Milliron's

Fifth Street Store

File:Steelfariswalker.jpg Illustration from a 1905 Los Angeles Herald article announcing the opening of the "Fifth Street Store"
Company type	Privately-held company
Industry	Apparel retail
Founded	1905 (1905) in Los Angeles, USA
Defunct	1978 (1978)
Fate	Locations absorbed into Ohrbach's, Milliron's Westchester, or Walker Scott
Area served	California, United States

The Fifth Street Store was a prominent department store based in Los Angeles that commenced operations in 1905.

Name

Throughout its history, the store and company underwent several official name changes:

• 1905–1909: Operated under the corporate name Steele, Faris, & Walker Co.—this was both the legal company title and the name used in store promotions.
• 1909–1925: Known officially as Muse, Faris, Walker Co. while publicly marketed as simply "The Fifth Street Store," with the formal company name appearing in smaller print.
• 1926–1946: The business was renamed Walkers, Inc. in 1925, and starting mid-1926, the store advertised itself as Walker's, located at Broadway and 5th.
• 1946–1953: Following C. J. Milliron’s acquisition—who had joined as legal counsel in 1917 and became president in 1943—the store was rebranded as Milliron's. This name remained even after its purchase by The Broadway in 1950.
• 1953–1959: Transitioned into a branch of Ohrbach's, which opened on November 30, 1953, and was promoted under the name Ohrbach's-Downtown.

Broadway, Los Angeles

Main article: Fifth Street Store Building

Situated at the southwest intersection of Fifth and Broadway, this location replaced an earlier structure with a new eleven-story retail building completed in 1924. Beginning in 1925, the store was promoted under the name Walkers — a nod to co-founder Ralf (R. M.) Walker, who later established Walker Scott, the largest department store chain in San Diego. In 1946, the store was rebranded as Milliron's. The Broadway Department Store acquired this location in 1950, eventually closing it in 1956, following its purchase by Ohrbach's in August 1953. Under the direction of architect Welton Becket, a $1,000,000 renovation was completed, and the store reopened as Ohrbach's-Downtown that November. Ohrbach's ceased operations at this branch and sold the property in 1959.

Westchester

Main article: Milliron's Westchester

On March 17, 1949, Milliron's Westchester opened its doors, featuring a design by renowned retail architect Victor Gruen. The construction cost totaled $3,000,000. The grand opening was a significant occasion, with the building’s architectural elements—sharp linear forms combined with sweeping curves at the corners; triangular window displays projecting outward; and a rooftop parking deck accessible via a deck—earning recognition as an icon of retail design. Shortly after opening, ownership transferred to The Broadway in June 1950.

Walker's Long Beach

File:Hugh A. Marti Co. department store new store 1929.jpg

Hugh A. Marti Co. prior to acquisition by Fifth Street Store

File:401 Pine-Walker Building.jpg

Former Walker's Downtown Long Beach location

In 1933, Walker’s inaugurated its first branch in Downtown Long Beach at the corner of 4th and Pine—Pine being the primary commercial thoroughfare. The building itself had been constructed in 1928 by architects Meyer and Holler in an Art Deco style for the now-defunct Hugh A. Marti Co., Following an expansion costing $300,000 in 1952 that increased the space to 132,000 sq ft (12,300 m²) and added five escalators—exceeding the total number of escalators citywide at that time—the store continued to grow. A second Long Beach location was opened at Los Altos Center in 1954 but was sold to The Broadway by 1956. Although Walker’s divested its Downtown Long Beach property in 1960, it continued operating under its own name there until 1978.

Walker-Scott San Diego

The Walker's company inaugurated a branch in downtown San Diego in 1935, which later branched off in the early 1950s to operate independently under the name Walker Scott.

External links

• "Transformation of the Fifth Street Store into Milliron's", J. H. Graham (blog), September 18, 2017