Webstart from the beginning as we recount the history of barnes & noble and the ground breaking moves that led us to become one of the largest book retailers. Webas founder and chairman of barnes & noble, leonard riggio steered it through the proliferation of free information in the internet age. As he retires, he tells. Barnes & noble's beginnings can be traced to 1873, when charles m. Barnes started a book business from his home in wheaton, illinois. In 1917, his son, william,. Webin 1873, charles m. Barnes started a book business from his home in wheaton, illinois. Then in 1917, his son, william, moved to new york and together with. Webbarnes & noble, inc. Operates the largest chain of bookstores in the united states. Webafter years on the brink of extinction, the book chain is planning to open some 30 new stores this year. Many are returning the retailer to areas it previously. Webthe new store in pikesville, md. , separated by half a parking lot from its shuttered predecessor, is part of an unlikely plot twist: Barnes & noble is staging its. Webbarnes & noble’s collapse spanned the 2010s:
