The Jones Store

Infobox_Company
company_name = The Jones Store Co.
company_
company_type = Department store
foundation = 1887
location = Kansas City, Missouri
industry = Retail
homepage = None
products = Clothing, shoes, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.

The Jones Store Company was a American chain of department stores located in the Kansas City area formerly operated by Mercantile Stores Company and the St. Louis, Missouri-based May Co.

History

The store was founded in 1887 as an 800-foot store in Stafford, Kansas by J. Logan Jones. [ [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/exhibits/tradecards/4_imagebuttons.cfm The Jones Store From Dry Goods to Department Store - kclibrary.org - Retrieved January 9, 2008] ]

In 1895 Jones opened a store at 6th and Main in the River Market neighborhood. In 1902 Jones leased a massive 500,000 square foot seven-story building that took up an entire block at 12th Street and Main across the street Bernheimer Bros. & Co.

The building may have been the seven-story building mentioned in the song Kansas City in Oklahoma (musical) which has the lyrics:

:Everything's up to date in Kansas City:They gone about as fer as they can go:They went an' built a skyscraper seven stories high:About as high as a buildin' orta grow.:Everything's like a dream in Kansas City:It's better than a magic lantern show.

Jones declared bankruptcy in 1910 and the store was taken over by New York interests.

In 1919 the new owners acquired the merchandise from Bernheimer Brothers. [ [http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2005/10/24/focus4.html?page=1 Crews overcome challenges to demolish Jones Store site - bizjournals.com - October 21, 2005] ] [ [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=34909 J. Logan Jones Kclibrary.org - Retrieved January 9, 2008] ]

The downtown flagship store remained in business until January 1998 even as other large retailers had left downtown. The building was demolished in 2005.

The Jones Store became a division of Mercantile Stores Company in the early 1960s. It was acquired by May Department Stores in 1998 after the Dillard's acquisition of Mercantile, and integrated into the company's Famous-Barr division. On August 30, 2005, it became part of Federated with that company's acquisition of May. On February 1, 2006, The Jones Store Co. was assumed by the new Macy's Midwest division of Federated.

On September 9, 2006, The Jones Store Co. name was phased out in favor of the Macy's nameplate, marking the second entry for Macy's into Kansas City.

Former Locations

Missouri

*Kansas City - Downtown - 450,000 sq. ft. "(opened 1901, closed 1998)"
*Independence - Independence Square - west side "(opened unknown, closed unknown)"
*Kansas City - Blue Ridge Mall "(opened 1963, closed 2003)"
*Kansas City - Metro North Mall - 244,000 sq. ft. "(opened 1976 became Macy's 2006)"
*Kansas City - Bannister Mall " (opened 1980, closed 2005)
*Independence - Independence Center - 193,000 sq. ft. " (opened 1974 became Macy's 2006)

Kansas

*Kansas City MSA/Leawood - Town Center Plaza - 123,000 sq. ft. "(opened 2004, became Macy's 2006)"
*Kansas City MSA/Overland Park - Oak Park Mall - 183,000 sq. ft. "(opened 2002, became Macy's 2006)"
*Kansas City MSA/Overland Park - Metcalf South Shopping Center (2 locations) - 259,000 sq. ft. "(opened 1967, became Macy's 2006)"
*Kansas City MSA/Prairie Village - Prairie Village Shopping Center - 160,000 sq. ft. "(opened 1958, became Macy's 2006)"
*Topeka - West Ridge Mall - 189,000 sq. ft. "(opened 1988, became Macy's 2006)"

Nebraska

*Omaha - Westroads Mall ("opened 1999 in former Montgomery Ward, closed 2003; now Younkers")

References

External links

* [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/list.cfm?list=sub&SubjectareaID=1295 Jones Dry Goods at KC Public Library]
* [http://www.kclibrary.org/localhistory/list.cfm?list=sub&SubjectareaID=395 The Jones Store Company at KC Public Library]