Sears was, as many are reminding us now, the Amazon of its day.
Not coincidentally, they also helped bridge the racial gap. African-Americans, who couldn't shop at many conventional stores, could order from a catalog like any other American. They made the latest goods available, at reasonable prices, to everyone, everywhere - no matter how remote. The company, founded in 1892, can claim some credit for bridging the gulf between the yokels and the city slickers.
But in fact, Sears was in the business of manufacturing modernity.
