Gimbels’ may not be around anymore, but it was once one of the world’s largest department store empires, and it all started in the Hoosier State.
Gimbels’ Department Store In Movies
When I think of Gimbels’ Department Store, my mind instantly goes to movies like Elf and Miracle on 34th Street. Both movies feature a department store called Gimbels, but the difference is that by the time Elf came out, the real Gimbels’ Department Store had shut down more than a decade earlier.
At one point in time, the Gimbels name was synonymous with department store shopping and Thanksgiving parades. The Gimbels’ Thanksgiving Parade in Pennsylvania was the first Thanksgiving parade, and the Macy’s parade was modeled after it. Recently, I learned that this once iconic store started in Indiana!
Gimbels’ Department Store Began in Indiana
So this is a really cool piece of Hoosier history. The Gimbels’ Department Store began in Indiana, in the Tri-State, actually in Vincennes. According to Visit Vincennes, the founder of Gimbels’ Department Store, Adam Gimbel, traveled to Vincennes in 1842.
Adam Gimbel came to the U.S. from Bavaria, and settled in New Orleans around 1830. He eventually made his way to Vincennes in 1842, traveling mostly on foot. Upon his arrival, Gimbel obtained his peddler’s license and began selling goods to the residents of Vincennes. Gimbels’ Department Store opened on 2nd & Main and spread to Wisconsin, Philadelphia, and New York. The Vincennes location shut down in 1981 and the business officially shut down in 1987.
Part of Adam Gimbel’s success is attributed to the fact that he didn’t discriminate against his customers. Discover Indiana History explains that he was one of the first store owners to offer goods at a set price to everyone, no matter their race. That was not the standard at the time.
What Remains of the First Gimbels in Vincennes?
Unfortunately, the spot where the first ever Gimbels’ Department Store once stood now looks like an empty lot, but Discover Indiana History talks of the rich history that particular spot holds for Indiana.
The building that was once constructed by the Gimbels family burned down in 2011.
The Gimbels would eventually expand their business operations to Wisconsin, Philadelphia, and New York. The Vincennes store closed in 1981, and Gimbel Brothers finally shut down in 1987. In 2011 the most notable Vincennes building constructed by the Gimbels in Vincennes burned and was not rebuilt…