The history of Dodson's Jewelers began in 1887 when twenty-six year old George R. Dodson arrived in Spokane, Washington from Decatur, Illinois. Trained as a jeweler and engraver, George was attracted to the Pacific Northwest with its natural resources, youthful and prosperous society, and abundant opportunities. A bustling and optimistic Spokane Falls of seven thousand people greeted George upon his arrival and soon after he joined Daniel Wetzel, another enterprising jeweler from Ohio, in establishing one of the earliest stores of its kind in the northwest. Two years later, after the Great Fire destroyed the business district, George and Daniel dissolved their partnership and both men reestablished separate businesses.

The early growth of Dodson's mirrored the population growth of Spokane. A frontier town in 1887 exploded into a city of over 100,000 people by the turn of the century. Dodson's evolved from a small store sharing space with a bookstore to a grand showroom of the finest in jewelry and watches along with fine china, silver and gifts. The store also promoted the best in customer service. One employee, at her retirement party in 1962 after fifty years with Dodson's, reminisced that she was not allowed on the sales floor for her first year while receiving sales training from Mr. Dodson himself. It was this attention to detail in merchandise selection and quality, and personal customer service that set the standards for the succeeding generations.

The success and prominence of Dodson's was enhanced by Mr. Dodson's son-in-law John Penn Fix Sr. From the mid-1920's to the 1950's, John expanded from a "carriage" trade business to a broad appeal by introducing a variety of credit plans. His desire was to make it possible for people of all stations in life to acquire fine things, not necessarily costly, but items having character and lasting value and this was reflected in his pet advertising slogan of "A Store For Everyone."

The third generation of family to lead Dodson's was John Penn Fix Jr. His aggressive emphasis on branch store expansion pushed the business from one store to five store operation from the 1960's through the 1980's. George Dodson's "guild" store approach and John Sr.'s "A Store For Everyone" emphasis continued in each of the five stores. John Jr. further maintained the highest of standards by sitting on the governing board of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for 15 years and was involved in the developments of the diamond grading policies of the GIA during that time.

Today, Dodson's is operated by the great-grandsons of the founder, Penn and Barney Fix. In the changing business climate of the 1990's, the business moved away from the branch store concept and returned to a single store operation. The traditions established by George R. Dodson and carried through two generations by John Penn Fix Sr. and John Penn Fix Jr. are alive and flourishing. Dodson's continues to carry the finest in jewelry, watches, and giftware. Dodson's association with the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America attest to the highest standards of quality, trust and integrity in the industry. As fourth generation family jewelers, Penn and Barney Fix guide Dodson's into its third century of business. It is our pleasure to welcome you to Dodson's.