Holladay's COTTONWOOD MALL: (Salt Lake City, Morgan, Loa: credit, lawyer, loan)

[Mid Century Mod]

Hello All,

I am the creator and "webmaster" of the Mall Hall Of Fame Blogspot: an historical record of America's 1950's, 60's and 70's shopping malls.

I am hoping to put together an article about Utah's very first mall-type shopping center......COTTONWOOD MALL in Holladay, Utah. Unfortunately, information about COTTONWOOD is mighty hard to come by over the internet. I do know (checking out the website of the corporate owner of the mall) that it opened in 1962, and was originally anchored by a ZCMI department store (which morphed into a Meier & Frank and then a Macy's).

The small bit of info available about COTTONWOOD indicates that it was an enclosed mall when it first opened. Was it just one level then?

There is a J.C. Penney on the south end, but I have an inkling that this store was built onto the mall during a later expansion (possibly in 1984). Could the mall possibly have had its second level added at this time, too?

Was there a 5 and 10 store in the circa-1962 shopping center? Would there have also been some kind of supermarket in COTTONWOOD? What other stores were there back in "the days"?

I have drawn out a physical layout of the mall (see "Cottonwood Plan.jpg" attachment below). This might help some of you to remember what the mall was like.

I am hoping that someone out there in the Salt Lake City area might remember more about the 1960's-era COTTONWOOD MALL, and be gracious enough to share these memories with me. I will be more than glad to credit anyone who provides information as a source in my completed COTTONWOOD MALL article.

Thanks for any COTTONWOOD MALL musings....

Mid Century Mod

[drsevrin]

Mid Century Mod:
I am the worlds' biggest fan of Cottonwood Mall and used to go there often in the late 60's and 70's with my parents (and I still do go there often). Nostalgia, I guess, but I remember quite a bit about the old mall (boy, I feel pathetic). Glad to hear of your project.

I believe the mall was 2 levels from the beginning but I'm not absolutely positive. Certainly since the early 70's it has been 2 levels. I remember going there with my Dad at that time and walking on the balcony level. I also think JC Penny's was there before 1984 - definitely as long as I can remember. I recall the 1984 remodeling as mostly cosmetic, not really structural, with the exception of the food court and a few hallways. In fact, the original floor tiles remain to this day. I'll have to see what my Mother remembers.

You're right, there was a 5 and 10 store - it was Woolworths' and it closed in the early 90's.

There was indeed a supermarket in the early 70's and probably late 60's, although I use the term "super" loosely. It may have been a Sprouse Reitz. I remember mostly groceries and produce. Across from it was a Skaggs Alpha Beta, later Osco Drug - more of a general merchandise dept. store. The site of the supermarket store was converted to the food court in the 80's. I remember it well - we used to buy groceries there as well as take care of any other general shopping at the other mall stores.

Some of the other stores around this time included a sporting goods store (Zeniks) which sold guns (try to find guns in a mall today), fishing gear, etc., an appliance store (Pehrsons), an arcade, a Singer sewing machine store, a musical instrument store where I took trumpet lessons in 1975, the usual gaggle of shoe and clothing stores, and my personal favorite - a hobby shop that remains to this day - the only surviving original mall tennant: Hammonds Toys and Hobbies. Even today I often stop in for news about the mall - which appears headed for demolition or at least remodeling. This mall is legendary, in my mind, and it's imminent destruction is a tragedy for mall buffs like myself.

There were movie theatres at the mall for many years (detatched) which closed in about 2002, as well as a dance club, which also closed round about the late 90's.

I'm sure many other memories will return to me as I ponder it. A great source for info of this sort are the Polk's Directories in your local library, although if you're not in Salt Lake that's obviously difficult. I'm happy to email you the pages from the 1962 salt Lake directory dealing with this mall, if they're useful. Feel free to email me if you want more info. Regards,
drsevrin

[librarysue54]

I worked in the Mall for 4 years. From 1972-1976 at the bank, Zions Bank, as a teller. We were located on the west side near the middle of the mall, next to an outside entrance. I believe at this time that the mezzanine or upstairs as you called it was only on one side. I honestly don't remember when the bridge was built that crossed over to the other side near JC Pennys. The only stores/offices I can remeber up on the mezzanine were a dentist office, and two lawyers offices. I know there were more but I just remember the customers who came in to make deposits. JC Pennys was there! I remember the manager very well. I went to school with his daughter. Across from Zions bank at that time (72-76), going south in the little mall entrance way, was a savings and loan (Western Savings and Loan?).

The grocery store was Albertsons. They had a snack bar where I bought my lunch daily. Great sandwiches! The Skaggs later became the Skagga Alpha Beta about 1978. From the time mall opened until I started working there I spent a lot of time in the skaggs. They had a candy display with large amounts of loose candy that faced the Albertsons area. You didn't have to go through the swinging bars to buy penny candy. Just reach over the candy and pay the clerk. One day I saw a dime amoung the penny candy and gave it to the clerk. She said I could keep all I could find. I found at least fifty cents each time I went there and spent half on candy.

Just before you went into Albertson from the inside of the mall on the north was a snack area where they sold Spudnuts. Donuts made from potatoes. Later in the late 60's early 70's before I started working there an Orange Julius opened up. They squeezed their oranges right before my eyes.

Down by ZCMI on the west side was a Zales jewerly store.

I did not read a mention of the basement or lower stores there. During my time there was Cottonwood books, a books store and Betty's Bra Bar. I believe there was one more store but that area was not good at keeping stores in it for long.

Above the basement was the Paris. A wonderful department store. Much like ZCMI.

I am sorry for rambling but I now am remembering so many great customers. There was a cheese store (The Cheese Haus?), Morgan Jewelers, Bakers Shoes, Hallmark Cards (Findly's or Findley's Hallmark?),Bernina Sewing Center, Deseret Book, Coachman's Restaurant, a HI-FI store (I belive it was called Standard Audio), 5-7-9( womens clothing), Nobby(women's clothing), A man's suit and dress shirt store(Frank's ? They even sold leisure suits there), two fabric stores, Fashion Fabrics and Singer. I can't remember more now but this may jog someone else's memory.

Something I remember was that the mall let groups rent it for dances in the evening on Saturdays. The mall closed by 6:00 PM then on Saturdays. I went to several there. (69-74) The area we were asked to stay in was by ZCMI. The music was from live bands and the echo was fun.

I still live by the mall. I met my husband of 30 years there. We were both working for the bank. It holds a sweet place in my heart.

Thanks,
librarysue54

[HolladayNative]

I lived about a block away from the mall and to this day it is the first mall I think of when someone says lets go to the mall, even though I live closer to Fashion Place now. I do remember when the mall was built, before that it was a big field. I worked at different stores in the mall as a teenager and college student in the 70's. House of Music was the big record store and audio place. We all went there once a week to get the latest single and I got a job there. When an owner ran the store into bankruptcy, I moved over to work at J.C. Penney's from 1972-1974. I ran the Infants Dept. When we were in high school we used to walk up and down the mall in big groups of kids and every once in a while we would get kicked out for loitering by Sarge "Elmer" who was a local sheriff. He was real big guy and we were afraid of him. I remember spending my thirteenth birthday at the mall at Fernwoods where everyone shared a Pigs Dinner ice cream dish. One of the other big department stores in the mall was Makeoffs, it was very exclusive and we did not have enough money to shop there.

There was always two levels from the beginning if I remember right, but not very many stores succeeded up there. One of the other big department stores was the Paris company. I remember buying almost all of my shoes there. The men's store across from it was called Arthur Frank.

We bought our wedding rings at Zales in the mall It was close by a restaurant called Hot Shoppes and by ZCMI. There was also a bowling alley just to the south by the Theaters.

I grew up in Holladay and will always have fond memories of the "mall". There is a small cemetery to the south east of the mall. My parents are both buried there. Dad loved to go to the mall as Mom was handicapped. We still say that Dad is just watching all the ladies go by.

They announced major changes to the area on the news tonight. I think the progress will revitalize the area, but I will never forget the "Cottonwood Mall".

[cottonwood2420]

Here are two links to articles written about the Renovation in the Deseret News and on ksl.com:

deseretnews.com | Cottonwood Mall to get a new look
ksl.com - Renovation Plans Announced for Cottonwood Mall

[Miss My Mall]

I also grew up in the area--in fact, I moved back to the area as an adult (and still live there). The mall was still quite vibrant when my son was growing up. Just like me, he liked hanging out there when he was in elementary and junior high school. He's only 19, so it wasn't that many years ago that "The Mall" was still a favorite place for teens to hang out.

The stores changed a lot over time--in the beginning, it seemed like there were almost as many local stores as national chains. Someone else mentioned "The Paris" department store; there was also "LaRies" and later on, Adrien & Emile "Underground" (on the lower level), "Bud's Dud's," and a lot of trendy little shops that catered to 60's flower children wannabes. I also recall two fabric stores--"Fashion Fabrics" and "Singer" (back then, lots of women still sewed clothes for themselves and their kids).

Yes, there was a Woolworths and a grocery store (Albertson's was the last one I remember). During the 1984 remodel, the food court went in where Albertson's and Skaggs were once located. Just before Easter about 1965, my dad's paycheck had to cover car repairs and a new water heater, so our Easter baskets were going to be rather empty that year. In fact, my mom wasn't even sure we would have an Easter dinner, unless it could come from our food storage. However, she had entered a drawing at the mall, and the day before Easter she was notified she had won $75 in "Mall Money" that could be spent at any of the stores. As a result, we got new Easter baskets from Fernwood's (candy and ice cream store) and she was able to buy enough groceries from the Albertson's to last until the next payday.

My older sister worked at the Hot Shoppes (near ZCMI) when she was in high school. My brother got a part time job as a custodian when he first got out of the Air Force and was heading back to college--he met his wife there (she worked at Fernwoods).

Later, when I was in high school, I got a job driving the "courtesy bus" (basically an oversized golf cart) along the mall's indoor corridor. My cohorts and I circled the length of the mall, picking up exhausted shoppers who had too many shopping bags to carry all the way from JC Penney back to the ZCMI end where they were parked (or vice-versa). Of course those were the days before the trees and kiosks, and before "mall walking" was a fitness craze. Next to dodging the pedestrians, our biggest challenge was keeping swarms of rowdy, unattended kids off the bus (they were welcome to ride with a parent). I also got to be in a couple of mall fashion shows and ride on a float the mall had entered in the "Days of '47" parade.

[gazelam]

I remember as a very young boy (5-8) being taken there are lot by my parents because my grandfather was in a rest home in Holladay and they would not let me go in to see him typically (fear of illness or disturbing the other folks perhaps).

As I remember it, the upper level was always there, although they did make a few minor changes sometime in the early 70's, I believe. In the late 60's and early 70's there was at least one head shop there that sold concert tickets and some wicked candles. I am sure they sold paraphernalia as well, although I never bought any.

There was a very well known record store (I can't remember the name for sure - Record Bar?) there in the mid 70's that was where a lot of the touring bands coming through town would go to sign album covers. They advertised the heck out of it on the AOR station in town - 98.9 - billing itself as Radio X. It was not "House of Music" at that time, I am sure, and I am pretty sure it was not Odyssey Records either.

There was a Baldwin piano store and music instruction place there as well. I was in a band and we bought an electric piano there that I still have, although it is in storage and not much used.

I too remember the Hot Shoppes and the Spudnut place. I think that there was also a place that did tux rental in the mid 70's.

I went there a bit when I was dating a girl who was studying medicine at the U of U, but the last time I was there was just before we broke up 32 years ago . I never had a reason to go back after that.

[HolladayNative]

Originally Posted by gazelam

There was a very well known record store (I can't remember the name for sure - Record Bar?) there in the mid 70's that was where a lot of the touring bands coming through town would go to sign album covers. They advertised the heck out of it on the AOR station in town - 98.9 - billing itself as Radio X. It was not "House of Music" at that time, I am sure, and I am pretty sure it was not Odyssey Records either.

There was a Baldwin piano store and music instruction place there as well. I was in a band and we bought an electric piano there that I still have, although it is in storage and not much used.



.

Could the name of the record store be Raspberry Records? They replaced House of Music and were owned by Standard Audio. They eventually moved across the street to Creekside, but are no longer in business.

The piano store was Hart Bros Music. I still have the guitar we purchased there. Probably is 30 years old by now.

Can't wait to see how the mall changes now.

[ChristyG]

I honestly don't know what year JCPenney opened at the Cottonwood Mall (which I guess I should because I worked there for 12 years) but I can tell you that the mall is currently being torn down and will be rebuilt. The entire mall closed back in September except for Macy's which is remaining open during the construction.

Originally Posted by Mid Century Mod

Hello All,

I am the creator and "webmaster" of the Mall Hall Of Fame Blogspot: an historical record of America's 1950's, 60's and 70's shopping malls.

I am hoping to put together an article about Utah's very first mall-type shopping center......COTTONWOOD MALL in Holladay, Utah. Unfortunately, information about COTTONWOOD is mighty hard to come by over the internet. I do know (checking out the website of the corporate owner of the mall) that it opened in 1962, and was originally anchored by a ZCMI department store (which morphed into a Meier & Frank and then a Macy's).

The small bit of info available about COTTONWOOD indicates that it was an enclosed mall when it first opened. Was it just one level then?

There is a J.C. Penney on the south end, but I have an inkling that this store was built onto the mall during a later expansion (possibly in 1984). Could the mall possibly have had its second level added at this time, too?

Was there a 5 and 10 store in the circa-1962 shopping center? Would there have also been some kind of supermarket in COTTONWOOD? What other stores were there back in "the days"?

I have drawn out a physical layout of the mall (see "Cottonwood Plan.jpg" attachment below). This might help some of you to remember what the mall was like.

I am hoping that someone out there in the Salt Lake City area might remember more about the 1960's-era COTTONWOOD MALL, and be gracious enough to share these memories with me. I will be more than glad to credit anyone who provides information as a source in my completed COTTONWOOD MALL article.

Thanks for any COTTONWOOD MALL musings....

Mid Century Mod

[sjensen58]

My Grandfather, Morris Wade was the Superintendant for Horman Construction. They are the construction company that built the Cottonwood Mall. I remember it was a big thing that it was the first mall built west of the Mississippi. I was only 10 at the time so I don't remember many of the stores other than the ones that have already been mentioned. The one store that I remember is Adam's Jewlers. My husband-to-be bought my dimond there in 1966.