John A. Brown Vanity License Plate
12" × 6"
$17.99
Sale price
$17.99
Regular price
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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Give your display a distinctive Oklahoma retail-history touch with this John A. Brown vanity license plate. The name recalls a department store chain that began in Oklahoma City, grew alongside the city, and later moved into suburban malls. Its downtown flagship became part of a larger story of urban renewal, while the chain’s 1984 sale brought the Brown name to an end in retail. A conversation piece for collectors, former customers, and admirers of local business history.
John A. Brown was an Oklahoma department store chain whose roots reach back to 1915, when the Rorabaugh Company acquired Brock's Dry Goods in Oklahoma City and renamed it Rorabaugh-Brown Dry Goods Co. In 1932, John Albert Brown bought the business from his cousin and partner, A. O. Rorabaugh, and renamed the store after himself. Brown had also joined John Dunkin in buying Tulsa mercantile store Hunts in 1924; that separate business became Brown-Dunkin and had no formal connection to the Oklahoma City company. After Brown died in 1940, his widow, Della Dunkin Brown, led the company until her death in 1967, when ownership passed to a trust. Dayton Hudson Corporation acquired the chain in 1971 but kept the Brown name. The downtown Oklahoma City flagship closed in the 1970s and was later demolished amid an urban renewal project that did not produce the planned Galleria shopping center. The chain shifted toward suburban shopping malls, including Penn Square Mall and Crossroads Mall. In 1984, Dayton Hudson sold the six-store chain to Dillard's, which quickly renamed the stores. The transition ended the John A. Brown name in retail.
John A. Brown Vanity License Plate
$17.99
Sale price
$17.99
Regular price
Give your display a distinctive Oklahoma retail-history touch with this John A. Brown vanity license plate. The name recalls a department store chain that began in Oklahoma City, grew alongside the city, and later moved into suburban malls. Its downtown flagship became part of a larger story of urban renewal, while the chain’s 1984 sale brought the Brown name to an end in retail. A conversation piece for collectors, former customers, and admirers of local business history.
John A. Brown was an Oklahoma department store chain whose roots reach back to 1915, when the Rorabaugh Company acquired Brock's Dry Goods in Oklahoma City and renamed it Rorabaugh-Brown Dry Goods Co. In 1932, John Albert Brown bought the business from his cousin and partner, A. O. Rorabaugh, and renamed the store after himself. Brown had also joined John Dunkin in buying Tulsa mercantile store Hunts in 1924; that separate business became Brown-Dunkin and had no formal connection to the Oklahoma City company. After Brown died in 1940, his widow, Della Dunkin Brown, led the company until her death in 1967, when ownership passed to a trust. Dayton Hudson Corporation acquired the chain in 1971 but kept the Brown name. The downtown Oklahoma City flagship closed in the 1970s and was later demolished amid an urban renewal project that did not produce the planned Galleria shopping center. The chain shifted toward suburban shopping malls, including Penn Square Mall and Crossroads Mall. In 1984, Dayton Hudson sold the six-store chain to Dillard's, which quickly renamed the stores. The transition ended the John A. Brown name in retail.
| 12" × 6" | |
| Width, in | 12.00 |
| Height , in | 6.00 |
Product features
- Durable 100% aluminum construction with silver backing
- High-definition, vibrant color printing on white front
- Standard size 12" × 6" (30.5 × 15.2 cm)
- Four pre-drilled holes for easy hanging or mounting
- Assembled in the USA from globally sourced parts (mounting hardware not included)
Care instructions
- Wipe with a damp cloth, air dry or use a soft, non-abrasive cloth