The roots of Lipman Wolfe & Co. go back to 1850 in Sacramento when gold-fever had a grip on everyone. Adolphe Wolfe, who was originally from Germany, had immigrated to America many years before and teamed with his uncle Solomon Lipman, to become successful merchants.

Wolfe opened a branch of the family store in Virginia City, Nevada to capitalize on the wealth of the Comstock Lode Silver Mines. As the luster of the Silver Mines began to fade, Wolfe decided to try his luck elsewhere and he moved to Portland in February 1880.

When Wolfe arrived, the cold rain was coming down in sheets and after spending a few years in Nevada, it was quite a shocking experience. Had it not been for the friendly welcome from Portland leaders William Ladd, Henry Corbett and Henry Failing, Wolfe later said he probably would have left on the next boat out.

Wolfe set up shop in a building at Washington and First streets where Portland’s first store elevator transported patron’s vertically. His customers marvelled at being able to move among the other floors without using stairs. Following the lead of fellow merchant Henry Corbett, Lipman & Wolfe Company closed the store on Sundays.

Wolfe also introduced several revolutionary ideas of his own. He marked the prices of his items in plain numerals, in full view, not using the code fashion of the time. There was no haggling, items were sold at the marked price.

Lipman & Wolfe also started the practice of making change down to the penny, instead of down to the last nickel, as was the custom of the day. This forced the Ladd & Tilton Bank to telegraph for supplies of copper pennies, which prior to this time were not readily available. Until the coppers arrived, Lipman Wolfe & Co. made change with postage stamps.

Wolfe moved his store two blocks up Washington to the grand new Dekum Building at Third Street, but that wasn’t far enough to spare him from the great flood of 1894. By 1912, Lipmans had moved uptown to its own huge building at Fifth & Washington, which was located across the street from the north end of Meier & Frank. Architect A.E. Doyle, who also designed the U.S. Bank Building, the Central Library, Reed College, Multnomah Falls Lodge and Meier & Frank, was the architect on the Lipman Wolfe Building.

Buying offices were opened in London, Paris and Berlin. The Oregon Journal announced that Lipman & Wolfe displayed gowns within 12 days after they appeared on the boulevards of Paris. During World War I, the entire eighth floor was turned over to the Red Cross. Wolfe died in 1933, several years after management of the store was passed on to his nephew, Harold Wendel.

Airing for the first time on November 29, 1937, a magical radio show about the adventures of the Cinnamon Bear filled the airwaves in the days before television. Each year, it became a ritual to listen to the Cinnamon Bear on the radio and count down the days to Christmas.

Judy and Jimmy were starting to decorate for Christmas and they discovered that the Silver Star for the Christmas Tree was missing. They went up to the attic to find it and met Paddy O’Cinnamon (The Cinnamon Bear). He tells them the star was taken to Maybeland by the Crazy Quilt Dragon.

They all embark on a journey to find and retrieve the Silver Star and run into such characters as King Blotto, Willie the Stork and Captain Taffy and the Candy Pirates, among others. The Cinnamon Bear still plays on the radio every year at Christmas as it is passed on to the next generations.

Lipman’s sponsored the radio broadcasts in Portland, and the Cinnamon Bear took up residence at all Lipman and Wolfe Stores at Christmas Time. He would sit in the window and draw throngs of kids to the store so they could tell their parents what they wanted for Christmas and if they were good, they might get to visit the Chocolate Lounge.

Night sales were popular as evidenced by this view from about 1920

Northeastern perspective of Lipman & Wolfe Co. circa 1912

The Lipman family decided to sell to the Dayton Hudson Company in the 1950’s. Then in 1980, Marshall Field’s bought all six Lipman’s Stores and made them Frederick & Nelson stores.

I remember eating lunch on the tenth floor Tearoom a couple times a week in the 1980’s. Frederick & Nelson had the best service and the best lunch in town. One of my favorite items on the menu was the Montague Sandwich, the bigger brother of the Monte Cristo.

When the store was still Lipman’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s they had a Lunch Counter on the Mezzanine as well as a Men’s Pub. In the Tearoom they would even serve Dinner Buffets with really good Prime Rib. The Chef’s name was Tweedy and there was a Asian chef. The baker was Joan. In the late 60’s the staff wore white waist coats, black pants and bow ties.

The Cinnamon Bear was welcomed at Frederick & Nelson and the tradition continued until Frederick & Nelson went out of business. In 1986, when Frederick & Nelson was sold to Seattle investors, this store and five other Frederick & Nelson stores were shuttered. The only store that remained open in Oregon was at Washington Square. It was closed in 1990 and was rebuilt as a Nordstrom store. Frederick & Nelson went bankrupt after 101 years in business in 1992.

A special word of thanks to Don Walls, now of Spokane, who shared his memories of working at the Tearoom in the 1960’s and ‘70’s while he was attending Lincoln High School.

Department Stores

Last updated 06-24-06

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