Oakland Oregon Horse Drawn Wagon Rawleigh Medical Remedies Atterbury Real Photo Postcard
F.W. Rawleigh Company, established in 1889 by W.T. Rawleigh in Freeport, Illinois, became a prominent purveyor of household products across North America. The company's hallmark was its extensive network of independent "wagon men" who traveled rural routes, delivering a diverse range of goods directly to consumers via horse-drawn wagons, like the one depicted. These wagons stocked remedies, extracts, spices, toilet articles, and animal care products such as stock and poultry tonics, making them a fixture in early 20th-century rural life.
This door-to-door sales model was instrumental in serving isolated communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period before widespread automobile ownership and developed retail infrastructure. Rawleigh's dealers effectively functioned as mobile general stores, providing essential household items and remedies to farm families and small towns, bridging significant gaps in rural distribution and commerce during this transformative era of American life.
This door-to-door sales model was instrumental in serving isolated communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period before widespread automobile ownership and developed retail infrastructure. Rawleigh's dealers effectively functioned as mobile general stores, providing essential household items and remedies to farm families and small towns, bridging significant gaps in rural distribution and commerce during this transformative era of American life.
