W. T. Grant Co. Store, 1950. W. T. Grant was an American chain store that was in business from 1906 until 1976. The original store was advertised as a 25-cent store, and sold a variety of mass-produced merchandise. By the time the founder, William T. Grant died in 1972 (at nearly 100 years old) more than 1,100 stores operated nationally. The company went bankrupt in 1976 and this location closed along with all of the others. In 1936 William T. Grant set up a foundation to support research that would contribute to “human betterment and social progress.” That foundation, which has largely focused on education and research related to childhood development, is still active today.