Ashland Memories: JCPenney comes to town, adhering to Golden Rule of founder

Ashland joined a national phenomenon when it acquired a JCPenney store just as various chain stores multiplied across the main streets of rural and small town America.

Unlike some other chains, Penney’s faced relatively little opposition from ordinary people who were used to buying from local merchants.

From the first JCPenney store – originally called the Golden Rule store – established in Wyoming in 1902, the chain grew to national prominence with nearly 1,400 stores across the 48 states by 1929.

Ashland got its first JCPenney store amidst all this growth in 1924. It was located at 33-35 W. Main St. in the building that is now occupied by Studio Rise. The owner of the building actually terminated the lease of Jacob Roth, who previously had a clothing store there, in order to lease the building to Penney’s.

Earl R. McNaul was the first manager when the store opened in April 1924, and a Mr. Watkins was assistant manager. The employees were all local.

The Golden Rule of JCPenney founder

Store policy created by founder James Cash Penney adhered to the Golden Rule. His stores brought the quality, value, service and convenience of a big city department store to the main streets of small towns where average farmers shopped.

Penney’s sold dry goods, notions, furnishings, and clothing for the whole family at the lowest prices. The stores were strictly cash and carry, no credit. Collective buying by a national chain allowed Penneys to avoid both overpriced goods and special sales.

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By 1939, the Ashland store underwent a complete renovation, and the enlarged store opened that July. The biggest change was an added balcony, featuring clothing for women and children.

Penney’s structure gave local managers almost complete control to operate their stores as they thought best. This ability to adapt to local conditions allowed the chain to flourish. E.R. Carlson, who was the Ashland manager in 1939, believed this fact encouraged the chain to reinvest in Ashland’s growing prosperity.

Growth for 'more service, more customers, more business'

In 1958, JCPenney moved to a brand-new location on East Main. Despite updates through the 1940s, the store had grown enough to require larger quarters. Manager Hermon Page described it as, “More service, more customers, more business.”

Ashland’s Penneys had one of the highest sales per square foot in the state. The new store would boast 2 1/2 times more space, a freight elevator and air conditioning.

In the morning of Feb. 6, 1958, Mayor Hostettler and store manager Page cut the ribbon on the brand-new facility at 101 E. Main St., which today is known as the FLAC building.

A clean, modern buff brick exterior featuring plate glass windows opened into a modern store space. Decorated in bright pastel colors and lit with fluorescent lights, the store filled the main floor, the basement and a balcony area.

Women’s clothing filled the balcony, while girls’ clothes were in the basement, along with fabric, sewing notions, curtains, and other home goods.

At that time, JCPenney faced competition with another chain, the W.T. Grant store. The Grant store occupied a brand new building opened on the site at the corner of Main and Center where the old opera house was demolished in 1955.

In 1975, W.T. Grant went into bankruptcy, and its Ashland store closed that November. JCPenney then moved into the former Grant store, where it stayed until it moved into the old WalMart plaza off Baney Road in the 1990s.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: JCPenney clothing store welcomed to Ashland in 1924