T. C. Power & Bro.: The Rise of a Small Western Department Store, 1870–1902

When studying retailing and its role in developing the American mass market, historians traditionally have focused their attention on large department stores. An analysis of the influence of small department stores in the growth of underdeveloped sections of the American West provides a different em...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business history review 1992, Vol.66 (4), p.671-722
Main Author: Klassen, Henry C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bank credit
Bank loans
Business
Corporations
Department stores
Forts
General stores
Marketing
Merchandise
Railway systems
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Summary:When studying retailing and its role in developing the American mass market, historians traditionally have focused their attention on large department stores. An analysis of the influence of small department stores in the growth of underdeveloped sections of the American West provides a different emphasis. The following article traces the history of T. C. Power & Bro.—a small, family-run department store in Montana—before the early 1900s. The article demonstrates that the firm's service was tailored to the economic and social needs of urban and rural settlers on the western frontier, helping to create a consumer society in the West.
ISSN:0007-6805
2044-768X
DOI:10.2307/3116844