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Harris Department Store




The Harris Company department store first opened in 1927. In 1981, Spanish retailer El Corte Ingles, S.A. acquired The Harris Company and its' nine stores that included Bakersfield, Hemet, Indio, Moreno Valley, Palmdale, Redlands, Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville. The Harris Company was acquired by Gottschalks in 1998. The stores were initially renamed Harris-Gottschalks. The original store in downtown San Bernardino was closed on January 31, 1999. To this day, all of the stores acquired by Gottschalks remain open and in business, with the exception of the downtown San Bernardino store. Gottschalks continues to use the "Harris" name as a privtae-label brand for men's and women's shoes.


MERCHANDISE

-Clothing
-Home Appliances
-Fragrances
-Accessories
-Clocks
-Toys
-Sporting Goods
-Gifts


THE HOLIDAY SEASONS

The original Harris Department store in downtown San Bernardino and adjacent to Carousel Plaza is still remembered today for it's magnificent Christmas and Easter promotional displays. This continued until 1998, long after most other stores cut back on lavish displays.


THE HARRIS COMPANY BUILDING

Located on E Street in downtown San Bernardino. The building currently stands vacant. In 1997, The Harris Company invested $27 million to update their nine-store chain. Today, you can spot some visible updates on the nearly one-hundred year old building. These include ADT alarm systems, acoustic ceilings, fluorescent lighting along with the original 1927 chandeliers. While you may not enter the building, you can catch a glimpse of history by taking a peak in the window and see memories of the past and present day. The windows on the exterior are boarded up, however you can barely see some modern acoustic ceiling and display lighting. One "Harris" logo can still be found on the store, to the side of the building, it was never removed when the store closed.