Stewart Dry Goods
Encyclopedia
The Stewart Dry Goods company of Louisville, Kentucky
, commonly referred to as Stewart's, consisted of seven department stores in Kentucky
and Indiana
. It was a division of Associated Dry Goods
in New York City
.
In the 1980s, Associated Dry Goods merged the Stewart's stores into its sister L. S. Ayres division. After the Associated Dry Goods merger with May Department Stores
in 1986, most of its former locations in Louisville were sold to Ben Snyder's, then later shuttered or sold to Hess's
in 1987.
In 1992, the last former Stewart's at Washington Square Mall
in Evansville, Indiana
was shuttered by L. S. Ayres.
The Stewart's Dry Goods Company Building at 501 S. 4th Ave. is listed at a Building of Local Significance on the National Register of Historic Places
in Louisville, Kentucky.
The front of the downtown Louisville store is featured in one of the very first scenes from the 1981 movie Stripes
in which two teens dash out of a cab driven by actor Bill Murray
without paying the fare and a passenger played by actress Fran Ryan
is picked up.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, commonly referred to as Stewart's, consisted of seven department stores in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It was a division of Associated Dry Goods
Associated Dry Goods
Associated Dry Goods was a chain of department stores that merged with May Department Stores in 1986. It was founded in 1916 as an association of independent stores called American Dry Goods, based in New York City.-History:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In the 1980s, Associated Dry Goods merged the Stewart's stores into its sister L. S. Ayres division. After the Associated Dry Goods merger with May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
in 1986, most of its former locations in Louisville were sold to Ben Snyder's, then later shuttered or sold to Hess's
Hess's
Hess's was a department store chain based in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States.- History :The department store known as Hess Brothers was founded on February 19, 1897, by Charles and Max Hess. Max Hess came to Allentown in 1896 on a business trip and envisioned a...
in 1987.
In 1992, the last former Stewart's at Washington Square Mall
Washington Square Mall (Evansville, Indiana)
Washington Square Mall is a shopping mall located in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It opened October 31, 1963 and was the first enclosed shopping center in Indiana. Developed by Erie Investments, the mall was originally anchored by Sears and an A & P supermarket. Louisville-based Stewart Dry...
in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
was shuttered by L. S. Ayres.
The Stewart's Dry Goods Company Building at 501 S. 4th Ave. is listed at a Building of Local Significance on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in Louisville, Kentucky.
The front of the downtown Louisville store is featured in one of the very first scenes from the 1981 movie Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
in which two teens dash out of a cab driven by actor Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
without paying the fare and a passenger played by actress Fran Ryan
Fran Ryan
Fran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California....
is picked up.