For Fort Worthians of a certain age, Christmas time was synonymous with Leonard’s Department Store.
Frequently referred to simply as “the store,” Leonard’s stretched across seven downtown blocks, had its own private subway line and was known for elaborate window displays that rivaled Macy’s. Around the holidays, visiting Toyland and sitting on Santa’s lap was a rite of passage for many.
The beloved store was a hub of activity downtown for decades, but was eventually sold to the Tandy Corporation and then to Dillard’s.
Starting in 2024, memorabilia from the beloved institution will move from the family-run museum at 220 Carroll St. to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in the Cultural District.
Beginning Jan. 25, Leonard’s will have a permanent display case at the museum as well as a part-time collections coordinator, supported by an endowment from Marty Leonard, daughter of the store’s founder.
If you go
What: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Closed Monday
Where: 1600 Gendy St.
Fort Worth
Admission: Children ages 2 and younger, free
Children ages 3-11, $12
Ages 12-64, $16
Age 65 and older, $14
“We are … the comprehensive Fort Worth history museum. Leonard’s had a huge impact on the community, not just in retail, but also the way it built these relationships with everybody who lived in town,” Fort Worth Museum of Science and History President Regina Faden said. “So, I think that if we’re the repository for the cultural heritage here, that’s a major part of it. … It made sense for us.”
The current Leonard’s Museum at 220 Carroll St. will shut its doors as the collection is transferred to the museum of science and history.
“At my age and where I am in life, I’ve been trying to make plans for it, so it wouldn’t go away, because it’s part of history and most anyone would agree with that,” Leonard said. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History “is a logical place when you think about it, and they were very excited about it.”
The display case will be ready just as foot traffic from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo picks up, but Leonard said the process of cataloging and transferring items from the Leonard’s Museum will likely extend through the summer.
However, one 24-ton artifact will not be moving. M&O Car No. 1, from the subway’s original fleet, will remain on display at One City Place, 300 Throckmorton St., in downtown Fort Worth.
Leonard’s was founded in 1918, by John Marvin Leonard, commonly referred to as Mr. Marvin. Eventually, he would be joined by his brother and business partner, Obidiah Paul Leonard, known as Mr. Obie.
After Marvin grew up, he went to work in Dallas for a grocer and eventually got the idea to start his own business.
“He didn’t want to go into competition with the guy he worked for in Dallas,” Leonard explained. “I think that tells you something about his character. … That’s the reason he came to Fort Worth.”
The store’s ambitions and offerings expanded nearly as much as its footprint. At Leonard’s you could buy groceries, work pants, a sewing machine and lawn mower. You could also cash your paycheck, get a hunting license, have a deer cleaned and prepared after a hunting trip, and ride a monorail mounted on the store’s ceiling and glide above the merchandise below.
But for the family, it wasn’t just about making a sale. It was about serving the community, Leonard said. After a major flood hit the city, the store offered to pick up, repair or replace items that had been damaged in the storm — for free.
Beyond that, when babies were born, the store would give out gifts like rattles, hair brushes, shoes and silver spoons. Residents new to town would get a “Howdy Neighbor” box filled with wares like drinking glasses, coasters, measuring cups, an egg separator and an ashtray, along with a pound of coffee, loaf of bread and map of Fort Worth.
“I remember specific instances where people got emotional because it brought them back to their childhood. I’ve had people spend hours in here,” Lauren Leonard, Mr. Obie’s granddaughter, said of the Leonard’s Museum.
Throughout the museum’s existence, many visitors shared stories in its guest book.
One man wrote a memory of riding the bus downtown to shop at Leonard’s. He admitted to stealing some books that he couldn’t afford and attached $100 to his note.
“That was just last year,” Lauren Leonard said. “I wonder how long he’d carried that around after all of these years.”
Upcoming exhibitions at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
“Black Cowboys: An American Story” – Jan. 20, 2024
“Mexican Roots” – May 3, 2024
A yet to be named collaborative exhibit between the city of Fort Worth and the museum on redlining – fall 2024
Faden is excited about the different stories the museum can tell with its newly acquired collection.
“There’s many, many stories you can tell through retail at a retail store. Who’s coming in there? Who’s working there? How are things changing? You know, the things we buy and the things we wear and the things we use reflect changes … the way we live our lives,” Faden said. “So I think those will be some of the things that the curator, with the history collections people, will be working on again on a regular basis.”
The move to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History ensures that Leonard’s will be remembered for generations to come.
Countless people have shared their memories of Leonard’s with Marty Leonard, and one in particular shows how deeply connected the store was to its customers.
“A lady was in here, she did some looking around and came to me and said, ‘Marty, I have to tell you something. There’s just one thing missing here,’ and I said, ‘Oh, really. What’s that?” Marty Leonard said.
The answer? A box of Kleenex.
“I can say this without bragging because I didn’t have anything to do with it,” she said, “but Leonard’s was a place where people gathered for all kinds of reasons — not just to shop.”
Editor’s note: This post was updated 10 a.m. Jan. 2 to clarify that the subway car mentioned in the story is from the subway’s original fleet.
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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