Rowland Hussey Macy
Rowland Hussey Macy | |
---|---|
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx | |
Known for | Macy's |
Spouse |
Louisa Houghton (m. 1844) |
Children | 3 |
Rowland Hussey Macy Sr. (August 30, 1822 – March 29, 1877) was an American businessman who founded the department store chain Macy's.
Life and career
Macy was the fourth of six children born to a
He and his brother, Charles, opened a dry goods store in
As the business grew, Macy's expanded into neighboring buildings, opening up more and more departments, and used publicity devices such as a store Santa Claus, themed exhibits, and illuminated window displays to draw in customers.[6] It offered a money back guarantee, although it only accepted cash into the 1950s. The store also produced its own made-to-measure clothing for both men and women, assembled in an on-site factory.[5] The store moved several times before arriving at its current Herald Square location in 1902.
In 1875, Macy took on two partners, Robert M. Valentine (1850–1879), a nephew; and Abiel T. La Forge (1842–1878) of Wisconsin, who was the husband of a cousin.[7][8]
Macy died on March 29, 1877, in
In popular culture
- A fictional, reimagined "R. H. Macy" (depicted as alive and running the company seventy years after the historical Macy's death) was portrayed in the 1947 movie David Doyle in a 1973 TV film.[10]
See also
- R.H. Macy and Company Store (building) for the history of the flagship store on Herald Squarein Manhattan
- Macy's for a history of the chain
- Federated Department Stores, owners of Macy's
References
Notes
- ^ Evans, Stephen (March 1, 2005). "The death of the department store". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
- ^ "Richtig packen!". November 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Rowland H. Macy's Will". New York Times. May 1, 1877. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
The will of Rowland H. Macy, the well known Sixth-avenue merchant, has been filed in the Surrogate's Court. He leaves to his widow, Louisa H., "absolutely, all the paraphernalia, wearing apparel, watches, rings, trinkets, jewels, and personal ornaments reputed to belong to her, and during her life, the use of all the household furniture, books, clocks, bronzes, and works of art ...
- ^ Robbins, L.H. (February 12, 1933). "The City Department Store: Evolution of 75 Years. The Macy Anniversary Directs Attention to the Development of The Great Institutions That Serve the American Shopper". New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
For long after Captain Rowland H. Macy opened a fancy-goods shop in Sixth Avenue just below Fourteenth Street in 1858, seventy-five years ago, there was no department store in all the world. There were already merchant princes in New York, but they were specialists.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-300-11465-2. p. 1102
- ISBN 0-195-11634-8. pp. 945–946
- ^ a b "Abiel T. La Forge". New York Times. February 13, 1878. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
- ^ a b "Robert M. Valentine's Will". New York Times. February 26, 1879. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
The will of Robert M. Valentine, late partner in the firm of R. H. Macy Co., was offered for probate yesterday in the Surrogate's office.
- ^ "Rowland H. Macy, Merchant". New York Times. March 31, 1877. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
- ^ "Mr. R.H. Macy" on IMDb
Further reading
- "Macy, R. H.". American National Biography. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
- Hungerford, Edward "Early History of Macy's" in The Romance of a Great Store (1922)
External links