Frederick & Nelson, founded by Donald E. Frederick (1860-1937) and Nels B. Nelson (1854-1907) in 1891, was for many years Seattle's premier department store. They began by selling used furniture during the rebuilding of Seattle after the Great Fire of 1889, and expanded to include home delivery of goods, a tea room, and ready-to-wear men's and women's fashions. The holidays were a special time for the store when the floors were elegantly decorated and many seasonal items, such as this nutcracter were displayed and sold. In 1992, Frederick & Nelson went out of business just over a hundred years after first opening.