MONTGOMERY WARD

'Montgomery Ward' (later known as 'Wards') is an online retailer and a former American department store chain, founded as the world's first mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward. At its height, it was one of the largest retailers in the United States, but declining sales in the late 20th century forced the original Montgomery Ward to close all of its retail stores and catalog operations by early 2001.
After a near four year absence, the Montgomery Ward brand was revived as an online and catalog-based retailer headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in late 2004, when Direct Marketing Services Inc. purchased much of the intellectual property assets of the former Wards. Currently, the company has no retail stores.
Since June 2006, the revived Montgomery Ward has expanded to run a children-oriented online retailer, 'Wards Kids'. Dave Carpenter Montgomery Ward brand name is back as an Internet and catalog retailer Retrieved January 10, 2007.

Contents

History

Company origins

Expansion into retail outlets

Downfall

Bankruptcy

Return

Former stores

Western United States

Eastern United States

Central United States

Former Jefferson Ward locations

Wards in print

Notes

External links

History

Company origins

Ward had conceived of the revolutionary idea of a dry goods mail-order business in Chicago, Illinois, after several years of working as a traveling salesman among rural customers. He observed that rural customers often wanted "city" goods but were often victimized by monopolists who offered no guarantee of quality. Ward also believed that by eliminating intermediaries, he could cut costs and make a wide variety of goods available to rural customers, who could purchase goods by mail and pick them up at the nearest train station.
After several false starts, including the destruction of his first inventory by the Great Chicago Fire, Ward started his business at his first offices at the corner of North Clark and Kinzie streets, with two partners and using $1,600 they had raised in capital. The first catalog in August of 1872 consisted of an 8 by 12 in. single-sheet price list, showing 163 articles for sale with ordering instructions. Ward himself wrote the first catalog copy. His two partners left the following year, but he continued the struggling business and was joined by his future brother-in-law Richard Thorne.
In the first few years, the business was not well received by rural retailers, who considered Ward a threat and sometimes publicly burned his catalog. Despite the opposition, however, the business grew at a fast pace over the next several decades, fueled by demand primarily from rural customers who were attracted by the wide selection of items unavailable to them locally. Customers were also attracted by the innovative and unprecedented company policy of "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back", which Ward began using in 1875. Although Ward turned the copy writing over to department heads, he continued poring over every detail in the catalog for accuracy. Ward himself became widely popular among residents of Chicago, championing the causes of the common folk over the wealthy, most notably in his successful fight to establish parkland along Lake Michigan.

In 1883, the company's catalog, which became popularly known as the "Wish Book", had grown to 240 pages and 10,000 items. In 1896, Wards acquired its first serious competition in the mail order business, when Richard W. Sears introduced his first general catalog. In 1900, Wards had total sales of $8.7 million, compared to $10 million for Sears, Roebuck and Company, and the two companies were to struggle for dominance for much of the 20th century. By 1904, the company had grown such that three million catalogs, weighing 4 pounds each, were mailed to customers. [1]
In 1908, the company opened a 1.25 million ft² (116,000 m²) building stretching along nearly 1/4 mile of the Chicago River, north of downtown Chicago. The building, known as the Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House, served as the company headquarters until 1974, when the offices moved across the street to a new tower designed by Minoru Yamasaki. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and a Chicago historic landmark in May of 2000. [2]

Expansion into retail outlets

Mr. Ward died in 1913, after 41 years running the catalog business. In 1926, the company broke with its mail-order-only tradition when it opened its first retail outlet store in Plymouth, Indiana. It continued to operate its catalog business while pursuing an aggressive campaign to build retail outlets in the late-1920s. In 1928, two years after opening its first outlet, it had opened 244 stores. By 1929, it had more than doubled its number of outlets to 531. Its flagship retail store in Chicago was located on Michigan Avenue between Madison and Washington streets.
In 1930, the company turned down a merger offer from rival Sears. In 1939, as part of a Christmas promotional campaign, staff copywriter Robert L. May created the character and illustrated poem of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Six million copies of the storybook were distributed in 1946. The song was popularized by Gene Autry.
After World War II, Montgomery Ward had become the third-largest department store chain. In 1946, the Grolier Club, a society of bibliophiles in New York City, exhibited the Wards catalog alongside Webster's dictionary as one of 100 American books chosen for their influence on life and culture of the people. The brand name of the store became embedded in the popular American consciousness and was often called by the nickname '"Monkey Wards,"' both affectionately and derisively.

Downfall

In the 1950s, the company was slow to respond to general movement of the American middle class to suburbia. While its old rivals Sears, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Dillard's established new anchor outlets in the growing number of suburban shopping malls, the top executives thought such moves as too expensive, sticking to their downtown and main street stores until the company had lost too much market share to compete with its rivals. Its catalog business had begun to slip by the 1960s. In 1968, it merged with Container Corporation of America to become Marcor Inc.
During the 1970s, the company continued to flounder. In 1976, it was acquired by Mobil Oil, which was flush with cash from the recent rise in oil prices. In 1985, the company closed its catalog business after 113 years and began an aggressive policy of renovation of the remaining stores. The renovations centered on restructuring many of the store layouts into boutique-like speciality stores. In 1988, the company management undertook a successful $3.8 million leveraged buyout, making Montgomery Ward a privately held company.
In 1987, it began a push into consumer electronics using the "Electric Avenue" name. Montgomery Ward greatly expanded their electronics presence by shifting from a predominantly private label mix to an assortment dominated by Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, Panasonic, JVC, and other national brands. This strategy was led by V.P. Vic Sholis, who later became President of the Tandy Name Brand Retail Group. (McDuff, VideoConcepts, and Incredible Universe) Seemingly on the right track for a rebound in marketshare, in the late 1980s and early 1990s Montgomery Ward was one of the hottest retail chains in the country. 1994 brought a 94% increase in revenues, largely due to Ward's tremendously successful direct-marketing arms. For a short while Wards was also back in the mail-order business, through "Montgomery Ward Direct", a mail order business licensed to the catalog giant "Fingerhut". But by the mid 1990s sales margins were eroded even further in the competitive electronics and appliance hardlines, which traditionally were Ward's strongest lines.

The company also spun off Jefferson Ward (known as "Jeffersons"), a short-lived discount department store version of Montgomery Ward which had the same concepts as most discount department stores. The chain was discontinued in 1988, and most locations were converted into Bradlees stores.
In 1994, it acquired the now-defunct New England retail chain Lechmere.

Bankruptcy

By the 1990s, however, even its old rivals had begun to lose ground to low-price competition from Kmart, Target, and especially Wal-Mart, which stripped away even more of Montgomery Ward's old customer base. In 1997, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, emerging from bankruptcy court protection in August of 1999 as a wholly owned subsidiary of GE Capital, by then its largest shareholder. As part of a last-ditch effort to remain competitive, the company closed 250 retail locations in 30 U.S. states, abandoned the speciality store strategy, and spent millions of dollars to renovate its remaining outlets to be flashier and more consumer-friendly. But GE reneged on promises of further financial support of Wards' restructuring plans.

On December 28, 2000, the company, after lower-than-expected sales during the Christmas season, announced it was going out of business and would close its remaining 250 retail outlets and lay off its 37,000 employees. All the stores closed within weeks of the announcement. The subsequent liquidation was at the time the largest retail bankruptcy liquidation in U.S. history. Roger Goddu, Wards' CEO, was offered the CEO position of J.C. Penney. Goddu declined on pressure from GE. One of the last stores to close was the Salem, Oregon location in which the head of the Human Resources Division was located. By May of 2001 Montgomery Ward was gone.

Return

In June, 2004, an online retailer was created which sells the same products as the former brand. The company does not currently operate any retail stores. Key "Montgomery Ward" and "Wards" trademarks were purchased by Iowa-based direct marketing company Direct Marketing Services Inc., a catalog marketer, for an undisclosed amount of money.Dave Carpenter Montgomery Ward brand name is back as an Internet and catalog retailer Retrieved January 10, 2007. DMSI then began operating under the same branding as the original company and managed to get it up and running in three months and started a new, smaller catalog. It is not the same company as the original, however.^[1] As such, the new company does not honor obligations of the previous company, such as giftcards and items sold with a lifetime guarantee.
It is expected that Wards will soon start selling clothing and shoes and will also release a Spanish version of their site. David Milgrom, president of the firm, said in an interview with the Associated Press: "We're rebuilding the brand, and we want to do it right." Associated Press Montgomery Ward back in business, as online retailer Retrieved January 10, 2007.

Former stores

Western United States

'Arizona'

★ Glendale
:
★ Arrowhead Towne Center - now Sears
:
★ Valley West Mall - torn down

★ Mesa
:
★ West Mesa Fiesta - demolished for Target
:
★ Superstition Springs Center - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Phoenix
:
★ Chris-Town Mall - now Ross Dress For Less and PetSmart
:
★ Desert Sky Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory
:
★ Maryvale Mall - later Malcom's, then Boston Store, now torn down
:
★ Paradise Valley Village - later Burlington Coat Factory, closed 2005, to be replaced by Wal-Mart Supercenter in 2007
:
★ Thomas Mall - torn down, later rebuilt as Arcadia Crossings location
:
★ Arcadia Crossings - now Sears

★ Tucson
:
★ El Con Mall - torn down for Target
:
★ Oracle Road - torn down for Lowe's
'California'

★ Canoga Park, Westfield Topanga - torn down

★ Corte Madera, Town Center Corte Madera - now Safeway

★ Daly City, Serramonte Center - torn down for Target Greatland

★ Eureka, (Stand alone) - Now Target

★ Fremont, Fremont Hub - now Target

★ Fresno - now Target

★ Fullerton, Downtown - closed

★ Hawthorne, Hawthorne Plaza - now offices

★ Huntington Beach, Bella Terra Mall (formerly Huntington Center) - vacant

★ Lakewood, Lakewood Mall - originally Butler Brothers and Hiram's; now Target

★ Los Angeles, La Cienega Blvd - now Staples and LA Fitness.

★ Long Beach, Long Beach Plaza - converted to Montgomery Ward Outlet; torn down 2000

★ Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo Mall (now The Shops at Mission Viejo) - now smaller stores

★ Napa, Belle Aire Plaza - now Target

★ Panorama City, Panorama Mall

★ Pleasant Hill - now Lowes

★ Richmond, MacDonald 80 Shopping Center

★ Sacramento, Country Club Centre - now Wal-Mart

★ San Bernardino - now offices

★ San Diego, Westfield Mission Valley - Now Target

★ San Jose
:
★ Capitol Square - Now Target
:
★ Westfield Oakridge - Now Target
:
★ Westgate Mall - Now Target

★ San Leandro, Bayfair Mall - torn down for Target

★ San Mateo, San Mateo Fashion Island (now Bridgepointe Shopping Center) - torn down

★ Stockton, Sherwood Mall - now Best Buy

★ Torrance, Del Amo Fashion Center

★ Victorville, next to the Mall of Victor Valley - Now Bed Bath & Beyond

★ Visalia, Visalia Martketplace - torn down for Albertsons, recently acquired by Save Mart Supermarkets.
'Colorado'

★ Aurora, Buckingham Square - torn down for Target

★ Boulder, Crossroads Mall - torn down

★ Colorado Springs, vacant

★ Denver
:
★ Lakeside Mall - now Avanza Supermarket
:
★ Southwest Plaza - now Dick's Sporting Goods and Steve & Barry's

★ Englewood, Cinderella City - opened 1968 as Denver Dry Goods, May-Daniels & Fisher early 1987, Wards late 1987; closed 1997, mall torn down

★ Fort Collins
:
★ Foothills Mall - closed 1997
:
★ 2201 S. College Ave. - now Whole Foods Market

★ Greeley - downtown

★ Pueblo - closed 2000, now Sears

★ Westminster, Westminster Mall - vacant
'Idaho'

★ Coeur d'Alene, downtown

★ Lewiston, Lewiston Center - later Lamonts, now Gottschalks

★ Nampa
:
★ downtown - closed 1970s
:
★ Johnson Square - closed 1980s
'Montana'

★ Billings, Rimrock Mall - now Dillard's Women's Store

★ Great Falls, Holiday Village Mall - now Herberger's

★ Kalispell, Kalispell Center Mall - now Herberger's
'Nevada'

★ Las Vegas
:
★ Las Vegas
:
★ Las Vegas - East

★ Reno
'New Mexico'

★ Albuquerque
:
★ Winrock Center - vacant
:
★ Cottonwood Mall - now theater

★ Las Cruces, Lohman Plaza - torn down
'Oregon'

★ Baker City, downtown - closed

★ Beaverton, (Stand alone) - torn down for Home Depot

★ Corvallis, downtown - closed

★ Eugene, Valley River Center - torn down for theater

★ Klamath Falls, Shasta Plaza - torn down

★ Medford
:
★ downtown - moved to Rogue Valley Mall
:
★ Rogue Valley Mall - later Meier & Frank Home Store and Copeland Sports; Copeland is now Sports Authority and Meier & Frank Home Store is now Macy's Home Store

★ Portland
:
★ Northwest - retail store and warehouse - Now Montgomery Park (Commercial Office)
:
★ Mall 205 - now Target
:
★ Jantzen Beach Mall - torn down for Target
:
★ Clackamas Town Center - later Meier & Frank Home Store and Copeland Sports; Copeland is now Sports Authority and Meier & Frank Home Store is now Macy's Home Store
:
★ Rivergate - former outlet store

★ Roseburg - closed

★ Salem
:
★ downtown - moved to Lancaster Mall
:
★ Lancaster Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory
'Washington'

★ Longview, Triangle Mall - vacant, torn down by 2005

★ Spokane
:
★ downtown
:
★ Franklin Park Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Yakima, Nob Hill Plaza - torn down
'Wyoming'

★ Rock Springs, White Mountain Mall - now State of Wyoming Offices

Eastern United States

'Alabama'

★ Dothan, Northside Mall - torn down for The Home Depot

★ Huntsville, Parkway City Mall (now Parkway Place) - mall demolished and rebuilt

★ Mobile, Springdale Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory
'Florida'

★ Altamonte Springs, Interstate Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory and Gold's Gym

★ Bradenton, Cortez Plaza - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Clearwater, Clearwater Mall - mall torn down

★ Jacksonville
:
★ Gateway Mall - torn down
:
★ Normandy Mall - later Winn-Dixie; mall is now a church
:
★ Regency Square Mall - vacant

★ Lakeland, Lakeland Mall - mall is now a church

★ Melbourne, Brevard Mall - later a convention center

★ New Port Richey, Gulf View Square - now Dillard's

★ Orlando
:
★ Now Orange County Sheriff's Department headquarters
:
★ (South) - now Orlando main office for Goodwill Industries

★ Pensacola, Cordova Mall - torn down for Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy and Cost Plus World Market

★ Pinellas Park, Pinellas Park Mall - torn down for Target

★ Port Charlotte, Port Charlotte Town Center - now Bealls

★ Tampa
:
★ Tampa Bay Center - demolished 2005
:
★ University Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Tallahassee, Tallahassee Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory
'Georgia'

★ Augusta, Regency Mall - closed 2001, vacant

★ Columbus, Peachtree Mall - closed 2001, became Rich's 2002, now Macy's

★ Savannah, Savannah Mall - closed 1998, became Steve and Barry's; site was originally slated for Jordan Marsh
'Illinois'

★ Bloomingdale, Startford Square Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Chicago
:
★ The Brickyard - mall torn down
:
★ Ford City Mall - vacant
:
★ State Street - Formerly The Fair

★ Chicago Ridge, Chicago Ridge Mall - formerly Madigan's; now Bed Bath & Beyond and Steve & Barry's

★ Decatur - later an office building for Illinois Power Co, now owned by AmerenIP Corp

★ Evergreen Park, Evergreen Plaza - formerly The Fair; now National Wholesale Liquidators

★ Harvey, Dixie Square Mall - closed 1977, vacant

★ Hillside, Hillside Mall - torn down 1990s

★ Joliet, Jefferson Square Mall - torn down for Menard's

★ Lansing, The Landings - torn down for Wal-Mart

★ Lombard, Illinois, Yorktown Mall - torn down for open-air section of mall

★ Matteson, Lincoln Mall - torn down

★ Moline, Southpark Mall - now Dillard's

★ Mt Prospect, Randhurst Mall - formerly The Fair; torn down except for a small portion which was retained as retail space

★ Naperville, Aurora Ave. and IL-59 - now Carson Pirie Scott Furniture Gallery

★ Normal, College Hills Mall - now Hobby Lobby

★ North Riverside, North Riverside Park Mall - now Sears

★ Northbrook, Deerbrook Mall - later split among Spiegel, Designer Depot and Service Merchandise; Designer Depot became John M. Smith Interiors and is now Best Buy; Spiegel later became SportMart; former Service Merchandise and SportMart locations were torn down for The Great Indoors, which has since closed

★ Orland Park, Orland Park Place - later Galyan's, now Dick's Sporting Goods

★ Peoria, Northwoods Mall - now Sears

★ Peru, Peru Mall - now Sears

★ Rockford, North Towne Mall - now smaller shops

★ St Charles, Randall Rd. - now a rental property used by the Kane County Clerk's Office

★ Schaumburg, One Schaumburg Place - torn down for Galyan's; now Dick's Sporting Goods

★ Skokie, Old Orchard Center - Formerly The Fair; torn down for Nordstrom

★ Springfield, White Oaks Mall - now Dick's Sporting Goods and Linens 'n Things

★ Waukegan
:
★ Belvidere Mall - later Builders Square, now The Home Depot
:
★ Lakehurst Mall - mall torn down
'Indiana'

★ Anderson, Mounds Mall

★ Elkhart, Concord Mall - now Hobby Lobby and ABC Warehouse

★ Fort Wayne, Southtown Mall - later Kohl's; mall torn down

★ Gary, The Village - later Goldblatt's, then Ames; now Dollar Tree and Aaron Rents

★ Greenwood, Greenwood Park Mall - now Von Maur

★ Indianapolis
:
★ Castleton Square - now Von Maur
:
★ Lafayette Square Mall - now partially Burlington Coat Factory
:
★ Washington Square Mall - torn down for Target

★ Lafayette, Tippecanoe Mall - now Kohl's

★ Merrillville, Indiana, Century Consumer Mall - now Old Time Pottery

★ Munster, Calumet Square - now Target

★ South Bend, Scottsdale Mall - torn down for Super Target
'Kentucky'

★ Lexington, Turfland Mall - torn down for The Home Depot
'Maryland'

★ Annapolis, Westfield Annapolis - now Sears

★ Baltimore, Washington Blvd. Catalog Warehouse - Now Montgomery Park Commercial Office Space

★ Baltimore, Security Square Mall - later International Furniture, now Modell's Sporting Goods

★ Bel Air, Harford Mall - now Sears

★ Catonsville, U.S. Route 40 and Rolling Road - torn down, now Wal-Mart

★ Frederick, Frederick Towne Mall - torn down for The Home Depot

★ Glen Burnie, Glen Burnie Mall - torn down for Target

★ Hagerstown, Valley Mall - now Sears

★ Hillcrest Heights, Iverson Mall - now Forman Mills and Total Save

★ Landover Hills, Capital Plaza Mall - now Wal-Mart

★ Laurel, Laurel Mall - now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Rosedale, Golden Ring Mall - torn down, site now Centre At Golden Ring

★ Salisbury, Centre at Salisbury - demolished in 2004 for Hoyts Cinema

★ Towson, Towson Place - torn down for Wal-Mart

★ Waldorf, St. Charles Town Center - later Hecht's Home Store and Dick's Sporting Goods; Hecht's Home Store became Macy's Home Store in 2006

★ Westminster, TownMall of Westminster - Now Boscov's

★ Wheaton, Wheaton Plaza - now Target
'Michigan'

★ Alpena
:
★ Second Ave. - relocated to Ripley Blvd., now Center One building
:
★ Ripley Blvd.

★ Ann Arbor, Arborland Consumer Mall - entire mall torn down

★ Dearborn, 13551 Michigan Ave. - vacant

★ Detroit

★ Flint
:
★ Saginaw St.
:
★ Genesee Valley Center - closed 2001, torn down 2006 for Barnes & Noble and other mall shops
:
★ South Flint Plaza - later Hamady supermarket, now Save-a-Lot

★ Grand Rapids, North Kent Mall - now Dunham's Sports, Tractor Supply Company and Dollar Tree

★ Harper Woods, Eastland Center - closed 1998, later Cana Mex Interiors, now Steve & Barry's on lower level

★ Jackson, Westwood Mall - closed 2001, demolished for Wal-Mart Supercenter

★ Kalamazoo, Maple Hill Mall - closed 2001, later split between Value City Furniture and Hobby Lobby; Value City Furniture has since converted to Rooms Today Furniture

★ Lansing
:
★ 930 W. Holmes - later a call center
:
★ Lansing Mall - closed 2001, now Younkers

★ Livonia, Wonderland Mall - opened 1959, closed 2001, torn down

★ Marquette

★ Mt. Clemens, Regional Shoping Center - demolished for Lowe's

★ Southfield
:
★ Northland Center - now National Wholesale Liquidators
:
★ Tel-Twelve Mall - divided among Media Play (now closed) and other stores

★ Southgate - Southgate Shopping Center

★ Sterling Heights, Hall Road and Schoenherr - now Big Lots, Office Max and other stores

★ Warren, Universal Mall - vacant, to be torn down September 2007

★ Waterford, Summit Place Mall - later a paintball arena, now vacant

★ Wyoming, Rogers Plaza - opened 1960, demolished for A.J. Wright and Family Fare Supermarket
'New Hampshire'

★ Bedford, Bedford Mall - now Bob's Store and Linens 'n Things

★ Nashua, next to Nashua Mall - later Ames, now Chunky's CinemaPub

★ Portsmouth, Newington Mall (now the Crossing at Fox Run) - torn down for Best Buy, Barnes & Noble and Old Navy
'New Jersey'

★ Eatontown, Monmouth Mall - later Alexander's, then Caldor, then Nobody Beats the Wiz, now Burlington Coat Factory
'New York'

★ Albany, Northway Mall - originally E.J. Korvette; torn down

★ Ithaca, Pyramid Mall - now Old Navy and AC Moore Arts & Crafts

★ Johnson City, Oakdale Mall - opened 1973, torn down for Kaufmann's, now Macy's

★ Lockport, Lockport Mall - Closed in 1997, later Rosa's Home Store, now vacant

★ Plattsburgh, Champlain Centre South - originally Sears; torn down for Lowe's

★ Poughkeepsie
:
★ Poughkeepsie Plaza - now Price Chopper
:
★ Poughkeepsie Galleria - now DSW, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a movie theater

★ Rome

★ Saratoga Springs
:
★ Pyramid Mall at Saratoga - torn down
:
★ Wilton Mall at Saratoga - cancelled store, never built; site became JCPenney

★ Schenectady, Mohawk Mall - torn down

★ Utica, Riverside Mall - now Linens 'n Things

★ Watertown, Salmon Run Mall - vacant
'North Carolina'

★ Asheville, Asheville Mall - now Dillard's

★ Durham, South Square Mall - torn down

★ Greensboro, Carolina Circle Mall - torn down

★ Rocky Mount, Tarrytown Mall - damaged by a 1999 hurricane, torn down
'Ohio'

★ Akron, Rolling Acres Mall - later Higbee's, now Dillard's

★ Canton, Mellet Mall (now Canton Centre Mall) - demolished for Wal-Mart Supercenter

★ Lima, American Mall - now The Andersons

★ Mansfield, Kingsgate Mall - now a church

★ Middletown
:
★ downtown - closed 1960s
:
★ freestanding store - closed 1985

★ St. Clairsville, Ohio, Ohio Valley Mall - now Kmart Supercenter

★ Toledo
:
★ Southwyck Mall - vacant
:
★ North Towne Square - later 20th Century Super Fitness, now vacant
'Pennsylvania'

★ Butler, Butler Mall - demolished for Wal-Mart

★ Camp Hill, Camp Hill Mall - now Giant Foods

★ Carlisle, MJ Mall - demolished

★ Connellsville, Laurel Mall - vacant

★ DuBois, DuBois Mall - now Ross Dress for Less and Dunham's Sports

★ Greensburg, Greengate Mall - demolished in 2003, now Greengate Centre

★ Meadville, Meadville Mall - now storage for Dad's Pet Food

★ Reading, Fairgrounds Square Mall - later Jason's Furniture Outlet, then National Wholesale Liquidators, now Burlington Coat Factory

★ Scranton, The Mall at Steamtown - now Steve & Barry's

★ York, York Mall - demolished
'South Carolina'

★ Charleston, Charles Towne Square - mall demolished, Wards renovated, now a Verizon Call Center

★ Greenville, Greenville Mall - vacant
'Tennessee'

★ Kingsport, Kingsport Mall - now Hobby Lobby
'Vermont'

★ Rutland, Rutland Mall - torn down for The Home Depot
'Virginia'

★ Chesapeake, Chesapeake Square - demolished for Target

★ Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Town Center - demolished for Costco

★ Hampton
:
★ Mercury Mall - moved to Coliseum Mall, later Home Quarters Warehouse and Circuit City; mall demolished
:
★ Coliseum Mall - originally E.J. Korvette; now partially Burlington Coat Factory

★ Lynchburg, River Ridge Mall - originally Miller & Rhoads; now Value City

★ Lynnhaven, Lynnhaven Mall - now Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods and Steve & Barry's

★ Manassas, Manassas Mall - now Sears

★ Portsmouth, Tower Mall - Montgomery Ward Outlet; demolished for redevelopment

★ Roanoke, Valley View Mall - originally Miller & Rhoads; now Macy's Home Store and Old Navy

★ Springfield, Springfield Mall - now Target

★ Staunton, Staunton Mall - now Steve & Barry's
'West Virginia'

★ Beckley, Raleigh Mall - now Tractor Supply Company and Big Lots

★ Bridgeport, Meadowbrook Mall - now Target

★ Charleston, Charleston Town Center - vacant

★ Morgantown, Mountaineer Mall - now Tele-Tech and General Glass Home Center
'Wisconsin'

★ Ashwaubenon, Bay Park Square - demolished for Younkers

★ Fond du Lac, Forest Mall - now Kohl's

★ Janesville, Janesville Mall - now Kohl's

★ Manitowoc, Lakeview Plaza - vacant

Central United States

'Arkansas'

★ Little Rock, University Mall - vacant
'Iowa'

★ Burlington, 2720 Mount Pleasant St.

★ Cedar Rapids, Westdale Mall - Now Steve and Barry's

★ Davenport - Northpark Mall - Now Dillard's

★ Des Moines
:
★ Merle Hay Mall - closed and converted to Famous-Barr in 2000, became Younkers in 2003
:
★ South Ridge Mall - opened 1978, torn down

★ Dubuque, Kennedy Mall - closed 1983, now JCPenney
'Kansas'

★ Kansas City, Indian Springs Mall - now offices

★ Overland Park, Oak Park Mall - later The Jones Store, now Macy's

★ Salina, Mid-State Mall - closed 1980, later Hobby Lobby, now partially Dollar General

★ Topeka, West Ridge Mall - vacant

★ Wichita, Wichita Mall - now Office This
'Louisiana'

★ Baton Rouge, Bon Marché Mall

★ Lafayette, Northgate Mall - torn down for The Home Depot

★ Monroe, Twin City Mall

★ Shreveport, South Park Mall - vacant
'Minnesota'

★ Albert Lea, Skyline Mall - later Wal-Mart, now vacant

★ Blaine, NorthTown Mall - torn down for The Home Depot

★ Duluth, Miller Hill Mall - converted to Barnes & Noble, DSW, and Old Navy

★ Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie Center - now Von Maur

★ Minneapolis, City Center

★ Minnetonka, Ridgedale Center - later Marshall Fields Men's & Home, now Macy's Men's & Home

★ Robbinsdale, Terrace Mall - now smaller stores

★ Rochester, Apache Mall - now Herberger's

★ Roseville, Rosedale Center - now Herberger's

★ St. Anthony Village, Apache Plaza - later a furniture store, demolished 2004

★ St. Louis Park, Knollwood Mall - now Cub Foods

★ Winona, Winona Mall - now Midtown Foods
'Missouri'

★ Columbia, Biscayne Mall - mall torn down late 1990s

★ Joplin, North Park Mall - now Steve & Barry's

★ Kansas City
:
★ Blue Ridge Mall - mall torn down for Wal-Mart Supercenter
:
★ Metro North Mall - now partially MC Sports
:
★ Ward Parkway Center - torn down for Target

★ St. Joseph, East Hills Mall - now Sears

★ Springfield, Battlefield Mall - now Dillard's
'Nebraska'

★ Fairbury

★ Lincoln, Gateway Mall - now Steve & Barry's

★ Omaha, Westroads Mall - later The Jones Store, now Younkers

★ Scottsbluff
'North Dakota'

★ Bismarck, Kirkwood Mall - now I. Keating Furniture
'Oklahoma'

★ Ardmore, Ardmore Mall - now Brad Fenton Motors

★ Midwest City, Heritage Park Mall - vacant

★ Oklahoma City
:
★ Crossroads Mall - now Steve & Barry's
:
★ Penn Square Mall - now Dillard's

★ Tulsa, Eastland Mall - vacant
'South Dakota'

★ Yankton, Yankton Mall
'Texas'

★ Abilene, Westgate Shopping Center - torn down

★ Amarillo, Western Plaza - to be torn down

★ Arlington, Forum 303 Mall - to be torn down

★ Austin
:
★ Barton Creek Square Mall - now Nordstrom
:
★ Capital Plaza - now Target

★ Baytown, San Jacinto Mall - vacant

★ Beaumont, Parkdale Mall - later Foley's, now Macy's

★ Brownsville, Amigoland Mall - now used as classrooms by University of Texas-Brownsville

★ Bryan, Manor East Mall - demolished for H-E-B

★ Corpus Christi, Sunrise Mall - Originally Joske's; soon to be Wilcox Furniture

★ Dallas
:
★ Northtown Mall - mall is now an office complex
:
★ Prestonwood Town Center - later Mervyns; torn down
:
★ Red Bird Mall (now Southwest Center Mall)

★ Denton, Golden Triangle Mall - later Foley's, now Macy's

★ El Paso
:
★ Sunland Park Mall - now Dillard's
:
★ Cielo Vista Mall

★ Fort Worth, Hulen Mall - now Sears

★ Friendswood, Baybrook Mall - later Foley's, torn down and rebuilt, now JCPenney

★ Houston
:
★ Greenspoint Mall - vacant
:
★ Memorial City Mall - torn down for Target
:
★ Northline Mall - to be torn down
:
★ Sharpstown Center - now Burlington Coat Factory
:
★ Willowbrook Mall - later Foley's Men's & Home, now Macy's Men's & Home

★ Hurst, North East Mall - demolished for movie theater

★ Irving, Irving Mall

★ Laredo, Mall Del Norte - now Circuit City and movie theater

★ Mesquite, Big Town Mall - torn down

★ Oak Cliff, Westcliff Mall - torn down

★ Pharr, El Centro Mall - now Bealls

★ Richardson, Richardson Square Mall - torn down for Super Target

★ San Antonio
:
★ Wonderland Shopping Center (now Crossroads Mall)
:
★ McCreless Mall - torn down
:
★ Westlakes Mercado Mall
:
★ Windsor Park Mall - vacant

★ Sherman, Sher-Den Mall - torn down

★ Tyler, stand alone store - now Texas Spine and Joint Hospital

★ Waco, Lake Air Mall - closed, torn down

Former Jefferson Ward locations

'Florida'

★ Boca Raton, Boca Mall - mall torn down for Mizner Park

★ Lauderdale Lakes, Lakes Mall - now The Sports Authority

★ North Palm Beach, Twin City Mall - torn down
'New Jersey'

★ Bordentown - originally Two Guys; later Bradlees

★ Burlington - originally J. M. Field's; later Bradlees

★ Cherry Hill - originally Two Guys; later Bradlees

★ Marlton - originally Two Guys; later Bradlees, now Kohl's

★ Stratford - originally J. M. Field's; later Bradlees
'Pennsylvania'

★ Bensalem - originally Two Guys; later Bradlees, torn down for Kohl's, Staples and Ross Dress For Less

★ Bethlehem, Lehigh Shopping Center - originally Almart, later Bradlees, then Ames, then Caldor, now Marshalls

★ Horsham, Village Mall - originally Woolco; later Wal-Mart, now vacant

★ Langhorne - originally Two Guys; now The Dump Furniture Outlet

★ Montgomeryville - originally Two Guys

★ Pottstown, Coventry Mall - later Bradlees, now Ross Dress For Less and Dick's Sporting Goods

★ West Norriton - later Bradlees, now Wal-Mart
'Virginia'

★ Richmond, Parham Plaza - originally Grant City, then Murphy Mart, then Jefferson Ward, then Builders Square, then Hills, then Big Kmart, now Wal-Mart Supercenter

Wards in print

★ Amazon.com: ''Montgomery Ward Catalogue of 1895'' (reprint)

★ Amazon.com: ''More Boys' Toys of the Fifties and Sixties: Toy Pages from the Great Montgomery Wards Christmas Catalogs, 1950-1969''

★ Amazon.com: ''The Toy Train Department - Volume 2: Electric Train Pages from the Great Montgomery Wards Christmas Catalogs of the 1950s and 1960s''

★ Amazon.com: ''Wardway Homes, Bungalows, and Cottages, 1925''

★ Barnes & Noble: ''Montgomery Ward Catalogue of 1895'' (reprint)

★ Barnes & Noble: ''Wardway Homes, Bungalows, and Cottages, 1925''

Notes

1. Montgomery Ward brand makes revival, ''Austin American-Statesman'', December 10, 2006.

External links

★ Montgomery Ward: the Internet-based retailer

★ Wards Kids