Today, the power of the internet allows us to practically order all of the things we need such as food, cars, books, clothes, cleaners, appliances and toys online and have it delivered to our homes. It's amazing and an absolute time saver. However, is the concept a new one? I can't help but remember hearing about the Sears mail-order catalog when I grew up. It was a long awaited catalog that people were able to order practically anything they needed from the catalog and have it delivered to their home. They could even purchase a ready-made home kit to put together from the catalog. A man named Richard Sears started the company in 1887 in Chicago, Illinois. He hired a partner named Alvah C. Roebuck in 1893, and called their company, Sears Roebuck and Company.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home
http://www.searshomes.org/index.php/about-sears-homes/
http://www.searsarchives.com/catalogs/history.htm
http://www.searsarchives.com/history/chronologies/chronology_brief.htm
The idea of "The Wish Book" also started with Sears Catalog. The Sears Christmas catalog became synonymous with "The Wish Book." Today, Sears has an online store.
http://www.sears.com/
So we have gone from a paper mail-order society, to an electronic online store society in about 100 years since the beginning of Sears and Roebuck and Company.
By Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com)
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