| Summary: | Filed in Portraits--Nordstrom--John John W. Nordstrom (1871-1963) was born in northern Sweden. He arrived in New York in the 1880s with $5 in his pocket, and he didn't speak a word of English. He made his way West, holding jobs loading freight, toting brick, and logging. Finally Nordstrom booked passage for Skagway, Alaska, and sought his fortune in the Klondike gold fields. He invested in a claim on Gold Run, but his right to the claim was challenged and a suit was filed. Knowing perfectly well he was in trouble, Nordstrom was delighted when another party offered him $30,000 for the claim. He sold it, split the money with his two partners, and returned with his share to the warmer climate of Seattle. John Nordstrom married Hilda Carlson in 1900. Nordstrom invested some of his money in a few parcels of property in downtown Seattle and began looking for a business in which to invest the remaining money. A friend he had met in Alaska, Carl Wallin, offered him a partnership in a shoe store and, in 1901, the two opened Wallin & Nordstrom in a 20-foot frontage at 4th Avenue and Pike Street. In 1928, he sold his share in the business to his sons and retired. To order a reproduction, inquire about permissions, or for information about prices see: http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/services/reproduction/reproduction Please cite the Order Number
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