Meier & Frank was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1857 by a 26 year old native of Bravaria, Germany. The operation evolved form humble beginnings as a country store during the Gold Rush years to a modern department store in 1898. The new store had 120,000 of floor space, two elevators and new mechanical innovations never seen before on the Pacific Coast. They were first to pioneer the policy or a "money-back guarantee", unheard of in any store at the time.
During World War II, Harris & Frank helped the allied forces by selling war bonds to support the the war effort, eventually selling a record $32 million of bonds. After the war Harris & Frank would buy
Aloha Shirts from some of the better manufacturers in Hawaii. They would request that each order be "private labeled" with a Harris & Frank label or a joint label with their name and the manufacturers name.
The use of the Meier & Frank name was discontinued in 2006 with all their remaining stores becoming Macy's Stores.
