Aaron Montgomery Ward was a traveling salesman who witnessed the frustration felt by rural folk in acquiring goods. 1872 was well before motorized transportation and paved roads. Many people lived their entire lives within 50 miles of their birthplace. It was a humble beginning. His first catalog was a single sheet of paper with 163 items. By 1904, he was mailing 3 million catalogs with a combined weight of 6,000 tons. Ward died in 1913, well before the first retail store.
1872 – Montgomery Ward established
1875 – satisfaction guarantee
1896 – Sears catalog published
1908 – New building on Chicago’s riverside
1913 – Ward dies
1926 – First retail store – Plymouth, Indiana
1931 – Financier J P Morgan takes an active interest
1939 – Staff writer Robert L May creates Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1944 – Workers on strike – US government seizes the business
1945 – Truman ends seizure
1985 – Catalog business ends
1977 – Chapter 11 reorganization
2000 – Chapter 7 liquidation
Tool brands include Riverside, Lakeside, Eclipse, Ward’s Master Quality, and Powr-Kraft
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