J.J. NEWBERRY

'J.J. Newberry's' was an American five and dime store chain in the twentieth century. It was founded in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA in 1911 by John Josiah Newberry (September 26, 1877 - March 6, 1954). J.J. Newberry had learned the variety store business by working at S.H. Kress stores for 12 years between 1899 and 1911, after having worked for department store Fowler, Dick, and Walker for five years. There were 7 stores in the chain by 1918.
The company was a family business, J.J. Newberry was joined in management by his brothers C.T. Newberry and Edgar A. Newberry in 1919, at which time there were 17 stores with yearly sales of $500,000.
Over the years, the Newberry chain acquired other stores including Hested in Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska, and Lee Stores in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. It was ultimately purchased by McCrory Stores, and then folded slowly as McCrory's entered bankruptcy. 300 stores closed in 1997, but some lingered on, with reports of at least one closing as late as 2001.
At the time of founder J.J. Newberry's death (1954), the chain had 475 stores. By 1961 the company operated 565 stores with total yearly sales of $291,000,000.

Contents

Specific store locations

External links

Specific store locations

They opened a new store in Stockton, California on February 22, 1950 located at 331 East Weber Ave. McCrory Stores closed this location on April 10, 1997.
There was a Newberry's store in Beverly Hills. Its close in the mid 1980s marked a perceived shift in the community's perception, from suburb to tourist center.
There was a Newberry's store on the north side of East Water Street in downtown Elmira, New York, which sustained some damage during a catastrophic flood in 1972. Water Street runs along the north bank of the Chemung River and a row of buildings that then existed across the street from Newberry's could not hold back the flood water. The store recovered and remained open until the late 1980s.
There was a Newberry's store in downtown Owego, New York as well as on Main Street of Cooperstown, New York (which is still a variety store that is now indepedently owned and operated).
There was also a Newberry's in Kennett Square, PA. It was 3 stories tall for years until the top floor was closed off.
The Newberry's store on Lehigh Avenue in Sayre, Pennsylvania remained in operation until Newberry's ceased to exist in 1997. Afterward, it continued to operate as a Dollar Zone.
The location at the Lloyd Center Mall of Portland, Oregon operated until 1997, at which time it was replaced by an outlet of the Dollar Tree. It had been in continuous operation since the mall opened on August 1, 1960.
There was a Newberry's in downtown Ogdensburg, New York. Located at 212-218 Ford Street, it opened in 1922 and was destroyed by fire in 1956. It was rebuilt on the same spot and reopened in 1958. Lack of customer traffic following the construction of the downtown mall across the street (and the closing of that part of Ford Street to motor vehicles) forced the closing of the Ogdensburg store on January 31, 1980.
There was a Newberry's in Reseda, CA on Sherman Way. It closed in the early 90's and now a 99 Cent Store is in its place. When it was open it still had a soda fountain that was still operational.
There was a Newberry's in Hicksville, NY in the former Mid-Island Plaza which is now the Broadway Mall. It closed in the mid 90's when the mall was brought up to date and newer stores were coming in.

External links

★ Biography of J.J. Newberry

★ J. J. Newberry: A EULOGY