James Cash Penney (September 16, 1875 – February 12, 1971) was a businessman and entrepreneur who, in 1902, founded the J.C. Penney stores.
In 1898, he began working in a small chain called the Golden Rule stores, and in 1902, the owners, Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan, offered him one-third partnership in a new store he would open. He invested $2,000 and moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming, to open a store there. He participated in opening two more stores, and when Callahan and Johnson dissolved their partnership in 1907 he purchased full interest in all three stores. While there, he also became a lumberjack, cutting down trees as a side-hobby while running the stores.
Read more about J.C. Penney, and Madam C.J. Walker, free from the National Park Service.
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