Glendive in Dawson County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
J.C. Penney Store
Merrill Avenue Historic District
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020
1. J.C. Penney Store Marker
Inscription.
J.C. Penney Store. Merrill Avenue Historic District. After the death of Glendive pioneer Henry Dion in 1920, his widow and children contracted with John Holm to construct this commercial building according to the specifications of the J.C. Penney Company. Built in 1929, the architecture is typical of the many Penney stores built in small rural towns. Penney stores were easily identified by their brilliant yellow tile aprons, black signs, and trim. Interior features usually included a rear sales balcony and a front balcony for the managers office. The cashiers station was connected to the various departments by a system of trolleys, which carried the cash from each sale. High wattage incandescent fixtures, prism glass over the display windows, and two large skylights provided ample interior lighting. This building and four others extending east to the corner and south to 110 South Merrill Avenue are known as the Dion Block. They reflect the long history of the Dion family in Glendive, from the towns beginning to the present day.
After the death of Glendive pioneer Henry Dion in 1920, his widow and children contracted with John Holm to construct this commercial building according to the specifications of the J.C. Penney Company. Built in 1929, the architecture is typical of the many Penney stores built in small rural towns. Penney stores were easily identified by their brilliant yellow tile aprons, black signs, and trim. Interior features usually included a rear sales balcony and a front balcony for the managers office. The cashiers station was connected to the various departments by a system of trolleys, which carried the cash from each sale. High wattage incandescent fixtures, prism glass over the display windows, and two large skylights provided ample interior lighting. This building and four others extending east to the corner and south to 110 South Merrill Avenue are known as the Dion Block. They reflect the long history of the Dion family in Glendive, from the towns beginning to the present day.
6.271′ N, 104° 42.84′ W. Marker is in Glendive, Montana, in Dawson County. It is on West Bell Street near North Merrill Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 West Bell Street, Glendive MT 59330, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Missouri River Country. It is also in the American Mountain West, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020
2. J.C. Penney Store and Marker
Marker to the left of the white truck
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 28, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 427 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 28, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
