A hundred years ago, Montgomery Ward was a supplier of just about everything the radio experimenter might need.  This ad appeared a hundred years ago this month in the November, 1921, issue of Radio News.

The St. Paul, MN, store with its iconic tower shown in the ad was a familiar landmark for me.  It was torn down in 1996, but for decades, it served as the distribution center in our area.  We lived in Minneapolis, and usually shopped at our local store.  But when we needed something more exotic, we knew that everything in their thick catalog would be available at that store.  Frequently, it was tires or auto parts.  We would drive to the big store, my dad would use the catalog to fill out the order form, he would hand it to the guy behind the counter, and a few minutes later, they would return with our order.  It was like having Amazon, but with immediate delivery.