were lucky to have one, a beautiful three level emporium with escalator and elevators that occupied a full city block in the Saginaw downtown area- convenient parking, full service and where you could purchase apparel, perfume and jewelry, gifts books, linens, gourmet foods, kitchen ware, Godiva chocolates and top of the line furniture. I equated it with the service I had received at such stores as Nordstrom’s and Niemen Marcus. The sales personnel remembered you and knew and catered to your likes and dislikes.” Harold E. Evans
While it has been closed since 2001 - the better part of two decades, many Saginaw residents have fond memories of exploring Jacobson’s (and enjoyed receiving gifts packaged in one of the retailer’s distinctive silver boxes tied with a red ribbon). However, those of us of a certain age remember an earlier, smaller store. Located on the corner of South Jefferson and Federal, it was completed in 1955 and became the cornerstone of the superstore completed in 1976. While the 1955 building was remodeled to match the new building, subtle reminders remained to hint at its sleek, elegant mid-century modern roots – curving, free-form plasterwork, stainless steel railings and a set of memorable pink stairs leading between levels of the store.
As part of our program to make more of our collection available online, the Castle Museum is pleased to make the attached collection of photographs from our holdings available. As you explore the images, you will be afforded an opportunity to explore Saginaw’s newest and most stylish store in the spring of 1955.
Click here and start shopping – at least you can pretend to shop.
Note: Constructed for Jacobson’s by a local developer, the 1955 building was never owned by the chain. Although there were several openings connecting to the additions, it is an independent structure. After the business closed in 2001, the 1955 store was acquired by the Castle Museum of Saginaw History and now houses the Museum’s collection and archives.