|
|
Article: Montgomery Ward and Co.
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
MONTGOMERY WARD AND CO.
Montgomery Ward and Co., Incorporated had its origins in the 1860s, when young Chicago native Aaron Montgomery Ward saw that he could undercut rural retailers by selling directly to farmers through mail orders and by delivering via the railroad. After a false start in October 1871, when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed his inventory, Ward and two partners sent out their first mailing in the spring of 1872. This was the world's first general merchandise mail-order catalog.
Orders trickled in and Ward soon bought out his partners, who were discouraged by the slow pace of business. Late in 1872 he got a break. The Illinois Grange, a farmers' organization, named ...