Hudson’s was a name at the center of Detroit life for decades. And their flagship store on Woodward loomed over downtown until it was demolished in 1998.
I remember that day because I worked it for a local TV station. Street after street was covered in dust, and it was a quick, final end to the second largest and tallest department store in the country.
According to HistoricDetroit.org, it was a behemoth. We talked about the height. But the three electric transformers inside could supply enough power for a city of 20,000 people. It had a world record 705 fitting rooms. 200 different departments.
And with a name as locally known as Sanders, Faygo, Vernors or any of the Big Three, Hudson’s had the most important thing: the hearts of Detroiters.
This week came some interesting news. Somehow, some way, an ornate elevator from this long-gone structure has popped up on the radar.
And it didn’t just show up, dirty and dusty in a corner of a storage unit. But half a million dollars and a quarter century later, it arrived in all of its grandeur.
Today, we’ll share that story by the man who made it happen, Alex Begin. Scroll down for photos of the elevator.
More on Hudson’s on Historic Detroit: https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/hudsons-department-store
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