On June 6, 1983, James E. Casey quietly slipped away.  His death, at age 95, was the closing chapter in the life of a man who avoided personal fanfare. For nearly 75 years, Jim Casey guided his company to become one of the largest transportation organizations in the world. His management philosophy and his unique commitment to service enabled thousands of company employees to share the dream, and the rewards.

Among the flood of Irish immigrants who came to America during the late 1800's,  Henry Joseph Casey fled to the United States in search of work and a chance to share in "America's Dream".  Henry made his way to Chicago, where he met and fell in love with Annie Elizabeth Sheehan.  They were married on February 22, 1887.   Gold fever lured them to Candelaria, Nevada, where Annie's father lived.  Their first child, Jim Casey was born in Candelaria on March 29, 1888. The quest for gold failed and the family moved to Seattle, Washington, where Henry eventually died of a lingering illness. 

Jim left school at age 14 to support his family.  His brothers, age 9 and 11, also worked to care for their mother and infant sister.  He worked as a department store delivery boy for $2.50 per week.  He later worked for the American District Telegraph Company (ADT) as a messenger boy.  The following year, Jim and two others left ADT to start a messenger service of their own.  After several missteps, Jim and a friend started the American Messenger Company on August 28, 1907.

The fledgling business employed the partners and a few other messengers. As the telephone gained popularity, the need for messengers declined. To compensate for lost messenger business, they focused on deliveries for retail stores and errands for druggists. In 1913, the company acquired its first vehicle, a Ford van, and changed its name to Merchants Parcel Delivery.

In 1919, the company expanded to Oakland, California, and changed its name once again.  By 1925, additional expansions included Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, California, and Portland, Oregon.  In 1929, Air service began for time critical shipments.  The big jump came in 1930, when this barely known company earned the opportunity to consolidate deliveries for retail stores in New York and New Jersey.  In 1931, Air service was terminated, as a result of the depression.  The company grew city by city, until 1941, when America entered World War II.

During World War II, many male employees were drafted or enlisted for military service. Women, often called "Brown Betties", filled jobs previously held by men.  Fuel and rubber shortages forced many retail store customers to use public transportation to carry home their purchases.  After the war, the trend continued as new "bedroom" communities arose.  Led by Levittown, New York, large new suburbs attracted local shopping centers with ample parking.  Store customers were encouraged to carry purchases home with them.