Marshall Field: The Merchant Prince (Titans of Fortune)

Biographical profile of Marshall Field, founder of the Chicago store bearing his name and benefactor of the 1893 Columbian Exposition and what is now known as the Field Museum of Natural History. The New York Times called Field the "richest merchant in the world," and ""the largest individual taxpayer in the United States." When he died in 1906 the papers reported an estate valued at $150 million. Field was a pioneer in the evolution of department stores and mass merchandise retailing and wholesaling--long before the arrival of Costco or Walmart. Author Daniel Alef traces Field's Horatio-Alger-like story from his youthful days on a small rural farm to the halls of the rich and famous, a man who became one of the largest landlords in Chicago and New York City. [1,804-word Titans of Fortune biographical profile]