H. L. Green
Encyclopedia
H.L. Green was a five and dime
store chain in the United States
during the twentieth century named for founder Harold L. Green
(1892-1951).
Harold David Kittinger, who had founded the Kittinger's chain which had merged with McLellan's, served as a company executive from 1932 until his death in 1947, at which time he was president of a chain that had grown to 200 stores. It also owned the Schulte-United department store
.
By 1957, the chain had 227 stores, and was beginning to locate in shopping centers. Green acquired Olen Company, a retailer based in Mobile, Alabama
. Maurice Olen became President of the combined company, but left after an investigation revealed an asset shortage, leading to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and lawsuits by the company against Olen. Olen was indicted and fined $2,500.
It acquired United Stores, which owned a significant share of McCrory Stores
and McLellan Stores
in 1959, but sold this in 1960 to B.T.L Corporation
(which owned Ben Franklin Stores
). In 1961 McCrory Stores merged with H.L. Green, the combined company taking the McCrory name. The same week this was announced, McCrory took over Lerner Stores. H.L. Green sold its Canadian subsidiary Metropolitan Stores and some other assets at this time, reducing the number of stores in its system from 366 to 147.
The stores named H.L. Green were folded as McCrory's entered bankruptcy in the late 1990s.
s in its stores in the southern United States until protests (including sit-in
s) in the early 1960s forced it to desegregate
. In the North, individual store managers on occasion took the initiative to break the color line in hiring, as occurred in the early 1950s in Newark, New Jersey
.
legal case, Shapiro Bernstein v. HL Green (2d C 1963 p 446, in which a vendor of records in an HL Green store sold bootleg records
.
Five and Dime
Five and Dime is a cartoon short by Walter Lantz which features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It is the 74th Oswald short produced by Lantz and the 125th overall. It also is among the number of shorts that feature Oswald in his fully clothed appearance....
store chain in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the twentieth century named for founder Harold L. Green
Harold L. Green
Harold Leavenworth Green was the chairman and founder of the H.L. Green Company five and dime store chain. He founded the chain as a product of mergers in 1932, and at the time of his death it had more than 200 stores....
(1892-1951).
History
The chain was formed in 1932. The chain operated 133 retail stores as of 1935, most resulting from the acquisition of Metropolitan Chain Stores, Inc. (of which Harold Green had been president), F. & W. Grand Stores, Isaac Silver and Brothers Company, and F. & W. Grand-Silver Stores, Inc.Harold David Kittinger, who had founded the Kittinger's chain which had merged with McLellan's, served as a company executive from 1932 until his death in 1947, at which time he was president of a chain that had grown to 200 stores. It also owned the Schulte-United department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
.
By 1957, the chain had 227 stores, and was beginning to locate in shopping centers. Green acquired Olen Company, a retailer based in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. Maurice Olen became President of the combined company, but left after an investigation revealed an asset shortage, leading to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and lawsuits by the company against Olen. Olen was indicted and fined $2,500.
It acquired United Stores, which owned a significant share of McCrory Stores
McCrory Stores
J.G. McCrory's or McCrory Stores was a chain of five and dime stores in the United States based in York, Pennsylvania. The stores typically sold shoes, clothing, housewares, fabrics, penny candy, toys, cosmetics, and often included a lunch counter or snack bar...
and McLellan Stores
McLellan Stores
McLellan Stores were a 20th-century chain of five and dime stores in the United States.The stores were founded by William Walker McLellan in 1917. The chain grew to 200 variety stores, but the Great Depression drove the company into bankruptcy...
in 1959, but sold this in 1960 to B.T.L Corporation
Butler Brothers
Butler Brothers was a retailer and wholesale supplier based in Chicago. It was founded in 1877 as a mail-order company by George H. Butler and Edward Burgess Butler.-History:...
(which owned Ben Franklin Stores
Ben Franklin Stores
Ben Franklin Stores are a chain of five and dime discount stores found in small towns throughout the United States currently owned by Promotions Unlimited. They are organized using a franchise system, with individual stores owned by independent proprietors. It was perhaps the first retail...
). In 1961 McCrory Stores merged with H.L. Green, the combined company taking the McCrory name. The same week this was announced, McCrory took over Lerner Stores. H.L. Green sold its Canadian subsidiary Metropolitan Stores and some other assets at this time, reducing the number of stores in its system from 366 to 147.
The stores named H.L. Green were folded as McCrory's entered bankruptcy in the late 1990s.
Desegregation
Like many similar stores, it had segregated lunch counterLunch counter
A lunch counter is a small restaurant, much like a diner, where the patron sits on a stool on one side of the counter and the server or person preparing the food serves from the other side of the counter, where the kitchen or limited food preparation area is. As the name suggests, they were most...
s in its stores in the southern United States until protests (including sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s) in the early 1960s forced it to desegregate
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
. In the North, individual store managers on occasion took the initiative to break the color line in hiring, as occurred in the early 1950s in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
Copyright
It was the subject of an important copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
legal case, Shapiro Bernstein v. HL Green (2d C 1963 p 446, in which a vendor of records in an HL Green store sold bootleg records
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
.