Chillicothe History
Jun 01, 2022 10:03AM ● By Gary Fyke
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It is hardly possible that anyone in the U.S. has not heard of J.C. Penny and his nationwide department store chain. Records show that James Cash Penny incorporated a chain of notions and dry good stores under that well-known name in 1913. Many people may also know that James C. Penny, Jr. was a son of a forceful Baptist preacher in Caldwell County Missouri. He was the seventh of twelve children who survived to adulthood. Penny was required to “earn his keep” in the family as a youth and became experienced as a butcher of swine by his teenage years.
This story was developed from research material contained in the Chillicothe Historical Society, a non-profit organization that receives no government funding. It welcomes new members and relies on dues and financial contributions from those who love history. [email protected]
Penny’s father passed away shortly after Jr. graduated from high school in 1898. Penny helped his hardworking mother to save the family farm for the next three years by working in the J.H. Hale Brothers Dry Goods Store in Hamilton, Missouri. His health began to fail and was advised to move westward to “cleaner air.” Penny took saved money and moved first to Denver, Colorado and then to Longmont, Colorado where he bought a butcher shop at age 18. He hired a butcher and began soliciting business but was unable to succeed and closed the shop late that year.
That is when “The Golden Rule” gave J.C. Penney the break that would lead to his success in the dry goods business. “The Golden Rule” here isn’t the religious “belief” of Christians, but a physical business named “The Golden Rule” dry goods store chain, centered in Longmont, Colorado. The chain’s owners Callahan and Johnson hired young men with potential to run a store to expand their store chain into western states. Penny became the chain’s best in-store clerk and by 1902 entered into a three-way partnership with Callahan and Johnson for a store in Kemmerer, Wyoming under the Golden Rule name. He added two additional stores by 1907. When Callahan bought out Johnson, Callahan sold the 15-store chain to Penny.
Penny continued to expand the business. By 1912, Callahan had reentered the chain store dry goods business under the name of the Yakima Range Stores. Callahan sold the new store chain to Penny. In 1913 Penny incorporated all of his business under the J.C. Penny brand name. What is not known by many is that Thomas Callahan was raised by his mother Celia Callahan in Chillicothe, Illinois. Callahan moved west and began the Golden Rule Store chain with his wife Alice, who created the store name. Penny slowly renamed the original Golden Rule Stores to J.C Penny stores. The last Golden Rule Store closed was the Chillicothe store in 1929.
This story was developed from research material contained in the Chillicothe Historical Society, a non-profit organization that receives no government funding. It welcomes new members and relies on dues and financial contributions from those who love history. [email protected]