In the Heian period, it was divided between shōen controlled by the Ōba clan and the Kamakura clan (of which Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa was the most illustrious member).
The company was founded by Leonard Shoen (L. S. "Sam" Shoen) in Ridgefield, Washington, who began it in the garage owned by his wife's family, and expanded through franchising with gas stations.