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GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Give your vehicle a nod to Dayton’s retail past with this Rike-Kumler vanity license plate. The company’s roots began with David L. Rike joining a Dayton dry-goods business in 1853, followed by a celebrated downtown store at Second and Main. Rike’s became a familiar name across the region, with branches in Kettering and Trotwood and a history tied to changing department-store identities. Its animated Christmas windows remain a beloved local tradition for collectors and Dayton history enthusiasts.
Rike-Kumler Company grew from a Dayton, Ohio, dry-goods business joined by David L. Rike in 1853. The store operated under several names before David Rike partnered with Robert I. Cummins and Samuel E. Kumler in 1867, forming D. L. Rike and Company, which traded as The Rike Dry Goods Co. A prominent new store opened at Second and Main Streets in 1912. The company became Rike-Kumler in 1908 and was commonly known as Rike’s. In 1959, it joined Federated Department Stores. Its first branch opened in Kettering in 1961, followed by a mall store at Salem Mall in Trotwood in 1963. In 1982, Rike’s merged with Cincinnati-based Shillito’s to form Shillito-Rike’s; in 1986, that operation became part of the Columbus-based Lazarus chain. Federated consolidated most of its other chains under the Macy’s brand in 2005. The downtown store closed in 1991, and its former building was imploded in 1999. Rike’s was remembered for animated Christmas window displays, whose preserved figures have been shown each Christmas season at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.
Rike-Kumler Company Vanity License Plate
$17.99
Sale price
$17.99
Regular price
Give your vehicle a nod to Dayton’s retail past with this Rike-Kumler vanity license plate. The company’s roots began with David L. Rike joining a Dayton dry-goods business in 1853, followed by a celebrated downtown store at Second and Main. Rike’s became a familiar name across the region, with branches in Kettering and Trotwood and a history tied to changing department-store identities. Its animated Christmas windows remain a beloved local tradition for collectors and Dayton history enthusiasts.
Rike-Kumler Company grew from a Dayton, Ohio, dry-goods business joined by David L. Rike in 1853. The store operated under several names before David Rike partnered with Robert I. Cummins and Samuel E. Kumler in 1867, forming D. L. Rike and Company, which traded as The Rike Dry Goods Co. A prominent new store opened at Second and Main Streets in 1912. The company became Rike-Kumler in 1908 and was commonly known as Rike’s. In 1959, it joined Federated Department Stores. Its first branch opened in Kettering in 1961, followed by a mall store at Salem Mall in Trotwood in 1963. In 1982, Rike’s merged with Cincinnati-based Shillito’s to form Shillito-Rike’s; in 1986, that operation became part of the Columbus-based Lazarus chain. Federated consolidated most of its other chains under the Macy’s brand in 2005. The downtown store closed in 1991, and its former building was imploded in 1999. Rike’s was remembered for animated Christmas window displays, whose preserved figures have been shown each Christmas season at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.
| 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