Labor Day has come and gone, and for many this marks the unofficial “end of summer.” With that in mind, I thought you might enjoy a lightly revised and enhanced re-post of this CHH piece from 2023.

Many students start classes today. Others began school a week or two ago. Many Wisconsin families have spent the past few weeks (or months) preparing for the new school year, shopping for “Back to School” deals on clothing and school supplies at local, chain, and online retailers.

Harrison’s Columbian inks, black, scarlet, red, blue. [United States, publisher not transcribed], c. 1846. Library of Congress

Shopping for school supplies at the start of the school year is nothing new. But the origin of the now ubiquitous use of “Back to School!” as a marketing phrase is obscure. From what I’ve observed, it seems very much a post-World War II phenomenon. Yet with our current focus on three-ring binders, zippered pencil cases, and boxes of 64 Crayolas (with the built-in sharpener!), have you ever wondered what kind of school or office supplies might have been necessary or useful for Jonathan and Mary Clark, their children, and their neighbors? For a fun comparison, let’s take a look at just two of the many relevant advertisements from the columns of the Clarks’ local papers, in this case the [Milwaukee] Daily Free Democrat, November 2, 1850, page 4…

Your local book & stationery shop

Milwaukee book & stationery retailer Rood & Whittemore had a fine selection of supplies for the scholar, letter writer, or professional man or woman of 1850:

Something for everyone, including the “country traders” and teachers that often served as buyers and distributors of school textbooks for their rural areas. For their efforts, the traders and teachers received “liberal terms,” presumably some sort of discount (for cash accounts, of course), from Rood & Whittemore.

And as you might expect, even from its earliest days Milwaukee was not a one-store town. In the words of the immortal Ron Popiel:

But wait, there’s more!

Book-binder and stationer Henry Niedecken had not one, but two! shops in Milwaukee. A new venue on East Water street—not far from Rood & Whittemore—and his old premises at 335 Third street, both filled with all the latest goods.

Between his two establishments Henry Niedecken had just about everything you’d need for school, home, or any trade or professional office. Along with custom-bound blank books and ledgers of every description, Niedecken had “Fancy Articles” of all types, “made with neatness and dispatch”; blank music paper, in sheets or albums; “Bibles, Hymn, Prayer and School Books”; and a selection of Gilt Picture Frames, “imported direct from Germany by himself.”

More Back to School on CHH

If you’d like more Clark House era school-themed history, here are links to some of the best such posts from the blog:

• Back to School, 1831: JMC in Stanstead?
• Back to School, 1839!
• Back to School, 1842!
• “J. M. Clarke” – Town Supervisor, 1846 (re: election of county school commissioners and increase in school tax)
• Caroline M. Clark’s classroom & curricula, 1858-1860
• Caroline Clark’s mentor, John G. McKindley
• Caroline Clark – from student to teacher
• Caroline Clark – public school teacher
• A Family Photograph! Jennie Clark Morrison, 1882 (Jennie’s dental school picture)
• And speaking of books… The Clarks, a family of readers…

We’ll have more on other Clark family members as scholars and as teachers in future posts.

Meanwhile, happy reading and see you soon!