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Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) records

 Collection
Identifier: ACCN 0756

Scope and Contents

The ZCMI records (1868-2000) are a collection of records that deal mainly with the history of ZCMI. An outline history covers the period of the store chain from its founding to its demise. Other items like a speech from 1875 and other articles give more historical background.

Dates

  • 1868-2000

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Organizational History

Fearing the changes that the railroad would soon bring to Utah, Brigham Young sought to organize a business where the Latter-day Saints could trade solely within the Mormon community. The Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) was established to benefit the Mormon community. Never a cooperative in its true sense, ZCMI nonetheless provided a variety of products to Mormons by Mormons. Starting with a scattering of locations through the Mormon-colonized area, many services were centralized under one roof in downtown Salt Lake City in 1870. It is this centralization of services in one building that caused one historian to remark that ZCMI was the oldest department store in America. The store eventually split from its cooperative origins and by the time the company was a century old, it was rapidly expanding across the Intermountain West. However, the chain was not able to sustain itself and in 2000 it was bought by the company, Meier and Frank. In 2006, Meier and Frank was replaced by Macy's.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) records (1868-2000) contain an outline history of ZCMI as well as other documents.

Processing Information

Processed by Luke Kelly in 2000.
Title
Inventory of the Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) records
Author
Finding aid created by Luke Kelly.
Date
2000 (last modified: 2019)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863