John V. Farwell & Co.

John V. Farwell & Co. was a department store in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The store's history traces back to 1836, when the Wadsworth brothers came to Chicago to sell goods. E. S. Wadsworth eventually formed a partnership with Thomas Dyer and John Putnam Chapin as Wadsworth, Dyer & Chapin. Following a series of ownership changes, the company fell under the executive control of John Villiers Farwell, for whom the company was renamed. A profitable clothing store, Philip Wadsworth & Co., was later spun off from the company. John V. Farwell & Co. was the most successful store in the city until the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. The store continued to operate after the fire, but faced stiff competition from former partners Marshall Field and Levi Leiter. It was purchased by Carson, Pirie & Co. in 1926.