Editing Dollar General (section)

===J.L. Turner and Son: 1939–1964===
[[Image:J.L. Turner and Son Building.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[J.L. Turner and Son Building]] in [[Scottsville, Kentucky]]]]
Dollar General has its origin in [[Scottsville, Kentucky]], with [[James Luther Turner|James Luther "J.L." Turner]] and his son [[Cal Turner]]. James Turner's father died in an accident in 1902 when James was only 11. James quit school to work on the family farm, helping to provide for his mother and siblings, and subsequently never completed his education. After two unsuccessful attempts at retailing, James became a traveling dry goods salesman for a Nashville wholesale grocer. James left the sales job after 10 years and settled his family in [[Scottsville, Kentucky]]. During the [[Great Depression]], he began buying and liquidating bankrupt general stores. Cal accompanied his father to these closeouts at a young age, gaining valuable business knowledge and skills.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cal Turner, 85; Founded Dollar General|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/20/business/cal-turner-85-founded-dollar-general.html|access-date=June 4, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 20, 2000}}</ref>

In October 1939, James and Cal opened '''J.L. Turner and Son''' with an initial investment of $5,000 each (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|5,000|1939|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}). The switch to retailing resulted in annual sales above $2 million by the early 1950s. By the mid-1950s Turner had 35 department stores in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1955, Cal Turner developed his idea of a retail store selling goods for a dollar, based on the Dollar Days promotions held at other department stores, by converting Turner's Department Store in [[Springfield, Kentucky]], into the first Dollar General Store.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Scavotto|first1=Andrew|title=Dollar General Founder Cal Turner Sr. Loved Small Town Life|url=http://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20447214/dollar-general-founder-cal-turner-sr-loved-small-town-life|access-date=June 2, 2017|work=Nashville Post}}</ref> In 1964, J.L. Turner died, leaving his son Cal Turner to succeed him.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1964-04-21 |title=Founder of Chain Stores, James L. Turner, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-obituary-for-james-l/37539014/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |work=The Courier-Journal |pages=11}}</ref>