Mail-Order Homes: Sears Homes and Other Kit Houses by Rebecca Hunter

Mail-Order Homes: Sears Homes and Other Kit Houses by Rebecca Hunter 

At the turn of the last century, the American middle class was expanding rapidly as homesteaders moved west and as trains took travelers across the country, where they established themselves in the depot towns that erupted along train lines. With that growth came the demand for new homes, and from that demand grew a new industry: mail-order homes. Sold by such makers as Sears, Roebuck & Co., Aladdin, and Montgomery Wards, these kit homes were shipped by train, arriving in two boxcars, which then were off-loaded by the purchasers, usually with a team of horse and wagon. In the boxcars was absolutely everything needed to assemble a house, whether it be a vacation cottage, modest bungalow, or two-and-a-half story home. Literally tens of thousands of these affordable homes were sold in the early 1900s.