Emery, Bird, Thayer & Company in Kansas City, Missouri – Legends of America
Okay, Kansas City history buffs, gather ’round! Let’s talk about a department store that was the place to be back in the day: Emery, Bird, Thayer & Company, or EBT as the cool kids called it. This wasn’t just any store; it was practically woven into the fabric of the city, with roots stretching back to when Kansas City was just a baby town known as Westport Landing.
Sadly, EBT shut its doors in 1968, and the amazing building it called home (which was even on the National Register of Historic Places!) got torn down in 1972. But its story? That’s worth telling.
From Frontier Outfitter to Fancy Emporium
So, how did this legend begin? Picture this: the 1860s, Kansas City is booming as a jumping-off point for pioneers heading west. Two guys, Kersey Coates and William Gillis, saw an opportunity. They set up shop at Missouri Avenue and Main Street in the "Town of Kansas" (as it was then known). Their target customer? The traders, trappers, and brave souls kitting themselves out for the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. Think rugged gear, supplies for the long haul – the whole shebang.
Fast forward a bit, and things started to get a little more… well, posh. The store moved to a swanky new three-story building at 7th and Main Streets. Mergers happened, names changed – first it was Coates and Bullene (after teaming up with Thomas B. Bullene), then Bullene, Moore, and Emery Department Store. Finally, in the 1890s, the name we all remember, Emery, Bird, Thayer & Company, stuck, thanks to investors W. E. Emery, Joseph Taylor Bird. Sr., and William B. Thayer.
The "Big Store" Takes Center Stage
These guys had big plans. They built a gorgeous new building that took up an entire block along East 11th Street, from Walnut to Grand. And get this: it was designed by Henry Van Brunt, a famous architect from the Kansas City firm Van Brunt and Howe. He also designed the New Coates House Hotel, so you know it was fancy.
This new EBT was five stories of architectural awesomeness. Think Free Romanesque style, with arcades, brick columns, and those cool neo-Romanesque capitals. It instantly became the attraction on the city’s main shopping street, which everyone called Petticoat Lane (because, you know, ladies loved to shop there).
But it wasn’t just the building that wowed people. Inside, the aisles were wide, the grillwork was intricate, the elevators had these brass cages, and the service? Top-notch. Employees went out of their way to make you feel special.
Tea Time and Shirtwaist Sales
Now, let’s talk about the Tea Room. Oh, the Tea Room! It was on the third floor, and it was the place to be seen. Soft carpets, linen tablecloths, ceiling fans… pure elegance. They even used fancy china from Limoges, France, made by the Theodore Haviland Company.
The Tea Room hosted wedding breakfasts, luncheons, afternoon teas, receptions – you name it. And once a year, they threw a special tea party for kids and their dolls, complete with a doll-sized tea set as a souvenir. How cute is that?
But EBT wasn’t just about fancy stuff. They also sold everyday things like blankets, sewing patterns, gloves, pots and pans, dishes, jewelry, furniture, medicine, hats, carpets – basically, anything you could possibly need.
And get this: on July 11, 1896, they had a shirtwaist sale (those newfangled button-down blouses). They slashed the price from $1.25 to 25 cents, and 5,000 shoppers showed up before 10 a.m.! They sold over 9,600 shirtwaists that day. Talk about a frenzy!
EBT was known as the "Big Store," and for good reason. People considered it the best department store west of the Mississippi. A brochure from 1902 called it "the biggest retail dry goods store in the state of Missouri," and a 1915 article in the Kansas City Star said it had "two acres of floor space." Can you imagine? At that time, they had 2,000 employees!
The Not-So-Pretty Side
Okay, so it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Like many businesses back then, EBT had a dark side when it came to race. Black people faced discrimination during the Jim Crow era. They weren’t allowed to try on clothes or hats, and they couldn’t eat in the restaurants until 1959. It’s a reminder that even the most glamorous places weren’t always fair to everyone.
Hollywood Dreams and "Emery’s Porch"
Here’s a fun fact: Before she was a Hollywood icon, Joan Crawford (then known as Billie Cassin) worked at EBT. She moved to Kansas City with her family in 1916. After work, she’d often wait for dates or friends under the store’s awning. It was such a common spot that people called it "Emery’s Porch." Broadway star Jeanne Eagels also worked there for a while. Who knew EBT was a launching pad for future stars?
Expansion and Decline
In 1925, EBT expanded, opening another store on the Country Club Plaza and buying the Bundschu store in Independence. Things were looking good.
But after World War II, things started to change. Downtown Kansas City was losing its shine, and people were moving to the suburbs. EBT’s tea room closed. Malls were popping up, offering new shopping experiences. EBT just couldn’t keep up.
By 1968, the decision was made: the downtown store would close after almost 80 years. It was the end of an era.
The Final Sale and Legacy
On August 7, 1968, the downtown EBT closed for good. Thousands of shoppers descended on the store for a massive going-out-of-business sale. The crowd was so huge that 41 police officers had to be called in to keep things under control. The closure meant 800 people lost their jobs. The Plaza and Independence stores were sold to Macy’s.
In 1971, the Emery, Bird, Thayer Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, a final honor for the grand old building.
But sadly, it wasn’t enough to save it. After sitting empty for five years, demolition began in 1972. It became a parking lot. Later, UMB Financial Corporation built a building on the site.
The good news? The old warehouse at 16th and Walnut was turned into residential lofts. And during the renovation, the "Emery Bird Thayer Warehouse" lettering on the side was repainted, a little reminder of the store that once was.
So, there you have it. The story of Emery, Bird, Thayer & Company, a Kansas City legend that’s gone but not forgotten. Next time you’re downtown, take a look around and imagine what it was like back in the day, when EBT was the place to be.