Lamonts Ceramic Coffee Mug

$12.99

GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Start the day with a reminder of Lamonts and the retail history woven into the Pacific Northwest. The chain took its name in 1970, when Pay 'n Save converted suburban Rhodes stores; Rhodes had been founded in Seattle by Albert J. Rhodes in 1907. Through new ownership and changing fortunes, Lamonts became part of the region's department-store and mall story. This mug suits former shoppers, Seattle-history enthusiasts, and collectors who value the evolution of familiar local brands.

Lamonts was a Seattle-founded department store chain launched in 1970, when Pay 'n Save renamed its suburban Rhodes stores. Rhodes began in Seattle in 1907, founded by Albert J. Rhodes, and later expanded to University Village in 1956, Bellevue's Crossroads Mall in July 1964, and Lake Forest Park in October 1964. Pay 'n Save acquired Rhodes in 1967 and Bell's of Burien in 1968; the stores became Lamonts, with the Burien store retaining the Bell's name alongside Lamonts until 1974. Lamonts remained a Pay 'n Save division until 1985, then came under Northern Pacific Corp. and was sold to Dallas-based Aris Corp. in 1989. Expansion and financial troubles led to Chapter 11 filings in 1995 and 2000. Gottschalks acquired 34 of the 38 remaining stores in 2000 and converted them to its own name. Gottschalks announced liquidation of its remaining locations on March 31, 2009. The original downtown Rhodes store was demolished in 2003.