The Niota: 1200 Square Feet For $942

Not a bad deal to buy 1,200 square feet of kit house for less than $1,000, even in 1916! The Sears Niota – despite its being a good value and a cute house – was not a popular model for Sears.  And yet, according to a small promotional ad that appeared in...

Cairo: Another View

In Spring 2010, I traveled to Cairo, Illinois to do research for my book, The Sears Homes of Illinois. In Cairo, I met up with a dear friend, Richard Kearney, who was kind enough to spend an entire day with the affable author (that’d be me). Richard, a lifelong...