107: JC Penney Was a Hustler! (Part 2, Rebroadcast)
An Old Timey Podcast
An Old Timey Podcast
4.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 10 June 2026
⏱️ 98 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.
And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!
Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just don’t say he didn’t work his booty off. After he left his hometown, James tried desperately to succeed as a businessman. He found work as a sales person. He bought a struggling butcher shop/bakery. With each effort came failure.
Then he discovered a new kind of business. It was called the Golden Rule Dry Goods Store. The store featured low-priced goods in a clean environment. The store owners treated their customers with respect. James went to the store, hoping to be hired. He knew that if he could get his foot in the door, he’d one day find success.
Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Well, howdy, history hose. Kristen and I are still on break. We just got back from the most magical place on Earth. Disney World. And you're not going to believe this. Kristen is now a Disney adult. Do not say that. I will suit you. She stuck her tongue down Goofy's mouth. That is, no, no. She really loves Disney. Enough about that, let's dive into part two of our series on JCPenney. |
| 0:24.6 | This week, James Cash Penny heads out west to Colorado to improve his health and become a |
| 0:29.4 | successful businessman. |
| 0:31.2 | He also meets and falls in love with a suspicious divorcee named Berta Hess. |
| 0:37.1 | J.C. Penny tried his best to make it big. He worked in |
| 0:40.1 | several department stores. He bought a failing butchery, but nothing seemed to work out for him until he |
| 0:45.0 | got a job at a store that was doing things a little differently, the Golden Rule Store. |
| 0:50.8 | And it would forever change his life. By the way, if you want new content from us, we're still active on Patreon this month. |
| 0:57.3 | You can binge our entire back catalog of bonus episodes for just $5.000.com slash old-timey |
| 1:03.9 | podcast. |
| 1:05.1 | Hope you enjoy, and we'll see you next week for Part 3. |
| 1:09.5 | Hear ye, hear ye. |
| 1:11.0 | You are listening to an old-timey podcast. |
| 1:13.8 | I'm Norman Caruso. |
| 1:14.9 | And I'm Kristen Caruso. |
| 1:16.7 | And on this episode, it's part two of my series on J.C. Penny. |
| 1:20.7 | Woo! |
| 1:22.6 | Oh my gosh. |
| 1:23.9 | Norm, the reviews are in. |
| 1:26.0 | People are surprisingly excited about J.C. Penny. |
| 1:29.1 | Maybe a little too excited. |
| 1:31.0 | No kidding. |
... |
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