This Was J. C. Penney: A Century of James Penney's Main Street Department Stores in the Rocky Mountain West

The article discusses the history of the department store chain J.C. Penney in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. West, particularly focusing on Montana. It comments on founder James Cash Penney's early retailing efforts and his time working for the Golden Rule chain of stores. The author examines the configuration, size, and logos of J.C. Penney stores, and describes the shift in the location of stores from main streets to shopping malls. The impact of the Great Depression in the 1930s is also addressed.