The store was begun by Huey John Wilson in 1947 as a jewelry vendor in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ten years later, Wilson opened his first catalog showroom. By 1982, Wilson's was the third-largest catalog showroom chain in the United States. At its peak, it had 80 stores in 12 states. In 1985, rival chain
Service Merchandise purchased all 80 of the Wilson's stores. Wilson died on February 8, 2008, at age 80. ==References==