SQR Store
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Founder | August E. Schumacher, Wesley P. Quarton, Oscar H. Renner |
| Defunct | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Anaheim, California , United States |
Area served | Orange County, California |
| Products | Department store goods |
The SQR Store, also known as S.Q.R. Store and later simply SQR, was a prominent department store located in Downtown Anaheim, California. During its peak, it ranked among the largest retail establishments within Orange County, California. The acronym SQR represented the surnames of its founders: August E. Schumacher (1881–1948), Wesley P. Quarton, and Oscar H. Renner.
Initial location (1907–1915)
The business first operated out of the former Kroeger (Schumacher) Building, situated at the northeast corner of Center Street and Los Angeles Street (presently Anaheim Boulevard). On March 14, 1907, Schumacher, Quarton, and Renner acquired the "Pioneer Store" from Charles "Sam" Federman, who had managed it since 1883—spanning 25 years. At that time, Schumacher and Renner worked as clerks within the establishment, which the Anaheim Gazette described as a modest country store. The trio constituted the entire workforce serving customers initially; however, by 1928, employee numbers had expanded to twenty. Early competitors included the Falkenstein department store located in the Mitchell block at Center and Los Angeles' northwest corner. In 1916, Falkenstein relocated to the newly constructed Casou Building, which replaced what was then the town’s oldest structure—the Langenberger adobe.
Second location (1915–1926)
In 1913, the SQR Store relocated to a newly constructed building at 102 W. Center, situated at the southwest corner of Los Angeles Street. This structure was built by Emil Dreyfus after he demolished the former building previously occupied by the Ahlborn & Raymond department store, and earlier by Stern Bros. The store remained at this site until 1926.
Third location (1926–1978)
As the business continued to expand, in 1926 SQR acquired property at the southwest corner of Center and Lemon streets from the Knights of Pythias. They subsequently demolished the existing Herman Dickel grocery and hardware store on the site and erected a new SQR Store, which became their final establishment.
That same year, Quarton exited the company, yet the store retained the "S.Q.R." name. By 1953, the workforce had increased to 80 employees.
Decline of Downtown Anaheim
Starting in 1954, SQR encountered growing competition from several new shopping centers designed with modern conveniences and automobile accessibility in mind, including:
- East Anaheim Shopping Center, located 1.6 miles east, which opened in March 1954 and later expanded to include an approximately 80,000-square-foot W. T. Grant and Boston Stores.
- The Anaheim Plaza, anchored by The Broadway, situated 1.5 miles west near the 5 freeway at Euclid, which debuted in 1955.
- Orangefair Center, opened in 1956, approximately 1.5 miles north.
- Fashion Square-Santa Ana by Bullock's, launched in 1958 about five miles southeast.
- Both The City and Mall of Orange, located roughly 4.5 miles south and east respectively, opened in 1970.
While many U.S. cities sought to preserve and rejuvenate their historic downtown districts, Anaheim opted for demolition instead. Initially, local merchants attempted to draw customers by refurbishing their storefronts, supported by city-provided off-street parking; however, these efforts fell short. In 1973, the city implemented Redevelopment Plan "Alpha," which proposed razing nearly all structures within the approximately 200-acre historic downtown area to make way for a new civic center, the Anaheim Towne Center strip mall, and office complexes. This redevelopment spanned just over fifteen years.
In September 1973, the store announced its impending closure but was partially reopened on the first floor by Val Renner—widow of Russell Renner, son of Oscar Renner—and her sons. Nevertheless, in 1978 the Anaheim Redevelopment Agency condemned this building along with numerous adjacent properties, leading to its demolition mid-year. The former retail core of Downtown Anaheim was replaced by a strip mall anchored by a grocery store, an expansive parking lot surpassing the size of the mall itself, and a rerouted Lincoln Street. Due to this realignment, the original southwest corner of Center/Lincoln and Lemon now lies within a parking area.
Gallery
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View of Downtown Anaheim with the SQR Store visible on the left, date unspecified.
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Detailed shot of the SQR Store located on Los Angeles Street in Anaheim during the 1920s-1930s.
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South facade of West Center Street’s 200 block in Anaheim around 1924–1926, including the Valencia Hotel at Lemon Street and the S.Q.R. department store on the left.
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Inside perspective of the S.Q.R. department store in Anaheim, dated approximately 1900.
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Group of seven riding a 1917 Jordon Touring car displaying signs for various businesses including S.Q.R. Store, circa 1924.
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Oscar H. Renner photographed at the S.Q.R. department store in Anaheim, approximately 1911.
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Image of Oscar H. Renner from around 1900.
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Photograph of August Schumacher inside the S.Q.R. department store taken about 1911.
External links
- Early photographs depicting the second location of the SQR store circa 1911
- Image capturing the SQR Store as it appeared in 1955
- Article accompanied by a photograph of Wesley P. Quarton published in Anaheim Bulletin
- Photograph featuring Oscar Renner and his son Russell from Anaheim Bulletin
- Article and image showcasing August Schumacher as seen in Anaheim Bulletin
- Genealogical record for August Ernest Schumacher (March 9, 1881 – October 23, 1948) available at FamilySearch
