May Department Stores Co. - 1953 dated $1,000 Department Store 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 entity for department stores, established in Leadville, Colorado, by David May in 1877 and later moving its headquarters to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1905. The company functioned as a holding organization, engaging in the acquisition, sale, and merger of various regional department stores, including Foley's and L.S. Ayres. Throughout its existence, the company operated with distinct divisions, each having its own buyers and credit cards that were not accepted at other May-owned locations.

It was not uncommon for two May stores to exist within the same area, each targeting different customer demographics. Most operational decisions for the regional stores were made at the local level, rather than by the central management based in St. Louis. Certain regional stores bore names reminiscent of the parent company, such as May Company California in Los Angeles; however, they functioned as independent legal entities with their own management structures. The only link to the parent company was that these stores were overseen by various members of the May family. In 2005, The May Department Stores Company merged with Federated Department Stores, which is currently recognized as Macy's, Inc.