Harris-Gottschalks Dept. Store Still Remembered in Riverside………..Good-Bye My Old Friend

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Harris-Gottschalks Dept. Store Still Remembered in Riverside………..Good-Bye My Old Friend

In 1905, The Harris’ Company opened in downtown San Bernardino, CA.  

In 1957, Harris opened its second store in Riverside, at the Riverside Plaza. This was a new concept to have a shopping area out of the downtown section. This chain built a reputation for offering high quality merchandise and became the Marshall Field’s of the Inland Empire.  Harris had retail competitors like Broadway and Robinson’s but continued to hold its own and consumers flocked to the stores. Harris opened 9 stores total.

This is the back side of the mall as you can see Harris behind the center. But I loved this picture with the cars and the original sign. Photo was taken in 1958.

This is the Harris I remember. The store windows were huge, like big rooms, lavishly decorated during the Christmas and Easter holiday season. I remember going to visit Santa Claus at the Riverside store with my mother and Santa was in the window! I was 4 yrs old and this was so exciting. This became a Christmas tradition in our family for many years. The windows were extravagantly decorated and drew many annual onlookers. Later Harris had automated window displays which continued to draw crowds. At Christmas they would have a train going back and forth through the window displays. When I was a senior at Ramona High School, we went to Harris and had our senior pictures; Hair up and pastel sweaters. I loved the Palm Trees planted outside in the parking lot.

Harris opened a total of 9 stores in San Bernardino and Riverside County. Harris then sold the company in 1981 to a foreign corporation. Then in 1998, Gottschalk’s purchased the company. But due to the declining market, the Gottschalk’s company filed Bankruptcy in 2009 and all 9 stores closed by August 2009.

I grew up with Harris and I remember going shopping with my mother, eating lunch at the cafe on the 2nd Floor, getting my first credit card there, and going with my dad before Mother’s Day to buy my mother a gift. There was never any question about what store to go to, it was always Harris.

After they put the liquidation signs up outside, I went there a couple of times but I was just too sad to go back. I went on a trip to Alaska late July and when I returned, it was closed.

I am still sad about the closing of Harris and it made me feel like a good friend had died. Amazingly enough, my mother passed in July 2009. I am glad she did not know about the demise of Harris-Gottschalks as she loved the stores. I think there are probably many residents in this area who feel the same about the closing of the chain. We miss the Harris-Gottschalk’s store!! It is now a "Forever 21" store so it is making money and not sitting empty like most of the other stores.

Good-Bye my old friend………. You will be missed!