Emergence of Plumbers and Specialized Fixtures

L. Wolff Manufacturing Company, Plumbing Goods, 1912

Creator: L. Wolff Manufacturing Co.
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37288)

By the early twentieth century, Chicago enterprises such as L. Wolff Manufacturing Company manufactured and marketed plumbing goods of every description. With factory offices on the Near West Side and showrooms in the Loop, the Wolff Company offered builders bathroom fixtures including baths, water closets, and more.

See also: Construction; Building Trades and Workers

Montgomery Ward & Co., Economy in Plumbing, 1918

Creator: Montgomery Ward & Co.
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37406)

By 1918, demand for plumbing extended beyond the reach of urban water and sewerage systems. Mail order enterprises, like Montgomery Ward & Company, offered consumers self-contained systems which could bring the urban amenity of indoor plumbing to country houses as well. Slowly, indoor plumbing became a part of houses in any location, not just in those located within urban, or suburban, water districts. This catalogue was designed to sell indoor plumbing beyond the bounds of urban systems.

See also: Mail Order

Crane Company Plumbing & Heating Pamphlet, 1956

Creator: Crane Co.
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHI-37407)

By the 1950s, Crane Company was one of the leading producers of plumbing and heating equipment in the U.S. Headquartered in Chicago, the company manufactured valves, fittings, pipes, kitchens, plumbing, and heating. Crane's products were part of the post-World War II building boom that took place on Chicago’s Southwest and Northwest Sides, as well as in the suburbs.

See also: Construction; Built Environment of the Chicago Region