Rowland Hussey was born in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts back in 1822 to a Quaker family. By the age of fifteen he was working on a whaling ship. He had a red star tattooed on either his hand or forearm, the exact location has not been verified. He had a brother Charles and together they opened a dry goods store in Marysville, California in 1850.
The store failed, Charles stay in California but Rowland moved east. By 1858, you could find him in New York City, New York where he established another store. On the first day of business the store’s total sales were $11.08. That dismal sum did not deter him and he opened several more stores. The stores produced their own made-to-measure clothing for both men and women, assembled in an on-site factory. He died in 1877 in Paris of Bright’s disease.
While you may not recognize the name Rowland Hussey how about if I add his last name Macy? Just goes to show you if you fail, don’t quit, learn from your mistakes and keep trying.
NW Arkansas, come for a visit, stay for a lifetime
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