Legacy of Marshall Fields

For over 150 years, Marshall Field and Company was Chicago’s store, run by the most innovative retailer of the 19th century. Chicago natives could easily identify a Field’s shopping bag at a hundred paces, and Chicago brides weren’t really getting married until they registered at Marshall Field and Company. Marshall Field and Company’s history is tightly entwined with that of Chicago. Most significant events in Chicago history have a Marshall Field and Company connection, including the Chicago Fire, the Eastland disaster, and the 1892 World’s Fair. Many of the city’s cherished institutions have been funded in part by Field dollars including the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Historical Society (now known as the Chicago Historical Museum), the Museum of Science and Industry, and the UIC. In this presentation, McHenry County College professor, Dr. Sarah Sullivan, will review the events, features, and personalities that made Marshall Field’s Chicago’s store. The 2026 Coffee Talk Series is generously supported by Village Bank & Trust.