Neiman-Marcus

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about one of the most famous names in American retail: Neiman-Marcus, right there in Dallas County. Now, if you've ever heard of Neiman-Marcus (and friend, who hasn't?) you might figure a store that legendary just always existed, the way the Lone Star always hung in the sky. But no.

It had a beginning. A specific one. Nineteen-oh-seven.

That's when Herbert Marcus, Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband A. L. Neiman put their names together and founded what would become one of the most prestigious retail establishments this country has ever seen.

They got their start, and things were moving along; until 1913, when the firm's first store, over at Elm and Murphy streets, burned. Just like that, gone. Now, that's the kind of moment that ends some stories.

But this one? This one just moved locations. A new store was constructed right here, at this very site, and what happened next is the part worth leanin' in for.

Because under the direction of Herbert Marcus, Sr., the innovations that came out of this store didn't just stay in Dallas. They spread. The marker says it plainly: many of the retail innovations instituted here had a dramatic effect on stores and manufacturers throughout the entire country.

Not just Texas; the country. And it wasn't only about moving merchandise. Herbert Marcus, Sr. steered this place toward something bigger than the bottom line.

Neiman-Marcus became a leader in supporting philanthropic projects, civic activities, and Dallas' early commercial development. A fire on Elm and Murphy streets. A new store rising from it.

A name that would echo from Dallas clear across the American retail landscape. Sometimes what burns down is just making room for what comes next.

What the marker says

In 1907 Herbert Marcus, Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband A. L. Neiman founded the prestigious Neiman - Marcus retail establishment. After the firm's first store at Elm and Murphy streets burned in 1913, a new store was constructed at this site. Many of the retail innovations instituted here have had a dramatic effect on stores and manufacturers throughout the country. Under the direction of Herbert Marcus, Sr., the store also became a leader in the support of philanthropic projects, civic activities and Dallas' early commercial development.