THE PETTIT DEPARTMENT STORE 
IN
PEABODY AND HERINGTON KANSAS
AN ARTICLE EXTRACTED FROM THE PEABODY NEWS 1901
Contributed by Charmaine Keith (charmain@southwind.net) 24 November 1998

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Peabody news
1901

	Fifteen years ago this month the Pettit Department store was launched in Peabody by 
Van Petten & Pettit without a clerk.  Mr. Pettit, then a young man just starting in business, 
swept the store, cleaned the lamps and mailed all the advertising matter, often working late 
into the night.  D. E. Lamb, a young man without experience, now partner and resident manager 
of the Pettit & Lamb Department store at Herington, was their first clerk and is a splendid 
example of what energy and honesty of purpose can accomplish in a live pushing concern that 
never stands still; that firmly believes if you are not going ahead you are going back. Few 
people have any idea of the amount of thought, tireless work and real study required to bring 
this business from what it was fifteen years ago to its present efficiency and magnitude.

	They soon began to reap the benefit of well-directed and honest efforts. The business 
grew from the start. In less than two years they doubled the size of the store, taking in the 
room on the north. In November 1892 Mr. Van Petten retired, Mr. Pettit becoming sole proprietor, 
and here he says the best efforts of his life were put forth. He practically did the work of 
two men.

	The business continued to grow. Many of their largest customers today were their customers 
nearly fifteen years ago and attest to the advantage of a live store in any community. 
That is business has grown all can see. That it is still growing is shown from their sales 
books, which show an increase every month this year and the one just closed was the largest 
May business they ever had. They are now celebrating their fifteenth anniversary with a big 
sale throughout the whole establishment.

	They hope to make the great store greater and if appearances count for anything they 
will do it. Yet it does look like a mighty undertaking to in crease a full-grown business.
In March 1895 the department store of Pettit & Lamb was opened in Herington. They pursued 
the same liberal, straight forward, aggressive movements there that characterized their Peabody 
business. It was somewhat of a revelation to Heringtonites to have such a store but the 
showed their appreciation of it. The patronized it; they told their friends about. They 
were loyal. The results were sure and quick. They now employ thirty- seven sales people in 
both stores; occupy 14,500 square feet of floor space crowded to the ceiling to carry their 
immense stocks, and are known all over Kansas as big aggressive merchants. Comparing this 
with fifteen years ago with one small store and no clerks it does seem marvelous. While these 
businesses have grown the expenses have not kept pace with the sales and their percent of 
expense today is not so heavy as it was fifteen years ago. While they have many clerks to 
pay they all sell goods and lots of them. Rent, light and fuel and hundreds of legitimate 
expense items are just the same with only a few salespeople as they are with many and when 
it is figured on sales of thirty-seven people it's a mere trifle.

	It is also true that their advantages in buying have been magnified many fold. They 
are not staggered by quantities. They have the outlet. When stores can point to the wonderful 
growth which these have made you can depend upon it there is some valid reason for it.