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[[File: Sears_Home.jpeg|left|thumbnail|250 px|While Sears was started in 1886 by Richard W. Sears and Alvah C. Roebuck, it was not until Julius Rosenberg took over management of the company in 1895 that Sears became the preeminent mail order company in the world. The growing infrastructure of the United States allowed Sears to expand both its catalog offerings and its reach into America.<ref>Vicki Howard, [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/rise-and-fall-sears-180964181/ The Rise and Fall of Sears], Smithsonianmag.com, July 25, 2017</ref>Instead of just selling things Americans needed in their homes, it even sold 40,000 homes through its catalog from 1908-1945. <ref>Nancy Mitchell, "[https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-brief-history-of-sears-catalog-homes-233077 Built from a Kit: A Brief History of Sears Catalog Homes]," Apartment Therapy, Jan 18, 2017</ref> Starting in 1924, the mail order business began to slow down and Sears began to shift to retail stores. By 1929, Sears had already created 300 retail stores across the country. The push to retail had been led by a former U.S. Army supply officer, Robert Wood.<ref>"[http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2840.html Sears, Roebuck & Co.]" www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org</ref> Despite the Great Depression, Sears continued to expand across the country despite serious problems with its mail order business.<ref>Elizabeth Huwe, [https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rcollins/huwepaper.pdf THE STORY OF SEARS, ROEBUCK & COMPANY: History, and how a company aided World War II victory gardeners].</ref> By the 1950s, Sears was the largest retailer in America.