Henry David Lee founded the H. D. Lee Mercantile Company, the forerunner of the Lee jeans brand.
Lee established the business in 1889 in Salina, Kansas. It began as a wholesale grocery company, but later expanded into manufactured work clothing. That change connected Lee with the growing American market for durable garments worn by workers and laborers.
The company’s clothing business produced practical items such as overalls, jackets, and denim trousers. Lee eventually became one of the major American jeans labels alongside Levi Strauss & Co. and Wrangler.
Henry David Lee is sometimes confused with the later designers and executives who shaped the brand’s famous products. His key historical role was founding the company that created the Lee workwear and denim business, rather than personally designing every later Lee jean.