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Portrait of James Warner, founder of Warner’s Clothing House (1859). A digitally restored interpretation based on a contemporary newspaper photograph. Restoration by Herk Schmidt
James Warner (1833–1913) founded Warner’s Clothing House in 1859, building it into one of Sandwich’s best known businesses. In 1889, he retired and turned the store over to his son, James L. Warner, who expanded the business into the Warner Mercantile Company, later known throughout the region as “The Big Store.”
A Store That Became Part of Sandwich
Walk through downtown Sandwich around the turn of the twentieth century and chances are you would find yourself at Warner’s.
More than simply a clothing store, Warner Mercantile gradually expanded into one of the community’s leading department stores. Clothing, groceries, dry goods, shoes, millinery, crockery, and household necessities could all be found under one roof. Newspaper advertisements appeared week after week, announcing new merchandise, seasonal sales, and special events that drew customers from throughout the area.
As Sandwich grew, Warner’s grew with it.
Today, surviving advertisements and store memorabilia tell the story of a business that became woven into the everyday lives of local families.
Facts at a Glance
- Established: 1859 by James Warner
- Originally known as: Warner’s Clothing House
- Later incorporated as: Warner Mercantile Company (1909)
- Leadership: James Warner turned the business over to his son, James L. Warner, in 1889. James L. later became president when the company incorporated in 1909.
- Location: Southeast corner of Main and Railroad Streets
- Departments: Clothing, groceries, dry goods, shoes, millinery, crockery, household goods, and more
- Known as: “The Big Store”
- Civic Leadership: James L. Warner later served as Mayor of Sandwich.
- Legacy: Warner advertising pieces remain among the most sought-after Sandwich collectibles today.
From Clothing House to Mercantile
Like many successful merchants of the nineteenth century, James Warner began with a specialty.
Early advertisements promoted ready made clothing, hats, caps, trunks, and gentlemen’s furnishings. One surviving trade card even advertises suspenders while directing customers to Warner’s store in the old Bank Building on Main Street.
As the years passed, the business expanded far beyond clothing.
By the early 1900s, newspaper advertisements promoted groceries, crockery, dry goods, shoes, millinery, and many other household necessities. Warner’s had become what we would probably call a department store today, a place where one stop could take care of nearly everything a family needed.
More Than a Store
Warner’s understood something that many merchants were just beginning to discover.
People remembered experiences.
Instead of relying only on newspaper advertising, Warner’s filled its store with promotions that customers talked about long after they went home.
Sometimes those promotions took the form of beautiful artwork.
In November 1909, the Warner Mercantile Company invited Chicago artist Professor Engelhardt to Sandwich, where shoppers could watch him create paintings in the store’s clothing department. More than 500 pictures were given away to customers making qualifying purchases.
For many families, a shopping trip became an event.
1909 “Give Patrons a Treat”
Gifts That Stayed in the Family
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Warner’s story isn’t what customers bought.
It’s what they took home for free.
Advertisements announced the giveaway of decorative clocks, artwork, and other promotional items offered with purchases. These weren’t inexpensive novelties. They were attractive household pieces designed to remain on display for years.
More than a century later, many of those same items still survive.
Among the best-known Warner collectibles are the store’s promotional clocks.
Several different styles appear to have been offered over the years. One surviving advertisement from November 2, 1895, illustrates two ornate clock designs that customers could receive during a special promotion. Today, examples bearing “Warner’s” and “Sandwich, Ill.” remain prized local artifacts.
Warner Giveaway Clock (ca. 1895)
Decorative cast iron clock awarded to customers during a Warner promotion. Advertisements show that several different styles were offered
Art for the Home
Warner’s also distributed decorative artwork.
The beautifully illustrated die cut advertising piece shown below is one surviving example. Elegant and colorful, it reminded customers where they purchased everything from groceries to clothing while adding a bit of beauty to the home.
It was advertising…
…but it didn’t feel like advertising.
The Umbrella That Advertised Everywhere
Few surviving Warner artifacts are as impressive as the large canvas buggy umbrella.
Printed on every panel are the departments that made up Warner’s growing business:
- Groceries & Crockery
- Shoes & Clothing
- Millinery & Dry Goods
Imagine this umbrella shading a horse drawn buggy as it rolled through Sandwich or the surrounding countryside. Every trip to town became a moving advertisement.
More than a hundred years later, it remains one of the finest surviving examples of Warner advertising known.
Warner Buggy Umbrella (ca. 1905–1915)
Heavy canvas advertising umbrella listing the store’s major departments. One of the finest surviving Warner advertising pieces known.
Christmas at Warner’s
The holiday season was one of the busiest times of the year.
A full page Christmas advertisement published in the Sandwich Free Press on December 19, 1901, gives us a wonderful glimpse inside the store. Handkerchiefs, china, rugs, smoking jackets, slippers, suspenders, neckties, umbrellas, and countless gift ideas filled the pages.
Reading it today feels a little like walking through the aisles just days before Christmas.
A Merchant Becomes The Mayor
James L. Warner’s influence reached well beyond his store.
He later served as Mayor of Sandwich, helping guide the community during the early twentieth century.
One surviving public notice from 1920 asked local businesses to close during the funeral of Mrs. Henry A. Adams, wife of longtime Sandwich Manufacturing Company superintendent Henry A. Adams. The notice reminds us how highly the Adams family was regarded, and that Mayor James L. Warner believed the entire community should pause to pay its respects.
The Warner Home
Success in business allowed James and Caroline Warner to build one of Sandwich’s finest homes on North Lafayette Street.
The handsome residence reflected both the prosperity of the Warner family and the confidence many local merchants had in Sandwich’s future.
Today, it remains one of the community’s most recognizable historic homes.
Souvenirs from the Big Store
Warner Mercantile wasn’t content to simply advertise in the newspaper. Like many successful department stores of the early twentieth century, it also produced attractive promotional items that customers could take home.
Among the surviving pieces is a decorative metal serving tray featuring an illustration of the Warner Mercantile building. More than a century later, it offers a glimpse of how proudly the business promoted itself. These advertising pieces have become prized collectibles, preserving the image of a store that once stood at the heart of downtown Sandwich.
Why Warner’s Still Matters
Many old stores disappear without leaving much behind.
Warner’s was different.
Its advertisements were saved. Its clocks still tick. Its artwork still hangs on walls. Its umbrellas still stop people in their tracks. Even a simple trade card can transport us back to a Saturday on Main Street when a trip to Warner’s meant more than buying groceries, it meant seeing neighbors, discovering something new, and taking part in the life of a growing town.
Those surviving pieces aren’t just antiques.
They’re pieces of Sandwich.
Research & Sources
This article was compiled from contemporary Sandwich newspapers, city directories, advertising pieces, business histories, family records, photographs, and surviving Warner Mercantile artifacts.
Acknowledgments
Historic Sandwich, Illinois is rarely a one-person effort. This article benefited from the generosity of several local historians and collectors who shared their time, knowledge, and collections.
Roger and Jeff generously shared photographs and images of Warner Mercantile artifacts that helped bring this story to life.
Herk Schmidt once again provided outstanding photographic restoration and enhancement work, allowing several historic images and artifacts to be presented with exceptional clarity while remaining faithful to the originals.
Their willingness to share these pieces of Sandwich history helps ensure they are preserved and appreciated for future generations.