Never got a chance to experience the Downtown Hudson's. By the time I was forming memories, the Hudsons at suburban Detroit malls had a stronghold on everyone. Side point---I am old enough to remember Erik Smith on Channel 7 and miss hearing him on the morning news. And Robbie Timmons too!
I've never been here to this place because the demolition took place a day after I was born but my grandparents, parents, and family friends would talk about this place. It kinda makes me sad that I will never get to experience this. Thanks for posting.
You can also see the crystal chandeliers and the memorial wall commemorating the Hudson's employees whose lives were lost in WW2 preserved from the downtown flagship on the first floor of Macy's Oakland.
I’m sorry you missed the opportunity to go to the store. My daughter who was 5 when it was demolished missed out too, I remember hoping someone would save the building, it never happened. She does remember the building because I took her downtown to shop the few places there were to shop.
I remember Hudson's Downtown Detroit store. I used to work for Hudson's Eastland. I worked from 1975 until 1980 when Marshall Fields bought Hudson's Eastland. Then Macy's bought Marshall Fields. It seems that Hudson's became Macy's. I miss Hudson's.
I miss the Santa Claus Land and from the 1970s. I still have the photos of myself and Santa when they had that Irish cop as Santa. Also used to run around Hudson's quite a bit as a little boy, and managed to sit upstairs in Joseph Hudson's waiting room while I got a candy from a secretaries. Then I would be waiting for my mom to come upstairs to pick me up . Joseph Hudson was a very nice man , and I remember him always saying hello to my mother because I used to be a regular customer getting lost in the store . I do remember running around as a little boy with David Ruffin's two children when we were real little. I also remember using the oak elevators with my mom and grandma. Seeing this makes me sad because I remember my mom and grandmother going on the bus and taking us to Hudson's. My last memory of Hudson's Was 1980 of Christmas, and my next door neighbor had treated me to lunch up in the 13th floor. I had one of my favorite desserts which was chocolate mousse. Unfortunately they'll never be another store like that again, and I was glad at least I was old enough to remember Santa Land and that beautiful store. I feel sorry for the younger Generations because unlike us we have the memories they only can see it through a video.
Those were the days of classic department stores of big cities. You will never see department stores like Hudson's ever again. So very sad. Even the department stores at suburban malls no longer have any class.😪😪
I shopped there on my lunch hour in 1979 and it was grand. I was only 19. I’d take that beautiful oak elevator to the ladies apparel; bought myself a pair of suede high heel sandals. I had lunch at the Hudson restaurant. Oh how I miss those innocent years but so glad I was there for it. It’s so different today - it’s no longer a kind welcoming world anymore. So sad!
Nice clip. I wonder what year? Never saw the inside when she was open but managed to look around a bit when someone was using part of the ground floor for a flea market after the glory years. I remembered finding the famous elevators in the dark and standing there wondering what it was like in the hustle and bustle days. Gave me a melancholy feeling :(
I am so very glad to see the fond memories I have of my childhood going from Highland Park on the DSR Woodward bus with my grandmother to Hudsons. It molded me into doing an internship at Hudsons in the buying office, then upon graduation from Oakland U....becoming a JL Hudson Management associate. Lured away by the almighty Macy's, in 1983. That would send me on a 35 plus year retail executive career. Macy's, Rich's (Atlanta), Penney's, Mervyn"s, Dillard's, and now Belk. Thanks to Hudsons, and my love of retail!!!!!!!
This was the last gasp of the old downtown Detroit at the peak of crack era. On the bright side: downtown Detroit is born again, it wil never be like the old times, but nothing can be, by definitions, everything changes.
Watching this here on the 25th anniversary of it's demolition (Oct 24, 1998) and from what I can find online your news story has the only video footage from inside Hudson's department store while it was still open and in business. Thank you so much for posting this from someone who was never alive to experience this place!
I can remember going downtown as a young kid in the 50s' and shopping at Hudson's. It was impressive. Wards was on Gratiot and I think 6-mile rd. We bought our suites at Robert Halls. I also remember going downtown for the Thanksgiving parade.
I remember going to Hudson's as a teenager with my mother. The bronze elevators & escalators. The use of sparkling stone & rich varnished woods. I would pull her upstairs to the restaurant & feast on strawberries as big as apples, sweet as candy & watch the never ending train of customers waiting their turn to be served. It was a wonderful place, full of expectations that magically always seemed to be fulfilled. An era of the great department store now vanished forever, replaced by, although convenient, the cold impersonal world of Amazon & PayPal.... Still I'm grateful I was able to be part of Hudson's heyday.
If this was to commemorate the closing of the downtown Hudson's store, the clip would have been done sometime in late 1982. If I remember correctly, the store closed in January 1983.
I was in Hudsons on Woodward , now that was a depeartment store , how beautiful and grand it was , Detroit never should of lost it , l loved it and im from Canada...
Great childhood memories of going there with my grandmother. And there’s no better person to bring us this nostalgic clip than Erik Smith, with his smooth, relaxed delivery! Nice work!
December 1993, it was opened to the public. Hudson's put items in there for sale for 2 weeks. I'm not sure if they were trying to see if they could revive the store and get customers to shop downtown again but everything was still in the store with the chandeliers and all.
The store was opened for 2 weeks in December 1993, merchandise was brought in and the store was in good shape. After that vandals got in and wrecked whatever they could.
No, it was a Flea market that operated during the Christmas Seasons of 1992 and 1993 and Hudson's had nothing to do with it. Dayton-Hudson sold the building in 1989, their last offices (Credit Operations) moved out in 1986. ua-cam.com/video/sNpENNnbvUo/v-deo.html
Anybody know what year this video clip was made?? This was really good and full of great facts of history. This was a BIG loss for the city of Detroit!
This was created during the Christmas Season of 1982, which was the last Christmas Season for downtown Hudson's. The store closed in January 1983 after a going out of business sale that started on January 2.
The building was demolished in October 1998 (saw it live on TV; I think it might have been WXYZ). Hard to believe it’s been 20 years already since it’s been gone.
@@jasonzoltowski7091 very hard to believe. I went to an estate sale in G.P earlier that day. When I got home about five minutes after, I watched it go down on TV.
😂"It Was So Magical And Any Body Or Felt Like They Just Wanted To Be Somebody Even If It Hadn't Happened Quite Yet!?"Macy's In Manhattan N.Y.Is Still Standing And Serving 11 A Million People Macy's In The Malls Were Never Meant To Hold The Same Magic Touch!!!'
When I went to college, I remember going downtown to Hudson’s to pick out my own set of “real” luggage, instead of having to borrow pieces from others in the family. That was one of my graduation gifts.
I’ve never been to the downtown Hudson’s (it closed before I was born), but I have been to the Hudson’s at the Westland Shopping Center (it’s now Macy’s). Erik did a great job with this report.
Why doesn't the news do stories like this anymore?
There will never again be anything as grand as the great downtown department stores. It's so sad.
Have you not been to big cities like NY or Berlin or London? The big department stores still live.
Three generations of my family were privileged to work there. This world class organization gave us all precious memories to last a lifetime!!
Never got a chance to experience the Downtown Hudson's. By the time I was forming memories, the Hudsons at suburban Detroit malls had a stronghold on everyone. Side point---I am old enough to remember Erik Smith on Channel 7 and miss hearing him on the morning news. And Robbie Timmons too!
Thanks, Manning ... I has a good run at it, but I guess age and demographics finally caught up with me after 48 years!
Manning Taylor his silver hair
I've never been here to this place because the demolition took place a day after I was born but my grandparents, parents, and family friends would talk about this place. It kinda makes me sad that I will never get to experience this. Thanks for posting.
Somerset has the original brass fountains at Macy's
You can also see the crystal chandeliers and the memorial wall commemorating the Hudson's employees whose lives were lost in WW2 preserved from the downtown flagship on the first floor of Macy's Oakland.
I’m sorry you missed the opportunity to go to the store. My daughter who was 5 when it was demolished missed out too, I remember hoping someone would save the building, it never happened. She does remember the building because I took her downtown to shop the few places there were to shop.
I remember Hudson's Downtown Detroit store. I used to work for Hudson's Eastland. I worked from 1975 until 1980 when Marshall Fields bought Hudson's Eastland. Then Macy's bought Marshall Fields. It seems that Hudson's became Macy's.
I miss Hudson's.
This is what made Christmas incredible. So sad how we get away from this.
I miss the Santa Claus Land and from the 1970s. I still have the photos of myself and Santa when they had that Irish cop as Santa. Also used to run around Hudson's quite a bit as a little boy, and managed to sit upstairs in Joseph Hudson's waiting room while I got a candy from a secretaries. Then I would be waiting for my mom to come upstairs to pick me up . Joseph Hudson was a very nice man , and I remember him always saying hello to my mother because I used to be a regular customer getting lost in the store . I do remember running around as a little boy with David Ruffin's two children when we were real little. I also remember using the oak elevators with my mom and grandma. Seeing this makes me sad because I remember my mom and grandmother going on the bus and taking us to Hudson's. My last memory of Hudson's Was 1980 of Christmas, and my next door neighbor had treated me to lunch up in the 13th floor. I had one of my favorite desserts which was chocolate mousse. Unfortunately they'll never be another store like that again, and I was glad at least I was old enough to remember Santa Land and that beautiful store. I feel sorry for the younger Generations because unlike us we have the memories they only can see it through a video.
Those were the days of classic department stores of big cities. You will never see department stores like Hudson's ever again. So very sad. Even the department stores at suburban malls no longer have any class.😪😪
I shopped there on my lunch hour in 1979 and it was grand. I was only 19. I’d take that beautiful oak elevator to the ladies apparel; bought myself a pair of suede high heel sandals. I had lunch at the Hudson restaurant. Oh how I miss those innocent years but so glad I was there for it. It’s so different today - it’s no longer a kind welcoming world anymore. So sad!
Nice clip. I wonder what year? Never saw the inside when she was open but managed to look around a bit when someone was using part of the ground floor for a flea market after the glory years. I remembered finding the famous elevators in the dark and standing there wondering what it was like in the hustle and bustle days. Gave me a melancholy feeling :(
I am so very glad to see the fond memories I have of my childhood going from Highland Park on the DSR Woodward bus with my grandmother to Hudsons. It molded me into doing an internship at Hudsons in the buying office, then upon graduation from Oakland U....becoming a JL Hudson Management associate. Lured away by the almighty Macy's, in 1983. That would send me on a 35 plus year retail executive career. Macy's, Rich's (Atlanta), Penney's, Mervyn"s, Dillard's, and now Belk. Thanks to Hudsons, and my love of retail!!!!!!!
This was the last gasp of the old downtown Detroit at the peak of crack era. On the bright side: downtown Detroit is born again, it wil never be like the old times, but nothing can be, by definitions, everything changes.
Watching this here on the 25th anniversary of it's demolition (Oct 24, 1998) and from what I can find online your news story has the only video footage from inside Hudson's department store while it was still open and in business. Thank you so much for posting this from someone who was never alive to experience this place!
One of my MOST favorite childhood memories. Thank you!
I can remember going downtown as a young kid in the 50s' and shopping at Hudson's. It was impressive. Wards was on Gratiot and I think 6-mile rd. We bought our suites at Robert Halls. I also remember going downtown for the Thanksgiving parade.
I, used to work at Montgomery Wards, Gratiot and 7 Mile Road Store on Detroit's Northeast Side.
It will live on in my heart forever...thank you, so much.
God Bless and Merry Christmas will never get old or die.
I remember going to Hudson's as a teenager with my mother. The bronze elevators & escalators. The use of sparkling stone & rich varnished woods. I would pull her upstairs to the restaurant & feast on strawberries as big as apples, sweet as candy & watch the never ending train of customers waiting their turn to be served. It was a wonderful place, full of expectations that magically always seemed to be fulfilled. An era of the great department store now vanished forever, replaced by, although convenient, the cold impersonal world of Amazon & PayPal....
Still I'm grateful I was able to be part of Hudson's heyday.
I’m a young 43…
My grandma took me there where I was a little guy to shop and see Santa Clause. Christmas at Hudson was certainly a site to see.
If this was to commemorate the closing of the downtown Hudson's store, the clip would have been done sometime in late 1982. If I remember correctly, the store closed in January 1983.
This was shot during the final days of Christmas shopping at the Hudson's store.
I was in Hudsons on Woodward , now that was a depeartment store , how beautiful and grand it was , Detroit never should of lost it , l loved it and im from Canada...
Great childhood memories of going there with my grandmother. And there’s no better person to bring us this nostalgic clip than Erik Smith, with his smooth, relaxed delivery! Nice work!
Many cried when it was imploded.
Missed seeing the world's largest American flag hanging on Hudson's Woodward Avenue side.
December 1993, it was opened to the public. Hudson's put items in there for sale for 2 weeks. I'm not sure if they were trying to see if they could revive the store and get customers to shop downtown again but everything was still in the store with the chandeliers and all.
Hudson's, please come back. You were my favorite store.
Thank you for this post😊 this made my heart smile😊
The store was opened for 2 weeks in December 1993, merchandise was brought in and the store was in good shape. After that vandals got in and wrecked whatever they could.
No, it was a Flea market that operated during the Christmas Seasons of 1992 and 1993 and Hudson's had nothing to do with it. Dayton-Hudson sold the building in 1989, their last offices (Credit Operations) moved out in 1986. ua-cam.com/video/sNpENNnbvUo/v-deo.html
My mom worked in the building next door. We always got dressed up to visit Hudsons to go the restaurant. Can't imagine that now.
As a child we weren't allowed to go downtown unless we were all dressed up.
Anybody know what year this video clip was made?? This was really good and full of great facts of history. This was a BIG loss for the city of Detroit!
This was created during the Christmas Season of 1982, which was the last Christmas Season for downtown Hudson's. The store closed in January 1983 after a going out of business sale that started on January 2.
Ken Allan Ok great. Thanks for letting me know!! :)
And when was the demolition?
Jason Johnson October 1998
It was a big loss for Downtown Detroit because once Hudson's closed so did other retailers. This is what is referred to as the Domino's Effect.
Drove around it August 1998, last time I recall seeing it in person. Saw the crew inside doing some demo work.
The building was demolished in October 1998 (saw it live on TV; I think it might have been WXYZ). Hard to believe it’s been 20 years already since it’s been gone.
@@jasonzoltowski7091 very hard to believe. I went to an estate sale in G.P earlier that day. When I got home about five minutes after, I watched it go down on TV.
@@jasonzoltowski7091 I think it was on all 3 locations, no one particular was dominant focusing on the demolition.
😂"It Was So Magical And Any Body Or Felt Like They Just Wanted To Be Somebody Even If It Hadn't Happened Quite Yet!?"Macy's In Manhattan N.Y.Is Still Standing And Serving 11 A Million People Macy's In The Malls Were Never Meant To Hold The Same Magic Touch!!!'
When I went to college, I remember going downtown to Hudson’s to pick out my own set of “real” luggage, instead of having to borrow pieces from others in the family. That was one of my graduation gifts.
Loved going downtown to Hudson's with my parents! It was a treat and an amazing store!
I’ve never been to the downtown Hudson’s (it closed before I was born), but I have been to the Hudson’s at the Westland Shopping Center (it’s now Macy’s). Erik did a great job with this report.
BTW, I completely forgot that the Macy’s at WSC closed for good in 2017.
The, Hudson's Westland Mall Store, which is Macy's, has closed the Westland Mall Store permanently a few years ago.
Very good clip.
When was this filmed?
Christmas of 1982. Store closed in early 1983.
Anyone know who either of the kids were on Santa's knee?
Still makes me sad!
wonder if E de is alive still ?
I Highly Doubt it.
Actually she died Sept 12, 2007.
Erik Smith is alive and has a Facebook page. He was always cool.
very cool piece, thanks.
Now a football stadium....ford field now stands on this place
Nope ! Qucken Loans aka Rocket financial !
FORD Field is where Hudson's Warehouse Used to be !
Nope ! Quicken Loan/ RocketMortgage's multi use is there !
FORD Field is where Hudson's Warehouse Was !
What happened to Bill Bonds and Jerry Hodak?
Bill Bonds died in the 2000's.
Dennis Archer was happy to press the demolition button.
Wow interesting piece of information that I wasn’t aware of 😒
It's implosion had me interested
Never forget what they took from us