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Richard W. Sears started his business in North Redwood by selling watches from his railroad station job and mailing order catalogs. He later moved to Chicago and partnered with Alvah Roebuck to form Sears, Roebuck & Company. Sears helped popularize modern conveniences in homes by the early 1900s through catalogs offering materials and instructions for entire pre-cut homes, including options for central heating, indoor plumbing, and electricity. The article encourages searching for original Sears home designs in one's local community as a scavenger hunt, though original owners may have customized the plans over time.
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- 1. March 2016 | March Weekender 7 By Paul Hunter Zaid Our community often takes for granted the fact that Richard W. Sears birthplace is right here in our own backyard in North Redwood. Sears, with its famous catalogs, received it's start when working as a railroad station agent he received a shipment of watches which were unwanted by a local jeweler. Sears purchased them, then sold the watches for a profit to other sta- tion agents, then ordered more for resale. Soon he started a business selling watches through mail order catalogs. The next year, he moved to Chicago where he partnered with Alvah Roebuck, who joined him in the business and eventually grew their business into Sears, Roebuck & Company. In its storied 130 year old history Sears was innova- tive by offering popular home design kits by catalog with the added advantage of buyers to modify the houses and hardware according to their own tastes. Sears Modern Homes offered home kits from about $500 upward to $5,000 and the buyer picked out their houses according to their needs, tastes, and pocketbooks. Sears helped popularize the latest tech- nology available to modern home buyers in the early part of the twentieth century by offering central heat- ing, indoor plumbing, and electricity. Although all these new developments were available to buyers, not all of the homes were designed with these conven- iences. Once ordered, entire homes would arrive by rail- road, from precut lumber, to carved staircases, down to the nails and varnish. Sears provided all the mate- rials and instructions for assembly by carpenters. Central heating not only improved the livability of homes with little insulation but it also improved fire safety. Indoor plumbing and homes wired for elec- tricity were the first steps to modern kitchens and bathrooms. Sears Modern Homes program stayed in line with any technology that could ease the lives of its home buyers and gave them the option to design their homes with modern convenience in mind. How many Sears homes in our community can you locate? Locally you can find houses that were part of the many model of homes provided by Sears. Research home models on the internet and turn the past-time of taking a family drive around town and looking at homes into a scavenger hunt. If you discover a Sears home please post it on the Redwood Gazette Facebook page. Remember that the original owner may have cus- tomized the home, so look closely, because the plan may be reversed, a window may have been added, or the original buyer may have chosen brick instead of wood siding. Many towns, cities, and counties have a local history commission, landmark commission, and even town historians who might provide some insight into your house. Can you find a Sears Home in your town?