Aaron Montgomery Ward

Who was Aaron Montgomery Ward?

Aaron Montgomery Ward was an American entrepreneur based in Chicago notable for his use of mail order for retail sales to rural customers.

Ward, a young traveling salesman of dry goods, was concerned over the plight of many rural Midwest Americans who were, he thought, being overcharged and under-served by many of the small town retailers on whom they had to rely for their general merchandise. He opened his first mail-order house in 1872. By heavy use of the railroads centered on Chicago, and by associating his business with the non-profit Patrons of Husbandry, Ward offered rural customers a far larger stock than available in small towns, at a lower price. Unlike local country merchants, Ward offered no bargaining and no credit. His free catalog, printed by the most modern methods, allowed the customer to see pictures of consumer goods and imagine how they might be used. Later, Ward used the Post Office's Rural Free Delivery; he lobbied for a parcel post system that came about in 1906. The early 20th century was the heyday of mail orders and Ward's had become an American tradition, along with its rival Sears Roebuck.

Ward continues to be honored as the protector of Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.