374:, as a clerk, janitor, and delivery boy. In 1887, he attempted to purchase a share of his employer's store; after this proved unsuccessful, he founded his own store on October 4, 1887, with his sister Eliza, and brother-in-law, J. H. Bitter. The 3,300-square-foot (310 m) store located in Sheboygan was called H. C. Prange. Unlike his local competition, the store offered lines of credit to farmers. In 1898, it was incorporated as the H. C. Prange Company. By 1923, a new store was built on the same site with more than 180,000 square feet (17,000 m) making it the largest store in Wisconsin outside of
273:
129:
344:
480:
reason for Prange Way's financial difficulties. Its largest debt was $ 3 million owed to the State of
Wisconsin Investment Board. At the time, Prange Way operated 21 stores in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota, and did not plan to close any stores (though it did expect to lay off some employees). However, the stores did not last long after this, as liquidation sales were soon slated to begin in November. All Prange Way stores would be closed after the 1995 Christmas holiday season.
332:
25:
382:
Sturgeon Bay and opened the firm's third store. In 1935 a fire burned the
Sturgeon Bay store to the ground. Five months after the fire a new store was built. The year 1946 saw the purchase of Appleton's Pettibone-Peabody store, one of the oldest retail organizations in the state. Over the years more acquisitions were made by the H.C. Prange Company, and existing stores underwent continuous improvement to keep abreast of the times.
448:
store after the building's support columns sagged. The 1984 building was torn down beginning in
January 2015 over a two-month period, and was used as an open field for a series of concerts that summer before construction began on a new apartment development intended to spur the filling of professional jobs in the area.
447:
The former Prange's flagship store in
Sheboygan ended operations in mid-January 2014 after several years of operating under The Bon-Ton's Boston Store banner after their purchase of Younkers. The building was reconstructed in 1984 when a water main break in 1982 forced demolition of the old flagship
381:
H. Carl Prange's goal in 1930 during the stock market crash was to do one million dollars in the grocery business and two million in dry-goods. During the
Depression, while still heavily in debt from the purchase of the Hall Dry Goods building in Green Bay, Prange acquired the LM Washburn company of
479:
In 1990 the Prange Way chain was sold to a group of Prange Way managers and other investors and its headquarters relocated to De Pere, Wisconsin. The chain filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 1995. An attorney for Prange Way cited competition from national discount chains as the
428:, Inc. for $ 67 million (~$ 131 million in 2023) in 1992. Younkers also assumed about $ 9 million in liabilities of the division. Eventually Younkers would become a part of Saks "northern group" which later enveloped longtime Prange's competitors
397:, with a total of about 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m) of retail space. In 1991, Prange's department store unit had sales of about $ 229 million (~$ 457 million in 2023). The company's largest store was in
255:. It also operated discount stores under the Prange Way name in the former two states, although this division was sold off in the 1990s. Prange's was dissolved and most of the stores converted to the rival
476:, an enclosed shopping mall. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, several more stores were opened throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, with seven in these regions being purchased from Schultz's Discount in 1989.
472:. Two of their first major discount stores called Prange Way opened between 1965 and 1966 in the cities of Appleton and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The latter was an anchor store of
762:
722:
737:
742:
727:
757:
752:
611:
363:
747:
89:
61:
68:
347:
Site of original flagship store in downtown
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, photographed in 2006. The store was converted into a
316:
294:
108:
42:
287:
75:
460:
store called Prange's Budget Store in the flagship building in 1911. The Prange Way chain later evolved into a
46:
732:
336:
57:
604:
681:
579:
531:
509:
584:
461:
362:
Henry Carl Prange was the son of farmers who had immigrated to
Wisconsin from Germany following the
641:
429:
348:
281:
676:
646:
597:
35:
298:
82:
398:
375:
371:
240:
148:
8:
441:
413:
691:
671:
513:
457:
236:
696:
401:
666:
433:
405:
331:
424:
The H. C. Prange
Company's 25-unit department store division was purchased by
408:
locations were acquired by the company after a sale by their previous owners,
716:
661:
656:
367:
343:
636:
631:
651:
620:
473:
437:
436:
under the same corporate ownership. This division was ultimately sold to
409:
465:
386:
244:
24:
701:
469:
425:
394:
390:
256:
252:
248:
174:
496:
Sheboygan County: 150 Years of
Progress, Hildebrandt, Janice. 1998
589:
128:
574:
546:
HFN: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network
351:
in 2008, closed in 2014, and was torn down a year later.
385:
At its peak, the H. C. Prange Co. had 25 stores, 18 in
217:
529:Doris Hajewski, "Prange Way files for Chapter 11",
243:. At its peak, it operated stores in the states of
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
763:Demolished buildings and structures in Wisconsin
714:
585:Article Concerning Company and PrangeWay spinoff
335:Image of an Prange's store, taken from a 1991
605:
723:Defunct department stores based in Wisconsin
366:. In 1876, he began working at John Plath's
561:, November 6, 1995, Vol. 34 Issue 21, p. 3.
557:"Prange Way in the throes of liquidation",
612:
598:
525:
523:
127:
317:Learn how and when to remove this message
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
342:
330:
280:This article includes a list of general
738:Retail companies disestablished in 1992
520:
239:chain begun by H. C. Prange in 1887 in
715:
593:
743:Defunct companies based in Wisconsin
728:Retail companies established in 1887
464:, with several locations throughout
266:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
758:1992 disestablishments in Wisconsin
544:FNS, "3 retailers under the gun",
490:
13:
286:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
774:
568:
753:1887 establishments in Wisconsin
510:Younkers to Acquire Prange Unit"
271:
23:
619:
34:needs additional citations for
16:American department store chain
580:Article About Sale to Younkers
551:
538:
499:
208:Clothing, jewelry, accessories
1:
748:1992 mergers and acquisitions
483:
451:
200:Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois
7:
357:
10:
779:
535:, October 14, 1995, p. D1.
532:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
419:
262:
259:chain after sale in 1992.
627:
462:discount department store
231:, sometimes shortened to
212:
204:
194:
180:
170:
162:
154:
143:
135:
126:
404:. Some of the remaining
301:more precise citations.
456:Prange Way began as a
352:
340:
346:
334:
733:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
372:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
241:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
185:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
149:Sheboygan, Wisconsin
43:improve this article
559:Discount Store News
548:, October 23, 1995.
416:in the late 1970s.
414:Salkin & Linoff
364:Revolutions of 1848
123:
692:Stone & Thomas
672:Mabley & Carew
442:York, Pennsylvania
353:
341:
235:, was an American
121:
58:"H. C. Prange Co."
710:
709:
575:Corporate website
514:Daily News Record
506:Daily News Record
327:
326:
319:
226:
225:
158:Henry Carl Prange
119:
118:
111:
93:
770:
697:Watt & Shand
614:
607:
600:
591:
590:
562:
555:
549:
542:
536:
527:
518:
503:
497:
494:
458:bargain basement
322:
315:
311:
308:
302:
297:this article by
288:inline citations
275:
274:
267:
237:department store
229:H. C. Prange Co.
222:
219:
131:
124:
122:H. C. Prange Co.
120:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
778:
777:
773:
772:
771:
769:
768:
767:
713:
712:
711:
706:
623:
618:
571:
566:
565:
556:
552:
543:
539:
528:
521:
504:
500:
495:
491:
486:
454:
422:
406:Peck & Peck
402:Port Plaza Mall
360:
355:
354:
323:
312:
306:
303:
293:Please help to
292:
276:
272:
265:
216:
197:
190:
186:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
776:
766:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
708:
707:
705:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
628:
625:
624:
617:
616:
609:
602:
594:
588:
587:
582:
577:
570:
569:External links
567:
564:
563:
550:
537:
519:
517:. July 2, 1992
498:
488:
487:
485:
482:
453:
450:
421:
418:
359:
356:
329:
328:
325:
324:
279:
277:
270:
264:
261:
224:
223:
214:
210:
209:
206:
202:
201:
198:
195:
192:
191:
188:
184:
182:
178:
177:
172:
168:
167:
164:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
145:
141:
140:
137:
133:
132:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
775:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
720:
718:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
662:Elder-Beerman
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
629:
626:
622:
615:
610:
608:
603:
601:
596:
595:
592:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
572:
560:
554:
547:
541:
534:
533:
526:
524:
516:
515:
511:
507:
502:
493:
489:
481:
477:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
449:
445:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
417:
415:
411:
407:
403:
400:
396:
393:, and two in
392:
388:
383:
379:
377:
373:
369:
368:general store
365:
350:
345:
338:
333:
321:
318:
310:
300:
296:
290:
289:
283:
278:
269:
268:
260:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
221:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
193:
183:
179:
176:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
125:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
686:
642:Boston Store
558:
553:
545:
540:
530:
512:
505:
501:
492:
478:
455:
446:
430:Boston Store
423:
384:
380:
361:
349:Boston Store
313:
304:
285:
232:
228:
227:
181:Headquarters
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
667:Herberger's
621:The Bon-Ton
474:Forest Mall
438:The Bon-Ton
434:Herberger's
410:Minneapolis
399:Green Bay's
299:introducing
196:Area served
717:Categories
657:Chappell's
632:AM&A's
484:References
452:Prange Way
389:, five in
339:dealers ad
307:March 2022
282:references
69:newspapers
637:Bergner's
466:Wisconsin
387:Wisconsin
376:Milwaukee
245:Wisconsin
171:Successor
99:June 2009
702:Younkers
687:Prange's
682:Parisian
652:Carson's
647:Brandeis
470:Illinois
426:Younkers
395:Illinois
391:Michigan
358:Founding
257:Younkers
253:Michigan
249:Illinois
233:Prange's
218:hcprange
205:Products
175:Younkers
147:1887 in
136:Industry
420:The End
412:-based
295:improve
263:History
213:Website
163:Defunct
155:Founder
144:Founded
83:scholar
432:, and
284:, but
251:, and
139:retail
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
90:JSTOR
76:books
677:Meis
468:and
220:.com
189:U.S.
166:1992
62:news
444:.
440:of
370:in
337:GMC
45:by
719::
522:^
508:.
378:.
247:,
187:,
613:e
606:t
599:v
320:)
314:(
309:)
305:(
291:.
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
