"Monkey Wards"

Arron Montgomery Ward conceived the idea of a dry goods mail order business in Chicago early in life.  He had peddled products to rural America and saw a better way to reach them.  If he could eliminate the middle man, he could cut the cost of products and offer a wider variety.

Ward's first catalog was issued in 1872 - one sheet of 163 items.  Wards "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back" policy was ground-breaking in business and began in 1875.  By 1883 the catalog had grown to 240 pages with 10,000 items listed.  In 1904 the "Wish Book" weighed 4 pounds!  It went out to over 3 million subscribers.  Ward had obviously found a niche with the American consumer.

By the turn of the century, Ward had built brick and mortar central warehouses in several cities, the main one on the Chicago River that covered 1/4 of a mile.  It served as company headquarters for 70 years and is now a Historic Landmark in Chicago.  The Ward's Warehouse in Baltimore was also added to the National Registry of Historical Places in 2000.

The last catalog was issued in 1985 and the catalog division ceased after 113 years of operation.  America had become urban instead of rural so Ward built more brick and mortar stores all across the  nation.  The last brick and mortar store closed in 2000 and the company was liquidated.  Competition from long term department stores and some risky CEOs spelled Ward's demise.  Those of us who grew up with "Monkey Wards" though, will remember it as one of the largest retailers, and offered one of the best Christmas Wish Book for toys!

Next time...Ward's Competition
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On June 11, 1817, the first predecessor of the bicycle is demonstrated.  The :Laufmaschine, also known as Draisine, a two wheeler without pedals, German inventor Karl Drais completed a 14 km test run in less than an hour, presenting a viable alternative to transportation by horse.