After a two year hiatus because of Covid, it was nice to return to Chautauqua to speak in person. My topic this year was “From Cradle to Grave: The Impact of Sears Roebuck on Rural America.” Most people are familiar with Sears and their catalog. And some folks know of their house kits. But Sears did a lot more for rural America.
I discussed the many things Sears and Roebuck did to help rural America that most people don’t know about such as paying the salaries of county agents in the early days, buying furs and wool from farmers, sponsoring corn, cotton and canning contests, establishing farmer markets, starting livestock chains (chickens, pigs, dairy heifers, sheep) for 4-H and FFA members, and providing thousands (yes thousands) of scholarships for rural boys and girls to go to college to study agriculture and home economics. They also worked with the Grange and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of American on community improvement projects. Sears also bought 1,500 pedigreed bulls that were loaned to farmers free of charge in the South. They even owned a farm oriented radio station. And there is even more.
