Editing Jewel-Osco (section)

===Beginnings with home deliveries===
In 1899, Frank Vernon Skiff founded Jewel in [[Chicago]] as a door-to-door [[coffee]] delivery service. In 1902, Skiff partnered with his brother-in-law Frank P. Ross, renaming the venture the '''Jewel Tea Company'''. By 1903, they had six routes, then 12 routes in 1904 with expansion into [[Michigan City, Indiana|Michigan City]], [[Kankakee, Illinois|Kankakee]], and [[Kewanee, Illinois|Kewanee]].<ref name=ct-1949may29>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1949/05/29/page/21/article/jewel-tea-co-celebrating-its-50th-year |title=Jewel Tea Co. Celebrating Its 50th Year |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=May 29, 1949 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page=A7 |id={{ProQuest|177755485}}}}</ref> There were 850 routes by 1915. In the early 1900s, it ran a "coffee train" of 40 cars carrying coffee beans exported from [[South America]].

During WWI, the company faced soaring costs for materials and production. Compounding this, the US government commandeered a key Jewel production facility. As a result, by 1919 the company was experiencing severe financial setbacks. Within a few years, it returned to profitability through the leadership of new company officials: retired Commanders John M. Hancock and Maurice H. Karker, who had both gained extensive logistics experience as US Navy supply officers during the war.<ref>Rear Admiral Frank J. Allston, ret., "World War I Supply Corps Officers Wartime Logistics Experience Benefits Food Company," The Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, May–June 1999.</ref>

In 1929, the company built [[Jewel Tea Company, Inc. building|a new office, warehouse, and coffee roasting facility]] in suburban [[Barrington, Illinois|Barrington]], Illinois, creating hundreds of local jobs despite the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.villageprofile.com/illinois/barrington/23jew/topic.html |title=An Inseparable Part of Barrington History - Jewel Tea |first=Eric |last=Peterson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030110222309/http://www.villageprofile.com/illinois/barrington/23jew/topic.html |archive-date=2003-01-10 |url-status=dead |date=<!--undated--> |newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]}}</ref> The Barrington location served as the headquarters and main warehouse facility for both the home delivery and food store divisions until the completion of the new warehouse and office complex at [[Melrose Park, Illinois|Melrose Park]] in 1953.<ref name=ct-1953jul24>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1953/07/24/page/53/article/jewel-to-build-big-project-in-melrose-park |title=Jewel To Build Big Project In Melrose Park: Warehouse-Office Cost is 4 Millions |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=July 24, 1953 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page=C7 |id={{ProQuest|178504437}}}}</ref>

In 1949, deliveries were provided on 1876 routes in 43 states to customers mostly in small towns. Customers in cities could visit 154 company-owned grocery stores.<ref name=ct-1949may29 />

Later, the service expanded to include 350 grocery and 10,000 general merchandise items by 1981 when Jewel sold its "Jewel Home Shopping Service" division to its employees and divest itself from its roots.<ref name=ct-1981feb01>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1981/02/01/page/85/article/jewel-is-severing-a-part-of-its-roots |title=Jewel is severing a part of its roots |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=February 1, 1981 |first=Janet |last=Key |pages=N1, N6 |id={{ProQuest|172295538}}}}</ref> At the time of the divestiture, the division provided service to customers in mostly small towns located along 1000 routes in 42 states.<ref name=ct-1981jan30>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1981/01/30/page/58/article/jewel-plans-transfer-of-shopping-service |title=Jewel plans transfer of shopping service |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=January 30, 1981 |first=Elizabeth |last=Brenner |page=C10 |id={{ProQuest|172222770}}}}</ref> The division became a 700-member owned cooperative called "J.T.'s General Store" in which route sales persons were independent agents.<ref name=ct-1983sep30>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1983/09/30/page/82/article/betty-mcfadden-officer-of-major-retail-company |title=Betty McFadden, officer of major retail company |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=September 30, 1983 |first=Kenan |last=Heise |page=B10 |id={{ProQuest|176035522}}}}</ref>

In October 1994, a group of the company's managers acquired the assets of "J.T.'s General Store" and "created J.T. Dealers Sales and Service". By 1995, "J.T. Dealer Sales and Service" was providing service to 60,000 customers along 250 routes in 35 states.<ref name=ct-1995may14>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/05/14/special-delivery-33/ |title=Special Delivery: J.T. Dealer Puts Service On The Doorstep |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=May 14, 1995 |first=Michele |last=Mohr}}</ref>