A Wyoming Start - JC Penney’s
By: Sarah Reish
Wait, Live WYld is writing about JC Penney’s? Yes, we are and here’s why. The very first JC Penney’s store was right here in Wyoming. Kemmerer, to be exact. It is a bit of a drive, but we made it out there and explored the store and the museum! Right now I am going to focus on the store. This story is sponsored by Reliant Federal Credit Union. They sponsor our content related to businesses and stores that are right here in Wyoming. Be sure to check them out and learn more about how they can help you with your personal banking and business banking needs.
The History
Okay, the history is super cool. James Cash Penney wasn’t originally located in Wyoming, not that big of a surprise. He was born in 1875 in Missouri as the 7th of 12 children and his father was a Baptist Preacher. As an adult he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and moved to Longmont, Colorado because the dryer climate and cleaner air quality was better for his health. He began working as a clerk in a chain of stores called The Golden Rule in 1898. Four years later the owners, Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan were impressed with his skills and offered him the opportunity to open a new location with a third percent ownership. Investing $2,000 Penney moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming to open The Golden Rule.
Kemmerer in 1902
Kemmerer, Wyoming was a mining town with little options for shopping other than the mining supply store which offered goods at a huge markup and left the minors in debt and forced to work off their supply bills. This made the store Penney opened wildly successful. Kemmerer was also a bootlegging town, according to staff at the current location and our tour guide at the museum. There are tunnels across the entire area where bootleggers could move product, but thieves could easily rob stores and get away. Penney put in place a pulley system where customers sent a list of their goods and cash up to a balcony and change was sent down. This system made robbing his store highly difficult.
Business Growth
Penney went on to open two more stores and then purchased the three stores from Johnson and Callahan. By 1912 there were 34 stores throughout the Rocky Mountain region. After moving to the Salt Lake area he renamed his stores JC Penney’s. He began to expand eastward and in the 20’s he had more than 120 stores. While he struggled to survive the Great Depression, the process took its toll on his health. Penney continued to stay involved with operations through the 1940’s and was honorary chairman until his death in 1971.
Then
Now
The Store Is As It Was
Today, if you go and visit James Cash Penney’s very first store, not much has changed. According to the staff there have been only 4 changes made and even the dressing room and mirrors are original. The pulley/tube system is still installed at the store and the balcony now holds products you can shop rather than the tills. The carpet, back wall of the dressing rooms and the front doors are some of the changes that were made. There is a high shelf that surrounds the walls of the store that showcases pieces of history, from products to personal items - almost as if the store itself is a museum.
Original dressing room three way mirror
Hit the Road!
It is a store that changed shopping in American and it changed the business economy. Many of us grew up going to JC Penney’s for school clothes, lawn mowers, and tools. Be sure to make the time to visit and then head over to the museum to learn more about JC Penney’s personal life. Share your adventure on social media and tag us @LiveWYldMag and use #LiveWYld