fairmontchick
4 posts
Oct 26, 2010
5:52 AM
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I remember the Christmas shop for kids. We would take the bus (electric in those days) from Kettering and buy stuff for very little money. My mom worked at Rike's in Kettering in the 60's.
Does anyone remember Kresge's (sp?) It was a five and dime store with a food bar. They had great hamburgers and shakes.
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JeffN
329 posts
Oct 27, 2010
8:54 AM
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There was a Kresge's in Airway Shopping Center in the 60s. I don't remember a whole lot about it; only I used to get cool toys there all the time!
I think it's cool that the Rike's Christmas windows are back up these days. I had a blast at the Grandle Illumination last year ... we're going to make it an annual trip!
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icsalum
56 posts
Oct 28, 2010
6:28 PM
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At every Kresge's I was in from 1960-1976, the smell of
the grill permeated the entire store. It was a wonderful aroma!
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dixiehwy25
2 posts
Oct 31, 2010
5:56 PM
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I used to always go to the eighth floor at Rike's and stare at the Corgi cars. One time Mom gave me about $5 to go buy Christmas presents in the Tike's section- (I was 4? 5?) I got the business when I would up buying a bunch of stuff for myself. Whether it was suits, appliances, or watches- the best selection was always perceived as being downtown. The longest hours I ever spent as little kid were in the fourth floor Women's Foundations department at Rike's- as Mom went down for their big sale every year.
But the best times were when our family piled into our full-size GM sedan on Thanksgiving night and cruised down N. Main to Second- 'cause that's when Rike's fired up the Christmas window!!!
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carole price
5 posts
Nov 06, 2010
1:38 PM
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Most Thanksgivings we had turkey dinner at home, but seeing the post about the Purple Cow reminded me of the year in the late 50s or early 60s we had Thanksgiving dnner at the Puprple Cow, and I think we saw a movie that day. It felt strange not being at home for dinner, and the situation struck me as funny. We didn't dine on turkey at the Purple Cow, as I now recollect, we were served spaghetti! And, to digress to topic, of course, Rikes was closed that day.
Last Edited by on Nov 08, 2010 10:47 AM
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jazzbass
4 posts
Nov 06, 2010
8:45 PM
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Lot of fond memories of Rikes...
Mom taking me on the bus (Ewalt Circle #7) downtown. The wonderful holiday window displays.
Going way up to the toy shop during Christmas time and watching the trains.
In high school, shopping for Gant shirts, Bass Weejuns and whaler coats. Checking out the record shop.
My soon to be wife picking out her good china. We still have it, it's used once a year for Thanksgiving. 41 years now...
My wife's mom worked there, she brought home the recipe for Rikes sloppy joes..
My wife and her mom taking our girls to the Tykes Shop so they could shop by them selves.
The madness of Downtown Dayton Day, I went once.. My wife was in her element fighting over children's clothes.
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DaytonDennis
23 posts
Nov 25, 2010
11:25 AM
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I remember the Elder-Beerman/Rike's feud. Arthur Beerman apparently had some political connections and when Rike's built their garage on Second St, they wanted a catwalk from the garage to their store. Beerman pulled some strings and for some zoning reasons, the catwalk was nixed. Years later when Beerman moved their store to the Courthouse square, there was a catwalk from city parking garage to their store! go figure. Arthur Beerman started the Thanksgiving dinner at the convention center and it continued for many many years, long after his death.
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Mike80
12 posts
Nov 25, 2010
12:31 PM
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I don't want to stomp on anyones cranberry's but Arthur Beerman did not start the Thanksgiving dinner at the Convention Center. The dinners started in 1969. It was Wampler's Ballarena in the beginning. Wampler's donated the use if the building. The Convention Center wasn't even built yet. It was later moved to the Convention Center to be more centrally (sp) located.
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DebCB
32 posts
Nov 26, 2010
3:05 PM
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I have many great memories of Rike's Downtown.
As a little girl in the 50s and early 60s my shopping trips were at Kresge's at Airway Shopping Center with the few dollars my mom would give me to buy Christmas gifts for my sisters and parents. Those few dollars went a long way and I was always very excited to see the look on their faces when they opened their gifts.
But in my teenage years Rike's was the place to shop. I saved up my babysitting and birthday money along with the slightly increased number of dollars from my mom and took the electric 3rd St. bus to the corner of 3rd and Main. My best friend Karen and I would walk over to Rike's and go directly to the Ladies Lounge (can't remember what floor it was on) and comb our hair and excitedly venture out to start our Christmas shopping.
I remember one year when I was about 13 or 14, I was ready to make my first purchase and discovered that I had left my wallet with all my money next to the sink in the Ladies Lounge. We frantically ran back to see if it was still there and believe it or not it was in exactly the same place I had left it. I don't think anyone had even touched it. I'm sure it would be a different story today.
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flikhem
4 posts
Nov 27, 2010
7:36 AM
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Anyone remember puppet shows in the auditorium?
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clamper
22 posts
Mar 26, 2011
11:11 PM
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I worked in the camera dept at the Rikes Kettering back in the early 70's. I remember the Astronaut Village laundry around the corner and Woodman Lanes Bowling Alley down the street. Wow, my mind is gonna overheat from recalling all these long lost memories!
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mark miller
1 post
May 19, 2011
12:51 PM
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i worked at rikes downtown in toys and sporting goods in i believe was 1977 1978 and then i went to the 5th floor dining room as a waiter in 1980 thru approx 1982..i was the youngest one there i was early 20,s all the waitresses had been there for over 20 years..there was a redhead lady named ski..she was hilarious..u never knew what was going to come out of her mouth...it was a great place to work..and when we had downtown dayton days everyone would rush out to get the sales
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jfox68
17 posts
May 20, 2011
4:20 AM
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I used to work in the Talbott Tower and my best friend worked at in the art dept at Rikes. I would go over there for lunch and eat in the employee cafeteria with him. I wasn't supposed to be there but I just acted like I knew what I was doing and nobody ever said anything to me.
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Pens
1 post
May 29, 2011
7:28 PM
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I loved going to Rikes. I lived in Greenville, but we went to Dayton to shop at Rikes about once a month. We always got cinnamon rolls (I think they were called Pershing Rolls) at the bakery and those yummy mints. I remember the junior department on the 2nd floor and the bargain basement. Mom had a charge plate.
We would go to the Dayton Mall and Salem Mall, too, but the downtown store was the best. The last time I was there was about 1987.
Years later, I was talking to a co-worker in Las Vegas about shopping in the basement of a store. He said he did that, too. Turns out we were both talking about Rikes.
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Fairborn lad
2 posts
Aug 13, 2011
1:10 PM
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My favorite memory of Rike's was the Christmas shop for children (was this Tyke's?) where pre-school children could enter (was there a tiny doorway?) and parents were excluded so that secret presents could be purchased and wrapped to be put under the tree.
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PaulH
53 posts
Aug 13, 2011
8:24 PM
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Fairmontchick--I do remember Kresge's downtown. Been a long time, but I think it was on Main Street between 3rd & 4th. There was also McCroy's (sp) not far away. When shopping with my Mom, wwe would usually get a snack at Kresge's. For a good roast beef meal, we would go to the Virginia Cafeteria.
I have been thinking about something missing from this Rike's
thread and now I got it. I waa a Boy Scout and the place to boy boy scout uniforms and other such stuff was at Rike's. Good thing I didn't buy a lot of stuff there. My Scout career was a short one. But that is another story for the once upon a time place.
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Last Edited by on Aug 13, 2011 8:25 PM
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mjr1960
54 posts
Aug 14, 2011
3:49 AM
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PaulH, Kresge's was on south main between 4th and 5th on the west side of the street just south of the reibold bldg. I remember buying some candy there but that was about it. McCroy's had a basement full of Christmas stuff at christmas time, around 1980 and we would get an item for the tree every year until they closed up,
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Riverdale Ghost
223 posts
Aug 14, 2011
5:16 AM
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mjr1960 is correct about Kresge's.
McCrory's was in the middle of the block between Third and Fourth with an entrance to the Arcade. South of that on the corner at Main and Fourth there was another 10 cents store (Grant's). Then south of that across Fourth and beyond the Reibold building was Kresge's. And, for a while there was a big place south of that -- name no longer known, very, very inexpensive and I delighted in the cheap, cheap jewelry I bought there.
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 Honest Communications Is The Foundation of Civilizations.
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thomas6
43 posts
Aug 14, 2011
11:02 AM
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being just a kid in the 50's,being downtown with all the people,and it seemed as though there were alot,going in and out of all the stores,we never went in any just was always watching,but one thing i couldn't wait to do was go to rikes,and go just inside the door to see all the stuff just everywhere,it seems like there was stuff even hanging from the ceilings,and people coming out with just bags of stuff,laughing and smoking,smoking always seemed to mean a good time,any way the windows at christmas,the windows period,and i was always thinking that one day i would be allowed to go in a place like that,just a funny little kid memory
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lhorton
1 post
Aug 21, 2011
9:37 AM
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Growing up in the 70s and 80s with my grandmother living in Dayton, we visited often from Indiana, to me Dayton was the big city and I loved Rikes. Especially during the holidays. We would park in the round parking garage and stand in front of the bakery at Rikes for the Christmas parade, the smells of baked goods and coffee still take me back to those times during the holiday season. My grandmother bought me a pigskin bomber jacket for 18th birthday when Rikes became Lazarus and a cashmere overcoat for my graduation. The name had changed but the memories will always, always be with me.
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Linda63
1 post
Aug 26, 2011
10:35 AM
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Rikes Bakery My mother retired from Rikes Bakery in 1966. She iced cakes mainly. She worked on the 5th floor behind the book department in the 50's and the Bakery moved to the warhouse in the 60's. Their pecan rolls were a staple every Sunday at our house. We also had broken cookies they couldn't sell. These days that would be a violation of the health law probably. I have fond memories of Rikes. She loved the store and would not watch TV when it was demolished.
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Rocket88man
14 posts
Feb 25, 2014
4:51 PM
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As a tike, my grandmother would take me to Rikes with her and I loved to try to run up the down escalators. Got more than my share of cuts and bruises doing that. Took me a while to learn not to do that. It was in the early 50's. I was a driving instructor at "Rike's Driver Training Center" from fall 1970 to Dec 1972 while I finished my degree at Wright State. Some real crazy stories from that job!!
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Susan63
4 posts
May 21, 2014
3:35 PM
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I remember the Frisch's across from Rike's. When I was in high school and college, I ate in there a few times, most always buying just a bowl of vegetable soup if that was all I could afford at the time. Sad it closed. I use to work at Rike's in the Mezzanine at the Charlie's Restaurant during the mid 80's. I loved to stop by the perfume section and I would spray myself a few times with Georgio, which was my favorite at the time, and I would always make the clerks mad at me for spraying more than once. I was in my early 20's at the time, and it didn't bother me. I grew up going to Rike's with my mother. I loved the clearance section in the basement, and bought most of my work clothing there. I loved the snack bar in the basement, where my mother use to buy me a hotdog and a Coke, the best hotdog and Coke I have ever had. I also shopped at Tike's when I was a kid. I hated to see it torn down.
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RIVERDALE RAT
561 posts
Jun 14, 2014
7:50 PM
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Susan63 the Frisch's across from Rike's was one of my old haunts before I was old enough to drive, The only thing that annoyed me about that place was how you used to have to go all the way back to the dining room and down a flight of skinny stairs to the cellar when you had to use the restroom. I had a major crush on a waitress in there by the name of Marie, but she had a boyfriend stationed in Viet Nam and I was a tad too young for her, lol. I am glad I was long gone before the demise of Rike's, that would have been sad to witness, I loved everything about that old store. Cant even recall all the hours I spent in the toy department, scout department and the pet department. One year they had the neatest Toucan in the pet department, I used to spend hours hanging out with him..Great memories.
Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 14, 2014 7:54 PM
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luv my dayton
619 posts
Jun 17, 2014
12:15 PM
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Riverdale your one up on me with remembering the pet shop. Totally forgot that one. Do remember that when Rikes was opened in the Kettering area they had the candy and bakery department there also. Loved their angel food cakes and the fluffy icing. Seems like many of our parents and relatives over the decades put in time working there and also remember they would deliver to your door any purchase.. It later became Lazarus then Schillitos where I worked in receiving at the Kettering store then to the warehouse on Edwin Moses. Don't recall when it closed all the doors.
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RIVERDALE RAT
586 posts
Jun 17, 2014
4:32 PM
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luv my Dayton... Rike's was so many things to so many people I think it would be almost impossible to not forget something that someone else remembered. I had forgotten the snack bar/hot dog stand in the basement until 'Susan63' reminded me of it a couple of posts back. I never worked at Rike's, I applied there once as soon as I got my work permit (remember those) but I never got a call back, ended up working at Atta Boy instead. Thankfully it was still Rike's when I left and I didn't have to witness it's demise. I only remember Lazarus from Columbus and Schillitos from Cincinnati. Didn't all of those brands finally end up being bought by Federated?
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windlakescholl
1 post
Dec 09, 2014
9:35 PM
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My mom had a recipe for Rikes Fudge Cake and Rikes Fudge Icing. It is water damaged and I can't make out half the recipe. If you have it please email me at windlakescholl@gmail.com
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missinthen
22 posts
Dec 09, 2014
10:49 PM
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How fortunate we all are to have such good memories. I too loved Rikes Kumler in the mid to late 60's early 70's. As a treat, My sister and I would go downtown on the RTA by ourselves ( I was 11 in 1966 and she was 13, which is unheard today for children that age to travel about ) We'd save our allowance money ( 50cent a week! ) and spend most of the Saturday downtown. We'd get off the bus (number 8 bus coming from the West Side ) at Elder Beerman's. We'd then go into Elder Beerman's ( I now recall fondly the smell of leather from the buster brown shoes, as the shoe department was on the first floor, if I recall ). We go up to the record department of Beermans ( the toy department was on the same floor ) We'd then go across the street to MCCroys, Lerners ( I loved Lerners, I loved Rikes more, but we couldn't afford Rikes )... and then we'd go out to the Arcade, maybe to Wilkies( I loved the 'smell' of Wilkies too ).. then we'd go back to Thals ( Thals?? don't know why an 11 year old would browse in Thal's, as Thals had very expensive clothing for women.Did they have a Junior Dept does anyone know?? I do recall they had an elevator operator. We then would go to Mayors Records and on to Baker shoes, and then Rikes! I recall opening the big heavy doors of Rikes, and the 'whoosh of lovely air ) Rikes had a wonderful smell about it too, but I really can't recall exactly what that smell was ( now that I think about it, I think it was Physiological as I knew that Rikes was a very exclusive store and maybe it had that 'rich smell' of expensive leather products (like gloves, I think millinery was on the first floor )... and perfumes ( the cosmetics counter was on the first floor ). Of course when the bakery was on the Second St. entrance, the bakery smell was wonderful. I loved to ride the escalator up to the Junior Dept and daydream that one day I could afford the clothes there. This was in the mid sixtes, so much of the Jr. clothing was mod inspired from the Beatles and London look. I was in heaven! I spent hours and hours in Rikes. Many times my sister and I would go to the furniture dept and pretend the furniture display was our home! It was so much fun. We had imagination back in the day ..don't you agree??... Of course the Christmas corner window was magical magical. We were usually with our mother when we went downtown in the winter months, because of course it got dark so early. Although that corner of Second and Main seemed like the coldest spot in all of Dayton in Dec, standing next to my mother, anticipating Christmas and looking at the beautiful magical Rikes Christmas display is a memory I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
Last Edited by missinthen on Dec 10, 2014 11:03 AM
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KB
1 post
Dec 09, 2014
11:33 PM
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My first trip to Rikes, as I remember, was in 1958. It was also my first time to travel on I-75. Previous trips to Dayton were on State Route 48 (Main Street) to Dayton, OH. A visit to Rikes was mystical at that time of life and if I could go back in time, I think it would be mystical today too. Christmas was always special with the beautiful window displays. My mother and I either enjoyed lunch on the Mezzanine (I always loved their submarine sandwiches with a small paper container of mayonnaise), or we dined in the Coin Room on the 5th floor, where models walked by the tables dressed in the latest fashions. What a treat for a little girl from a country town. Later in life when I met and married my husband found out that his two aunts were buyers for Rike's in the ladies coats and millinery departments and his uncle worked in displays and was responsible for sitting up the Christmas windows. I'm so glad to have lived and enjoyed a truly elegant time in life. It will never come again and I'm fortunate to have experienced such a grand period of time.
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joey m
278 posts
Dec 10, 2014
12:45 PM
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missinthen I remember almost all the things you mentioned and my grandmother and my mother taking me there and eating at the lunch counter on the mezzanine. Then my favorite they would then take down to the candy counter for a bag o JuJuBees & three chocolate Turtles. "GREAT MEMORIES".
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ketteringken
2 posts
Dec 10, 2014
4:52 PM
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I remember my grandmother would take me to rikes at Christmas time and have breakfast with santa then I would get to pick out a gift because my birthday was in december
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missinthen
23 posts
Dec 10, 2014
5:09 PM
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Hey Joey M...
I recall that candy counter! A big treat for us was when my sister and I was with our mom, occasionally, she'd buy maybe 50cent worth of salted cashews ( Yum Yum Yum Yum...warm salted cashews!( remember there was a light that kept the cashews warm ).. Like I say,our family didn't have a lot of money, so it was really a treat to get cashews!! I also recall that in the winter, the VESTIBULE of Rikes was heated and it felt so good when coming in from the cold. Also, we'd wait inside there, when it was time to go home, for the number 8 bus to Nicolas Road. We really couldn't see the bus from the doorway, so we'd have to rush outside for a bit to look for the bus coming around the corner ( coming from Monument Street onto Main )...I don't recall the bus stop being directly in front of Rikes, although I recall benches there for people to sit and wait for the bus? I may be wrong about that.
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Nile
172 posts
Dec 10, 2014
5:27 PM
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Christmas time at Rike's. The toy department with boxes of toy soldiers and the display of Dinky Toys (no Tootsietoys in that store!) and the ground floor with all the old cases and the ladies with the makeup put on with a putty knife. Then the elevators would ding, ding, ding. The hustle and the bustle. What a classy store. It was just a thrill to come in through the doors. The windmill doors, remember those? The boxes that were tied up with string. Those great escalators. I think the elevator that went up to the highest floor where the accounting department was, was a narrower elevator, right?. Rike's class that was on a smaller scale than Marshall Field's in Chicago, now also changed. Oh my (!) the glorious days of Rike's.
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joey m
280 posts
Dec 11, 2014
11:15 AM
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missinthen I thought the number eight bus sounded familiar thats the same bus I had to catch to get home which happened to be on Cincinnati St. at the corner of Stewart and Cincinnati Sts.. Where did you go to school.
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missinthen
24 posts
Dec 11, 2014
11:29 AM
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Hey Joey m
I went to Louise Troy and Miami Chapel. If my sister and I happened to miss the number 8, we'd take the 9, but that was really far out of our way. You probably took the number 9 bus?
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joey m
284 posts
Dec 12, 2014
8:17 AM
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missinthen I think your right about the #9 bus. And the school you went to on Miami Chapel was it called Whittier if it was I went to the school up the street called St. James on Heck Ave.
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missinthen
25 posts
Dec 12, 2014
5:00 PM
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hey Joey m..
No,there were 2 separate school buildings on Miami Chapel Ave in the mid to late 60's... Louise Troy , grade K -5... and Miami Chapel 6-8.
I don't recall St. James, I do believe that Whitter was the big school on the Hill ( now torn down of course, but wasn't Whitter the big school on Abby right across from Inland? I don't know if you recall , but there was a big school there and I think that was Whitter. I checked out the website Old Ohio Schools.com and it said that Whitter was on Miami Chapel Rd, but that's not correct. You'll see on that website a photo of Miami Chapel School, and listed is Louise Troy, but there is no photo of Louise Troy.
Last Edited by missinthen on Dec 12, 2014 5:02 PM
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Kristin
3 posts
Dec 13, 2014
2:15 AM
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Believe it or not but these posts are fascinating to read. I'm to young to remember any of that I wasn't born yet, but it's always great to know that there are people still around to explain history at its finest. I'm the type of girl that would rather be reading a history book or exploring old buildings than to be hanging out at the mall.. boring. I wish there were still 5 & dime stores. Was there ever a Newberry's in Ohio? My grandma would talk about the one in California a lot. They had a soda fountain shoppe where a fancy cheese burger cost $0.15 ...
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joey m
286 posts
Dec 15, 2014
9:21 AM
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missinthen I lived in Edgemont for 14yrs. and I played basketball and softball on Whittier's playground every summer and had many friends who wen't to school there. I know the school across from Inland and it wasn't Whittier but Ill try to find out.
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