Long-gone department stores like Ohrbach’s, Gimbels, E.J. Korvette, Times Square Stores and others sold us our prom dresses, our first big-boy shoes, our refrigerators, toys, TVs and riding mowers.

Before online shopping and big-box domination, department stores were the heart of the American retail experience. In the 1970s, these stores offered everything from fashion and furniture to lunch ...