The vision of a young traveling salesman, Aaron
Montgomery Ward, would result years later in
bringing the first automobile to DeKalb. Certain
that rural Americans were being overcharged
and underserved by local retailers, he
developed the idea of mail order for retail sales
of general merchandise to rural customers and,
in 1872, founded Montgomery Ward &
Company. Ward catalogs were mailed to
customers who could find everything from
sewing needles to farm implements.
Starting in 1896, the American Electric Vehicle
Company from Chicago produced automobiles
for Montgomery Ward. One year later, Ward’s
electric automobile, the Modoc, was
transported from rural town to rural town in a
special railway car that advertised the company.
Ward’s wanted to show small town people one
of the “wonders of the century” was available
for $1,250. To encourage sales, local people
were
given
rides.
The
website
www.earlyamericanautomobiles.com
shows
below a close-up look of one of these events.
In July 1898, DeKalb was a small rural town with
a dirt main street and railroad service. An ideal
location for Montgomery Ward’s to bring their
electric automobile. The picture below records
the event. Judging from the activity shown, it
must have been quite a sight. A special thanks
goes to David Bell for the identifying
information on this photo from the NIU
Archives, Waite W. Embree Collection.
Following that is an article from the DeKalb
Chronicle reporting on the event.