Decades after Sam Richman opened the store that would become Richman Gordman, his son-in-law had a brilliant idea to commission a designer in New York to build four massive animals that would serve as a playground to keep children entertained while their parents shopped. Maybe you’ve even seen the blue elephant, green hippo, yellow kangaroo and orange camel in Omaha’s Children’s Museum.
As the home to the animals, Richman Gordman was a department store that, along with its discount brand, 1/2 Price Store, grew into one of Omaha’s largest chains. It peaked with 101 locations across 22 states. Originally named Richman’s Outfitters to the Family, it was founded by Sam Richman, a Jewish immigrant from Russia who settled in Omaha in 1915, two years after arriving in the United States. That same year, he opened a clothing store at 16th & Chicago Street. Based on its address, 408 North 16th Street, the original store may have been located in the Clowry Apartments.
For two decades, the family-run business, including wife Jennie and children Harry, Esther and Pearl, served families living in Jefferson Square. Its fortunes changed after Dan Gordman arrived from New York in 1936. Gordman grew up on a dairy farm before starting his retail career at Bloomingdale’s. He quit after being passed over for a promotion as an assistant buyer. At that point, he packed up his car to head west for new opportunities during the Great Depression.
Gordman got as far as Omaha before running out of money. Fittingly, he found work at Omaha’s leading retail store, Brandeis. There he met Esther Richman. The two married, and Gordman joined his father-in-law in the business. It would prove to be extremely beneficial for both men as the store grew to take over the entire first floor.
With Gordman as its president, the store was renamed as Richman Gordman and opened a second location in 1948. Richman sold his share of the business in 1956 to pursue other interests. Afterward, the Gordman children, including Nelson, Jerry, and Deborah Gordman Platt, as well as nephew Robert Gordman, joined the business and helped it expand beyond Omaha. The chain developed a reputation for its innovation that included the introduction of central checkout counters, shopping carts, self-service shoe departments and a racetrack-style store layout that let customers go around the perimeter to find each department…