Remembering This Ames Department Store in New Hampshire

I found this YouTube video of the old Seabrook NH Ames, completely by accident and was intrigued. Is this as recent as is claims to be?

Believe it or not, if you go to the official Wikipedia page for Ames Department Store, you will see this very location in it's heyday.

It's kind of nice to hear how excited YouTuber 'Chronicles of Quacioua' is in his presentation of the old Seabrook site. I walk by the abandoned Dover location next to Hannaford at least once a week and I hardly even think to look at it.

For a couple of years in my early teens, Ames was the perfect place to go Christmas shopping. Before I had a car, I could shop there while Ma was getting groceries and I didn't have to worry about anyone in the family seeing what I bought.

The solid white plastic bags with the red lettering would conceal the identity of all the goods as I'd hide them in the attic and I was done for another year. One stop shopping!

According to a couple sources, the final straw that broke this chain's financial back was when they acquired the 'Zayre' department store franchises in the 90's and eventually conked out in 2002.

I know that their legacy has lived on another 20 years because in Ossipee NH 'The Ames Plaza' is still an official location that people refer to and you can find on all digital maps.

Whenever I'm stumped at Christmastime, trying to figure out what to buy, even though I have the entire world at my fingertips, I still miss the fun of looking around the aisles for inspiration.