Famous-Barr Luggage Tag

$16.99

GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Carry a piece of St. Louis retail history on your travels with this Famous-Barr luggage tag. The name began with a clothing business rooted in Jesse W. Motte’s 1874 store and became Famous-Barr when David May merged it with William Barr Dry Goods Co. in 1911. From its landmark downtown department store to branches across the region, Famous-Barr became a familiar part of Midwestern life. This tag celebrates a distinct local identity remembered by generations of shoppers.

Famous-Barr grew from Motte's, a St. Louis boot and shoe store founded by Jesse W. Motte in 1874 at 714 Franklin Street. In 1876, supervisor Joseph Specht became Motte's partner; the business added clothing and moved to 703–705 Franklin Street, appearing in the city directory as Famous, Motte & Specht and becoming popularly known as the Famous Clothing Company. Retailer David May acquired the Famous Clothing Store in 1892 and later acquired William Barr Dry Goods Co. In 1911, he merged the businesses to form Famous-Barr. The company opened a downtown St. Louis department store in 1914, described as the country's first air-conditioned department store. Its first branch opened in Clayton, Missouri, in 1948, followed by a Northland Shopping Center branch in Jennings in 1955. Famous-Barr assumed operational control of L.S. Ayres in Indiana in 1991 and added The Jones Store in Kansas City in 1998; both retained their names. Parent May Department Stores was acquired by Federated on August 30, 2005. Famous-Barr joined Macy's Midwest on February 1, 2006, and its name was retired that September as most regional stores adopted the Macy's name. The downtown store and headquarters closed in summer 2013.