Josephine and Edward Nordhoff arrived in Seattle in 1890 and spent $1,200 to open a small general store. Because space was scarce after the great fire, they set up shop in William Bell’s Belltown district. Within eight years, their store, the Bon Marché (named after the Nordhoffs’ favorite Paris store) joined Seattle’s other department stores on Second Avenue. In 1910, it claimed to be “the largest department store on the Pacific coast.” In 1929, the Bon followed Frederick & Nelson (F&N) to Pine Street, building a full-block structure between Third and Fourth Avenues. Before the new store opened, it was bought by Hahn Department Stores (later Allied Stores).
Arcadia
