by C.L. Miller

Sometime during the beginning of 1899 (the exact date has never been authenticated), Skiff went into the business with only $700 cash, a horse, wagon and his idea to operate a business that would offer freshly roasted coffee daily directly to the consumer by means of the door-to-door procedure. Word spread among his clientele of the pleasant salesman who was offering freshly roasted coffee at reasonable prices. As his coffee business increased, he was often asked about other products and soon Skiff realized that additional essentials were needed in aiding housewives in the preparation of meals. Skiff then added teas and an assortment of spices to the list of household necessities. Orders were taken from customers he called upon and two-weeks later those orders were delivered. The canisters of coffee were always fresh and the cycle of buying and selling was repeated.

By 1927, more than fifty foods, laundry and toilet products of the only the purest and finest quality was carried in the salesman's basket and nearly one hundred premiums were available.

In 1901, his brother-in-law, Frank P. Ross, born in Wind Ridge, Greene County, Pennsylvania (1869 - 1947) joined Skiff as a partner in the operations of the business. Ross had been employed with the M. & St. L. Railway in Newton, Iowa as a traveling freight agent where he met Blanche Skiff whom he married on February 7, 1899, before his arrival in Chicago. In 1902, Skiff and Ross were selling "Teas, Coffees and Spices" under the name of "Skiff and Ross" at 643 E. 43rd Street in Chicago. Skiff was a quiet slender built man with spectacles; Ross was an energetic stout balding man and the relationship between the two men worked well in forming the company. Together they named it the "Jewel Tea Company" chosen because in those days, anything special, be it a thing -- or even an idea, was called a "Jewel."

Under the guidance of Skiff and Ross the company prospered, routes inside the city were expanded and new routes were opened outside the city. In 1903, the company was incorporated in Illinois and in 1904, teas, coffees and spices were sold under the name of "Jewel Tea Co." at 641 E. 43rd Street, Chicago. Within two years the company outgrew their old buildings and acquired a three-story building for the roasting of the own brand of coffee.

When coffee sales surged, Jewel customers paid the 8-cents a pound more than the stores were charging.

Primarily as a home delivery service that offered an assortment of coffee, tea, spices and premiums, the company had a few stores setup to show and sell their product lines. These stores were more of an advertising showcases and were only available in certain areas.

The company sold groceries directly to a million homes with the inducement of sharing profits through premiums distributed in advance. As the company continued to grow, larger facilities were required, new manufacturing equipment was acquired and by 1906 the Jewel Tea Company was producing essentials to the American housewives under their own label. By 1908 the company listed operations at 426 W. Washington Blvd.

Jewel reached the million-dollar mark in annual sales in 1910 and had established 400 routes. By 1915 more than $8 million in annual sales were recorded and they had a route division of 850 routes. In 1916, with a capitalization of $16 million reported, the owners incorporated the company under the laws of the State of New York and expanded into new territory and near the end of 1916 were operating 1,645 routes with major operations out of Chicago and New York city.

By the end of 1917 the government commandeered the Jewel plant in Hoboken, New Jersey for war material production and Jewel curtailed the operations of 1,714 of their own routes.

By 1919, Skiff and Ross were forced out of the operation of the company they founded and so dearly loved because of inadequate accounting controls and expansion. Raymond E. Durham was elected interim president in 1919, followed by J.M. Hancock in 1922 who pulled the company out of the red. Maurice Karker succeeded Hancock in 1924 as president and is remembered as one of the most powerful presidents in Jewel's history.

Jewel's connection with the Hall China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio dates from the early to mid-1920's with the introduction of teapots offered as premiums to customers. The most famous "Autumn Leaf" pattern china appeared in the 1930's and remains today as one of the most collectible Hall China patterns ever offered to the public. The Morning Glory pattern appeared during the 1940's but would never compare to the illustrious china decorated with the familiar yellow, brown, orange motif and trimmed in gold often referred to as "Jewel Tea" or "Autumn Leaf." During the 1950's "Cameo Rose" china became available which only recently has developed a large popularity of collectors.

In 1924, the Home Service Division was launched where recipes were developed, products examined, pointers sold and ideas promoting more products were examined. A monthly publication, the "Jewel-News" and a series of cookbooks, were soon published and the most famous name in Jewel's history was adopted, "Mary Dunbar." In 1924, Mary Reed Hartson was designated "The Jewel Lady" and gave exclusive rights to her maiden name, "Mary Dunbar" in 1926.

Mrs. Hartson resigned in 1927 and Jewel hired Ruth Leone Rutledge Carroll as her replacement. Mrs. Carroll had been Director of Domestic Science for the R.B. Davis Baking Powder Company and author of numerous Davis publications. Mrs. Carroll became the first woman's executive serving as the famous "Mary Dunbar" for seventeen years and died in 1975. It is believed Julia Godard replaced Mrs. Carroll and then the position was occupied by Olga Grebe.

In July 1931, the Home Service Division underwent a name change because of other companies with similar divisions and names. At that time, all items, packaging, appliances and publications tested and approved by Mary Dunbar received the "Seal of Approval" which had been designed by Jewel.

In 1926, the last of the horse and wagon division was sold as management had gambled on the automobile, which many salesmen believed would never be as reliable as the faithful horse and wagon had been.

In 1927, Jewel was more than just a big business; it was a SERVICE, giving its patrons four worthwhile features for the price of one. Quality Products - Coffee, spices, laundry and toilet products, all of quality, was the first service to Jewel customers. Quality Premiums - With every package of products the customer received, a credit which could be applied toward payment for household articles, paying without additional cash outlays. Quality Personal Service - Jewel brought the markets of the world direct to customers' doors, once every two weeks, same day and same hour. Unlimited Guarantee - Jewel guaranteed every product to be pure and of high quality. If not satisfied, money was refunded promptly.

As the growth of the company continued, large operating facilities were needed and on June 27, 1929, ground was broken for the new headquarters and a Midwest plant on a site located on the edge of Barrington, Illinois. In April 1930, they publicly announced they were ready to move all operations from the Chicago location into the new architectural masterpiece constructed on 211 acres with an additional 100 acres they named "Jewel Park."

In 1932, Jewel acquired 77 "Loblaw" stores in the Chicago area and four other Midwestern stores. In May of 1934 Jewel closed all the "Loblaw" stores for renovation and opened three days later. On the marquee appeared the famous "JEWEL" name.

Jewel's future was reshaped with the onset of World War II when women replaced men in operating both service routes and stores, holding one-third of all the jobs in the Jewel empire during 1942. One-fourth of the food stores had women managers and during 1944, 700 women were route saleswomen. Jewel was hard hit when sugar and coffee were rationed, routes reduced.

As the 1940's came to a close, the company had a reputation for quality products and a concern for their customers. In 1949, catalogs distributed by salesmen FREE to established customers showed a variety of merchandise and products. Orders were taken bi-weekly and filled through the mail. Jewel was the first home shopping service to introduce a catalog.

The early 1950's saw route expansion efforts taken away from rural areas and concentration turning to the metropolitan areas where salesmen could locate customers with a minimum of travel.

In 1966, the Jewel Home Shopping Service of the Jewel Tea Co., Inc., became a division of Jewel Companies, Inc., making it the 12th largest retailer in the nation.

On January 29, 1981, Jewel Companies, Inc., announced to discontinue ownership of the Jewel Home Shopping Service. Plans were to transfer the assets of the business to a cooperative organization which would be formed and managed by Jewel employees. Under the plan, Jewel agreed to sell each route to the employee who operated it, transferring the inventory and other assets to a cooperative which would serve the newly independent operators.

On March 24, 1981, Jewel Home Shopping Service became a dealer-owned cooperative, named IHSS, Inc., (In Home Shopping Service). One condition was that the name JEWEL be phased out over a three-year period as a development of a new identity took place.

The new name "J.T.'s General Store" was approved and appeared with the new wagon logo and subtitle until May 1983 when it vanished. On October 3, 1994, J.T.'s General Store" became known as "JT Dealer Sales and Services Corp." after being sold to some of the employees.