Before the days of well-known national mail order and chain department stores, most cities were host to their own unique and traditional stores, merchant houses and dry goods services. Jackson's L.H. Field Company had its beginnings in 1869 when Leonard H. Field opened a retail shop called the 'Busy Bee Hive.' Field's first store was located on Michigan Avenue, near where the City Hall stands today. The business grew quickly; the Busy Bee Hive was incorporated as the L.H. Field Company in 1891. By 1896, Field was looking to expand his store and he moved to a larger location in the William Bennett Business Block at the corner of Jackson and Michigan Avenue.
By 1904, business at Field's was booming and the company purchased the entire Bennett Block, which became known as, simply, 'Field's.' The store still maintained its small retail shop feel, however, for many years. In 1916, when an extensive remodeling project was begun, Field's expanded and re-designed the interior and exterior of the building, attaining the look of a modern, plushly finished department store: window displays, elevators, elegant lighting and new sales' services all became part of the Field's experience. It was around this time that William Field took over for his father, Leonard Field, as the head of the company. The younger the Field remained in charge of the store until his death in 1925, and he was succeeded by Field's vice-presidentand partner, Fred F. Ingram. By 1929, other changes were in the air as well. Field's became affiliated with Hahn Department Stores, later reorganized as the Allied Stores. Jacksonian' experience of Field's didn't change however: shopping at the store had become a local tradition and the store was noted for the uniform quality of its merchandise and for Leonard Field's policy of one uniform price for everyone.
Field's appearance remained essentially unchanged until the 1950s when a modernization and expansion program changed the store's facade and added a restaurant, customer accounts' offices, expanded window displays and an escalator. The escalator was Jackson's first and special introductory rides were given to the public. The store remained part of Jackson life until the late 1980s when, after a consolidation with Herpolsheimers of Grand Rapids, the store was permanently closed. Demolition of the store at 201 W. Michigan Avenue began in September, 1991.
"History of Business and Industry in Jackson, Michigan"
Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, MI
The Field Store was an important part of Jackson’s downtown retail life for well-over 100 years. Its loss was felt by the entire community when it finally closed in 1989.
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