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Penneys Celebrates Golden Jubilee
Tribune photo from April 17, 1952
Penneys Celebrates Golden Jubilee
Tribune photo from April 17, 1952
The local J.C. Penney store opened its golden jubilee observance this morning with a party for employees. Coffee and cake for the employees was served with store manager Chet Howell as host. Standing (left to right) above are Jess Bickelhaupt, Eva Eatwell, Lillian Seaboch and Wanda Sturdivant. Cutting the cake is Stella Frederickson with Loreen Hove (left) and Elsie Warren assisting. The women are wearing special dresses for the occasion made of white and gold striped material. Their blue scarves and the men's blue ties are dotted with gold 50's. The 50th anniversary celebration began this morning in 1,622 Penney stores in the country. The celebration with its accompanying sale features will continue for the balance of April.
 The Penneys store at 326 Main Street is prominent in this 1957 photo showing that year's Penney's Back to School Parade. The following year, Penneys would enlarge into 228-230 Main, the area occupied in this photo by the Spurgeons’s Mercentile Company. |
 This 1962 photo shows the enlarged Penney Store facility (226, 228, 230 Main Street). After 1972, Penneys moved into North Grand Mall. Learn more about the history of these buildings. |
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| The year following the 1952 golden jubilee celebration, J.C. Penney visited Ames as seen in the 1953 photo below. |
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| Ames Daily
Tribune-Times, October 6, 1953
J.C. PENNEY, LOCAL MEN TALK CATTLE - How to raise Aberdeen Angus cattle was the main point of the discussion this morning at the J.C. Penney store here between J.C. Penney (second from right) founder of the company, and a group of Story County Aberdeen Angus growers. Penney is one of the largest raisers of Angus cattle in the country and is here to attend the Country Life Conference at Iowa State. From left are Glen Randolph, C.J. Gauger, Story county extension director; Clyde Rosenfeld, Curt Askelson, shower of the grand champion baby beef at the Story County 4-H fair this year; Chet Howell, local Penney manager; Steve Brooks, Penney and Dick Jay. |