JC Penney: Bidding Farewell to a Fixture of Local History

Considering the tidal wave of shifting consumer trends, it is a testament to the Sheridan community’s small(ish) town grit that our JCPenney store resisted closure as long as it did. When this once enduring fixture of Sheridan’s downtown folds, it will take almost a century of history with it—and a chunk of local culture.

Once the Golden Rule Mercantile, the store we know and love did not officially become J.C. Penney until January 1928, when James Cash Penney bought the Golden Rule chain. For the past 89 years, Sheridan’s JCPenney store has remained in the same location, even keeping its original store number, 954.

During the store’s time in Sheridan, it provided a staple for local shoppers, surviving the stock market crash of 1929 and a 50% annual sales drop in the ensuing two years. Pushing full steam ahead, our store rebounded, later piggybacking local benchmarks on corporation anniversaries. JCPenney’s 75^th year anniversary was marked locally with an April ceremony in 1977, marking the Sheridan store’s 49th year. Cake was served.

Upon marking its 100^th anniversary at the location** in 2008, the Sheridan store looked back on recent accolades. In 2005 and 2006, the JCPenney Company named ours store of the year and awarded it with the Chairman’s Award for managerial excellence (having previously won two Chairman Awards in the 90s). Our store recently continued its tradition of giving back to the community, such as its donations to the YMCA amd Tongue River High School.

In just under two weeks, we will be walking, riding, and driving by an empty husk where this once robust retail giant housed Sheridan shoppers’ treasures.  Maybe we can fill that empty husk with our fondest memories. What are yours?

Images: A scan of a 1946 store receipt; a picture of the original Golden Rule storefront; and a clipping from the January 4, 1928 issue of the Sheridan Press announcing Penney’s grand opening.

**City directories in the Wyoming Room show that the Golden Rule store moved three times between 1907 and 1928 before taking the name J.C. Penney.

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