Nordstrom began as Wallin & Nordstrom, a Seattle shoe store opened in 1901.
John W. Nordstrom invested in the business after making money during the Klondike Gold Rush. He partnered with shoemaker Carl F. Wallin, who operated the repair shop connected with the store. Their first shop opened at Fourth Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle.
The partnership’s name reflected both founders and remained in use until the business was reorganized and later became Nordstrom. John’s sons Everett and Elmer joined the company in the 1920s, helping it grow into a major Pacific Northwest shoe retailer.
Nordstrom became a full-line department store much later. In 1963, it acquired Best Apparel, a Washington-based clothing store, marking an important step beyond footwear. The company adopted the Nordstrom name in 1968, so the original Wallin partnership should not be confused with the modern department-store brand.