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Morgan's

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Henry Morgan & Company
IndustryRetail
Founded1845; 179 years ago (1845) in Montreal, Quebec
FounderHenry Morgan
DefunctJune 19, 1972; 52 years ago (1972-06-19)
FateAcquired by the Hudson's Bay Company
SuccessorThe Bay
Headquarters585 Saint Catherine Street West,
Montreal, Quebec
,
Canada
Number of locations
11 (at peak)
Area served
OwnerHudson's Bay Company (1960–1972)

Henry Morgan & Company (colloquially Morgan's) was a Canadian department store chain founded by Henry Morgan in 1845. The first store was in Montreal, and expanded to include 11 stores in Ontario and Quebec before being bought by Hudson's Bay Company in 1960. The stores in Ontario were converted to Hudson's Bay Company stores that year and renamed The Bay in 1965; the remaining Morgan's stores in Quebec were renamed La Baie in 1972.

The flagship store was in the Henry Morgan Building in Downtown Montreal, and remains a flagship property of the Hudson's Bay Company.

History

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The first store was opened in Montreal in 1845 by Scottish immigrant Henry Morgan[1] as Henry Morgan and Company at 200 Notre Dame Street (now 404 Notre Dame St. W), then moved in 1852 to 100 McGill Street (now 478 McGill St.; addition at 3-5 St. Joseph, now 610 Notre Dame W., in 1857) and again in 1866 to the north side of St. James Street (Saint Jacques Street) at Victoria Square. In 1891, they built a new flagship store at 585 Saint Catherine Street West in front of Phillips Square.[1] This store opened as businesses were moving away from the old city centre and helped to make Saint Catherine Street the principal street for shops in Montreal.

The second store to operate under the Morgan's name opened in 1950 on Queen Mary Road in the Snowdon area of Montreal. Other stores then opened on the island of Montreal, and in several Ontario cities. Ownership of the store was originally split evenly between Henry Morgan and his partner, David Smith. Smith's portion was later purchased by Henry's brother, James Morgan. The store stayed under the ownership and management of the original Morgan brothers and their descendants for over 100 years of business.[2]

In 1960, Hudson's Bay Company purchased Morgan's.[3] In 1964, the stores in Ontario were converted to the new name – The Bay.[4] At that point, the Morgan's logo was replaced with a new one with a similar design to The Bay's for the Quebec stores still operating under the Morgan's name.[1] The Quebec stores were converted on June 19, 1972.[5]

1945 Commemorative Wedgwood Bowl

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In 1945, Morgan's Department Store commissioned a Wedgwood bowl, designed by Keith Murray, to commemorate the store's 100th anniversary in Montreal. Black and white transfer prints on the front and back contrast Montreal as it was in 1845 and in 1945. Relief portraits on each side of Jean Baptiste and John Bull are surrounded by colourful maple leaves, shamrock, rose, thistle, and fleur-de-lis and celebrate the city's French and English heritage. The inside of the bowl is decorated with the coat of arms and motto Concordia Salus (Salvation Through Harmony), colourful maple leaves, and the following English and French inscriptions around the upper rim: "Discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1534, Founded by Maisonneuve in 1642, Decouvert par Jacques Cartier en 1534, and Fonde par Maisonneuve en 1642". The underside of the bowl has the Morgan's and Wedgwood logos and provides the population data for Montreal in 1845 (45,000) and 1945 (1,500,000). This footed bowl measures 12 1/4" in diameter, and is 6 3/4" high.

Legacy

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Three former Morgan's stores are still in operation as The Bay: the flagship in downtown Montreal[6] and the suburban locations in Eglinton Square Shopping Centre[7] and Rockland Centre.[8] The Bay at Rockland relocated in 1983 within the same mall[9] and the Eglinton Square store was converted in 2023 as a liquidation outlet for the chain.[10]

The Montreal locations in the Boulevard Shopping Centre and Dorval Gardens shopping malls lasted until 2018 and 2021 respectively.[7][11] In Ontario, virtually all The Bay stores, that had previously been Morgan's locations, closed between the 1970s to 2000s decades.

Locations

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  • Previous logo in 1960
    Previous logo in 1960
  • Morgan's in 1939, preparing for a royal visit
    Morgan's in 1939, preparing for a royal visit
  • Morgan's at Christmastime, 1944
    Morgan's at Christmastime, 1944

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Our History: Acquisitions". HBC Heritage. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  2. ^ Morgan, David (1992). The Morgans of Montreal. D. Morgan. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-9696-6760-5.
  3. ^ "Héritage Montréal". www.memorablemontreal.com.
  4. ^ "Hudson's Bay Company". Encyclopedia.com.
  5. ^ "The Bay is new Morgan's name". Montreal Gazette. June 16, 1972. p. 5.
  6. ^ Wilkins, Robert N. "Montreal Diary: The story behind Montreal's Hudson's Bay building". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 2014-10-12.
  7. ^ a b "Hudson's Bay Closes 2nd-Oldest Suburban Store". Retail Insider. 16 September 2018.
  8. ^ Patterson, Craig (February 23, 2018). "Cominar Announces Significant Rockland Centre Investment [Renderings]". Retail Insider.
  9. ^ "The Bay 'Rockland Store Closing Advertisement'". Montreal Gazette. January 5, 1983. p. C8.
  10. ^ Patterson, Craig (August 24, 2023). "Hudson's Bay Launches Outlet Store Concept".
  11. ^ "Hudson's Bay to Shutter Suburban Montreal Store at Jardins Dorval". Retail Insider. December 2020.
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