Overview

Gender

male

In 1887, 16-year-old John W. Nordstrom left his home in Sweden for the promise of New York City. He arrived with $5 and not a word of English to his name.

The first years in the land of opportunity were hard. John labored in mines and logging camps while crossing the country to the west coast of Washington. One morning in 1897, he saw a newspaper headline: "Gold Found in the Klondike in Alaska"; he made the decision that day to leave for Alaska. The very next day he bought his ticket. With the hard labor, rough terrain and overabundance of eager workers, things were no easier there. John persevered and within two years earned $13,000 from a gold-mine stake.

John returned to Seattle eager to invest his money. He reunited with Carl Wallin, a friend from his Alaska days who owned a shoe-repair shop in downtown Seattle. In 1901, they opened Wallin & Nordstrom, a small downtown shoe store and the humble beginning of what was to become Nordstrom, Inc.