Do You Recognize These Popular 1960s Companies?

Eckerd was founded in 1898 in Pennsylvania, but it didn’t reach its full potential until the founder’s son, Jack Eckerd, implemented some forward-thinking policies at a handful of stores in Florida. Thanks to changes such as larger aisles, expanding into cosmetics and snacks, and offering photography services, the chain doubled in size every year for 16 years after going public in 1961. By 1978, Eckerd was the second-largest drugstore chain in the U.S. (after Walgreens).

The first Levitz Furniture opened in Pennsylvania in 1910, but didn’t find major success until the 1960s, when the company adopted the “warehouse” shopping model. The concept involves a massive, open-plan showroom with little merchandising; inventory is often left in its original packaging. The warehouse model is meant to enable low prices and a no-frills shopping experience.

In 1865, three Chicago businessmen — Potter Palmer, Levi Leiter, and Marshall Field — agreed to a partnership, but by 1881, Field had taken full control of the growing retail business. Known for pioneering practices such as liberal return policies and emphasizing customer service, Marshall Field’s success allowed the company to open a 12-story department store in downtown Chicago, the largest store in the world at the time. It remained one of the most popular upscale department stores in the U.S. until the late 20th century, attracting tourists to its Chicago flagship store.

Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first retail store in Utica, New York, in 1879. Over the next decade, Woolworth’s five-and-dime pricing model was successful enough to open more than 20 additional stores on the East Coast. By 1929, Woolworth’s had more than 2,200 stores in the U.S. and Europe.

William E. Boeing was a timber merchant who founded Boeing in 1916 as a military aircraft manufacturer. Over the next few decades, the company expanded into other markets, including mail services and commercial jet manufacturing. The latter — especially its 700-series of passenger jets that were used all over the world — greatly contributed to the company’s growing success.

The United States Steel Corporation was created through a 1901 alliance between some of the biggest names in U.S. business history, including Andrew Carnegie, Charles M. Schwab, and J.P. Morgan. Its initial valuation was $1.4 billion, making it the largest company in American history at the time. Throughout the 1950s and early ’60s, U.S. Steel was a prominent battleground for organized labor in the U.S.

Founded as Standard Oil Indiana under John D. Rockefeller’s oil empire, this Chicago-based company became independent in 1911 after the U.S. Supreme Court broke up the Standard Oil conglomerate. In 1961, the company adopted the name American Oil Company, or “Amoco,” for its U.S. operations, and debuted its recognizable red, white, and blue logo. The company officially changed its name to Amoco Corporation in 1985.

Druther’s began as a Florida fast-food chain called Burger Queen, which expanded into Kentucky in the late 1950s and ’60s. In 1980, the company rebranded to reflect its Midwestern popularity with the name “Druther’s,” a play on the local slang for the phrase “I’d rather.” At its height, Druther’s had close to 200 locations from Florida to Missouri.

In 1884, a former coal dealer named John Henry Patterson purchased the rights to a struggling cash register company and renamed it National Cash Register, or NCR. Patterson made some key improvements to the eponymous device, and pioneered modern business techniques such as direct mail and commissioned salespeople. The company, now known as NCR Corporation, was acquired by AT&T in 1991.

Products made by the Eastman Kodak Company — commonly known as Kodak — dominated the fledgling photography industry of the early 20th century. In the 1960s, the company found success by offering equipment for amateur photographers, such as early cartridge-loaded video cameras. Kodak also invented the 8mm video format, which became the go-to format for consumer camcorders.

Founded in Michigan in 1897 by Herbert Dow, Dow Chemical rose to prominence after developing methods for bromine extraction. In the 20th century, Dow expanded into different chemicals and other products, including Styrofoam and Saran Wrap, as the company grew. Today, Dow has tens of thousands of employees and operates production facilities in 150 countries.

Ransom Eli Olds grew up in a family of mechanics and built his own gasoline-powered vehicle in his early 30s. He founded Olds Motor Works with one flagship model, the Oldsmobile. In 1902, the company began large-scale production of the car in Lansing, Michigan. Olds left the company in 1904 due to strategic disagreements with the board, and in 1908 it was acquired by General Motors.

Pan Am was founded in 1927 and grew quickly thanks in part to its involvement in World War II. In postwar America, the airline’s sophisticated technology, distinct uniforms, and international travel — it was the first airline to offer regular international flights — elevated the brand to a pop culture icon seen today in movies and TV shows. The Beatles intentionally chose a Pan Am 707 for their famous 1964 trip to America.

Edward Murphy was a carriage manufacturer when he launched the Oakland Motor Car Company in Pontiac, Michigan. In 1909, the company was acquired by General Motors; it eventually dropped the Oakland name and became its own division within GM. From the late ’50s through the ’60s and beyond, Pontiac’s powerful, sporty consumer cars became icons of the era’s “muscle car” culture.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, was founded in 1859 as a tea importing business. Over the decades it expanded into multiple retail stores and began offering goods such as spices, coffee, and food items. By 1969, A&P was the largest grocery chain in the U.S., with thousands of locations, and roughly double the sales of its closest competitor, Safeway.