Anchorage Sears Mall Memories
Anchorage Sears Mall Memories
Do you remember Anchorage before it had a shopping mall? Do you remember when the Sears Mall first opened? Meet Larry Carr the Mall's creator.
When Mike of Anchorage Memories was 15 years old, his family made a trip from Anchorage to San Antonio, Texas to visit relatives. One day, Mike’s aunt said, “how would y'all (that’s Texan for “you all”) like to go to the mall?”
Almost immediately, a puzzled Mike asked “what’s a mall?” Being raised in Anchorage back in the day, there was no mall.
Nothing There But Acres of Soggy Land
For years, there was nothing at Northern Lights Boulevard and the New Seward Highway but some scraggly trees and soggy land. But Larry Carr would change all of that.
BONUS
On the other side of the street on Northern Lights Boulevard and the New Seward Highway was the Bun Drive-In where the Coke Show radio program was heard each night. Check out Coke Show Memories right now.
Larry Carr Comes to Anchorage
In 1947, Larry Carr, the man who would build Anchorage’s first mall, arrived in Anchorage.
His first day job was working for the Alaska Railroad. But in the evening he worked at a grocery store called Thrifty Mart and that paved the way for what was yet to come.
Carr’s on 13th and Gambell
Later, in 1950 at age 21, Larry Carr found an old Quonset Hut at 13th and Gambell, and he decided to go into the grocery business with his brother, Bernard Joseph Carr.
The location turned out to be a success and a challenge.
The walls were so thin that one winter morning they found everything in the store had frozen overnight.
BONUS
You can read more about Larry Carr and the History of Carr-Gottstein Foods right now.
More Carr’s Grocery Store Locations Followed
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A 17.6 Acre Site Just 1.5 Miles from Downtown Anchorage
Anchorage was growing up, and Larry Carr had a vision.
He was going to build the first Mall in Anchorage… And it was exciting.
On January 31, 1968, the Sears Mall, the first ever in Anchorage, opened its doors.
Inside, the towns folk of Anchorage discovered a comfortable atmosphere and what was built to resemble a downtown sidewalk, with shops on either side.
Do you remember?
When the mall first opened, it featured Carr’s Quality Foodcenter as an anchor store on one end with Sears on the other.
Mall stores included, Russell Stover Candies, a Wells Fargo Bank, Sheffield Cafeteria and Pub, and a Ben Franklin Variety Store. There was also Andy’s Carmel Corn (a favorite of our family), Grandma’s Closet, a Book Cache, and Sears had a café. Some of these might have been added later.
In addition, there was a 10 cent mechanical horsey ride for kids.
And the indoor setting was just perfect for shoppers from all over Alaska, especially during those long, cold winters.
Book Cache location in the Sears Mall.
Anchorage Memories
What are your memories of the Sears Mall? What were your favorite stores and restaurants in the Sears mall?
BONUS
Photo by Jim Zoller
Do you remember?
This “Around the World” amphibian visited Anchorage in 1957.
Do you have pictures of Anchorage that you would like to share?
Your Comments
“Hi Mike and Mary… Enjoy your stories so much. Keep up the good work!”
Michael L.
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Mary and Mike have some fun visiting the Route 66 Museum in Victorville, CA.
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Until Next Time
Mike and Mary
Anchorage Memories.com