Bellevue Square opened in 1946. One of the most memorable anchor stores was the now defunct Frederick & Nelson, which was located where Nordstrom is today.

Frederick & Nelson was the first anchor store in the newly opened suburban mall, and was the first suburban location. Frederick & Nelson’s flagship store was located in downtown Seattle at Fifth and Pine streets (where the Nordstrom flagship store is today).

A Frederick & Nelson’s employee newsletter from Aug. 31, 1946 describes the opening of the Bellevue Square Store: “Frederick and Nelson’s suburban store at Bellevue opened August 20, to crowds that packed the sidewalks before the 1 p.m. opening hour. Additional sales personnel was [sic] rushed to the store immediately — and everyone was busy until the 9 p.m. closing.”

With the first day of business hinting at things to come, Frederick & Nelson quickly moved to a larger location within the mall and remained in business there until 1992.

To learn more about Bellevue and Eastside history, contact the Eastside Heritage Center at 425-450-1049 or visit www.EastsideHeritageCenter.org.