May Department Stores Co. - 1953 dated $1,000 Bond - Famous Store Chain

$1,000 3 1/4% Bond printed by Columbian Bank Note Company. Some coupons attached at right of bond. The May Department Stores Company was an American holding company for department stores, originally founded in Leadville, Colorado, by David May in 1877 and relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1905. It operated as a holding company, buying, selling, and merging various regional department stores, including Foley's and L.S. Ayres. Throughout its history, the company maintained separate operations for each division, with distinct buyers and credit cards that were not valid at other May-owned stores. Occasionally, two May stores might operate in the same region but cater to different customer bases. Most decisions for the regional stores were made locally rather than by the central management in St. Louis.

Some regional stores had names similar to the parent company, such as May Company California in Los Angeles, but were separate legal entities with their own management. The only connection to the parent company was that these stores were led by different members of the May family. In 2005, The May Department Stores Company merged with Federated Department Stores, which is now known as Macy's, Inc.