WT Grant

In 1906, W. T. Grant opened the W.T. Grant Co. 25 Cent Store in Lynn, Massachusetts with $1,000 he had saved from his work as a salesman. The company grew quickly nationwide with 1,200 stores by 1972. Unfortunately, the chain went bankrupt in 1974, making the collapse the then-second-biggest in U.S. history. Fortunately, the foundation he created in 1936 to benefit young people still exists today.