Kemmerer

Last updated on February 6, 2026.

Kemmerer, Wyoming, is a small town that gave birth to one of America’s most influential retail giants.

Overview of Kemmerer, Wyoming

In 1843, John C. Frémont (1813–1890) discovered coal in the area around what is now Kemmerer. The Union Pacific Coal Company, owned by Union Pacific to supply coal to their railroad, opened the first underground mine in 1881.

Irish immigrant Patrick Quealy (1857–1930), then vice president of the Kemmerer Coal Company, founded Kemmerer in 1897. He named the town after his financial backer, Pennsylvania coal magnate Mahlon S. Kemmerer (1843–1925). Quealy founded the First National Bank in 1900, while Kemmerer Savings Bank was founded in 1909.

The Kemmerer Coal Company converted to strip mining in 1950, becoming the world’s largest open-pit coal mine. It was sold to the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company in 1980, and the pit remains in operation.

My visit to the town was a quick one. After finishing up at Fossil Butte National Monument, we passed through to check out a small but interesting piece of American history.

J.C. Penney Mother Store

The humble beginnings of J.C. Penney — one of the giants of retail — took place in Kemmerer. The mother store is still open for business and one of the town’s most important landmarks.

Originally from Missouri, James Cash Penney (1875–1971) relocated to Colorado after high school at the advice of a doctor, hoping to improve his health. He eventually went to work for Thomas Callahan and Guy Johnson, who owned a chain of Golden Rule dry goods stores in Colorado and Wyoming. They sent Penney to Evanston, Wyoming, to work in a Golden Rule store.

He soon joined the partnership, moving to Kemmerer with his wife and son and opening his own store on April 14, 1902. He opened two more stores and purchased full interest in all three when Callahan and Johnson dissolved their partnership in 1907. Penney moved his headquarters to Salt Lake City in 1909, and by 1912, owned 34 stores in the Rocky Mountain states.

In 1913, Penney incorporated under his own name — J. C. Penney Company — and moved the headquarters to New York City the following year. He acquired other companies and eventually opened the 1,000th store in 1928. The stores were initially located in downtown areas, but after opening his first full-line department store in 1961, J. C. Penney shifted to shopping malls. It even expanded to Italy in 1970.

After Penney’s Death

The company reached its peak in 1973, shortly after Penney’s death, with 2,053 stores — 300 of which were full-line department stores. The four stores in Italy were sold in 1977, and discontinued its appliance, hardware, outdoor equipment, and auto center departments in 1983. The headquarters moved to Plano, Texas, in 1992.

The chain expanded to Chile and Mexico in 1995, exiting those markets in 1999 and 2005, respectively. Financial difficulties and declines led to the company’s bankruptcy in May 2020, and it was purchased by Brookfield Property Partners and Simon Property Group on September 9 of that year. There are currently around 640 J.C. Penney locations in operation today (as of January 2026).

J.C. Penney House and Museum

Not too far away is the J.C. Penney House and Museum. Penney purchased the house in 1904 and lived there until 1909. It’s now a museum dedicated to his legacy. It’s open daily except Sundays, June through August, and admission is free (as of August 2025).

Triangle Park

Triangle Park is an open grass field across the street from J.C. Penney. You’ll find a visitor information center on one end, and memorial to pioneers who passed through the area “to win and hold the West”, erected in 1931. Around the square are historic buildings with a few shops, restaurants, and a bank.

Map of Kemmerer, Wyoming