Wolf & Dessauer

Wolf & Dessauer

Industry	Retail
Genre	Department stores
Founded	1896;129 years ago (1896) in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Founder	Sam Wolf and Myron Eisman Dessauer
Defunct	1969;56 years ago (1969)
Fate	Acquisition by L.S. Ayres
Successor	L.S. Ayres
Headquarters	Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Key people	Sam Wolf Myron Dessauer G. Irving Latz G. Irving Latz II William Latz
Parent	City Stores (1966–1969)

Wolf & Dessauer was an American department store founded in 1896 by Sam Wolf and Myron Eisman Dessauer ^[1] in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

History

The store was located at 808 South Calhoun Street until 1904 and at 119 West Berry Street from 1904 to 1918. From 1918 to 1959, it was located on the northeast corner of Calhoun Street and Washington Boulevard. ^[2]

The final location of the business was on the northeast corner of Clinton and Wayne Streets. The building is now known as Citizens Square and houses the City of Fort Wayne's municipal government.

Lighting displays

"Santa and His Reindeer" display on the PNC Bank Building in 2018

Beginning in 1928, Wolf & Dessauer displayed Christmas-themed animated windows. In 1937, the "Santa and His Reindeer" and "Merry Christmas Wreaths" lighting displays were also introduced for the holiday season. The lights and displays continue to be displayed annually in Fort Wayne as part of Downtown Fort Wayne's HolidayFest featuring "Night of Lights". ^[3]

Ownership

In 1920, the business was sold to general manager G. Irving Latz. In 1966, the company was sold to City Stores, and in 1969, to L. S. Ayres. ^[2] The downtown store continued to operate as an Ayres location before closing in 1979.

See also

• List of defunct department stores of the United States

References

1. "Wolf and Dessauer - history, WANE 15 News" on YouTube
2. Harter, Randy (September 15, 2016). "Wolf & Dessauer Building C. 1964". Fort Wayne Reader. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
3. "History of Fort Wayne's Night of Lights Celebration". Visit Fort Wayne. October 28, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.

Further reading

• Barron, Jim and Kathie (2011). Wolf & Dessauer: Where Fort Wayne Shopped. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-1-6094-9334-9.