On this day, April 26, 1944, in Chicago, the US government took over retail giant Montgomery Ward.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Kevin M. Kruse Retweeted

79 years ago today in Chicago: the US government took over retail giant Montgomery Ward & physically ejected the company's millionaire chairman, Sewell Avery, after he defied an order from the National War Labor Board to recognize his workers' democratically elected union.

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Sewell Avery was a prominent member/funder of right-wing, anti-New Deal business groups like the Liberty League & Crusaders, which were implicated in the failed 1933-34 coup plot against FDR, as alleged by Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler (& dramatized in the 2022 movie 'Amsterdam').

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Wed Apr 26, 2023: On this day, April 26, 1944, in Chicago, the US government took over retail giant Montgomery Ward.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. The GOP and 'right wing' assholes have been greedy and hateful MOFOs for decades, haven't they?

[Wuddles440]

2. Interesting!

Thanks for sharing.

[MichMan]

3. Starbucks? n/t

[snowybirdie]

4. As a child

I always wondered why we never shopped at "Monkey Wards". This clarified things for me. Thanks

[jimfields33]

6. Didn't survive even after the government took over.

I went a few times. It’s a shame it closed. Many others have closed since then.

[MichMan]

7. Montgomery Ward lasted over 50 years after the government takeover ended in 1945

[ProfessorGAC]

8. The Store In My Hometown...

...closed early 90s. It was one of the last of their stores to shutter. I think only 4 were still open when thus one closed.
But yeah, that was 48 years after this event.

[3Hotdogs]

5. A maggot,

before maggots were a thing.