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Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States and by the end of the Civil War Lieutenant General of the Union Army. He served from 1839-1854 as an Officer in the U.S. Military, earning valor in the Mexican-American War, but became a national figure with his service from 1861-1869 as part of the Union Army. During the Civil War, Grant was instrumental in the Capture of Vicksburg and later through repeated assaults on Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s troops was able to force an unconditional surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. These victories catapulted him to the White House where Grant served as the 18th President from 1869-1877. Grant’s Presidency was marred by the slow Reconstruction process of the Southern states. However, his crowning political achievement was the ratification of the 15th amendment that guaranteed federal protection for non-whites to have the right to vote in elections regardless of color, race, or previous condition of servitude. 

This button is part of a set of 31 that were issued as premiums in Cracker Jack.

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James Buchanan was born in 1791 in Pennsylvania, graduating from Dickinson College in 1809. After being admitted to the bar in 1812, Buchanan gained success and wealth in his profession and  through investments.He gradually sought more political involvement as a U.S. Senator and later, Secretary of State in President James Polk’s cabinet.

A member of the Democratic Party, Buchanan became the fifteenth president of the United States, serving prior to the Civil War from 1857-1861. Buchanan has the distinction of being the only bachelor president as well as the only president from Pennsylvania. Buchanan is likely remembered most for his failure to prevent the secession of the Southern states and his subsequent mishandling of the North and South conflict i

Brown and white illustration of a dog

The German Shepherd was originally used for herding sheep in Germany but the breed’s intelligence, agility, and other desirable qualities has led to a prominent role working with police/military and for those in need of a guide dog. This working dog’s popularity increased in the United States in the 1900s with canine star Rin-Tin-Tin but faced adversity after World War II and anti-German sentiments. The breed remains popular today, ranking as the second most registered breed of nearly 200 dog breeds, according to the American Kennel Club.

Illustration of a man's head and shoulders on a slight blue background over blue text

George Washington, was a general in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) before becoming the first president of the United States in 1789. Known as a Founding Father, Washington helped establish independence from Britain and the creation of a government for the new nation. Washington served two terms as President, careful to establish a standard of integrity for his successors of a government ruled by the people. Washington retired to Mount Vernon, his Virginia plantation, which remains a national landmark today. Washington is memorialized in many landmarks across the country including the nation’s capital, “Washington, D.C.”, as well as the U.S. dollar bill and quarter.

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The Contractors’ Furniture and Carpet Co. was in operation from the late 1940s through the 1950s in District 5 of Chicago, IL. Contractors’ issued several advertising campaigns using pocket-sized measuring tapes, some of which featured popular drink recipes.

Measuring tapes with centimeter and inch markings were developed in the 1820s. Prior to this development, tailors would use a strip of paper unique to each customer with a coded system of notches made into the paper to indicate the person’s measurements. Since the notch system was not codified, each tailor had their own individual code. The introduction of marked fabric measuring tapes allowed for standardized drafts to be made for garments such as a basic shirt.

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North West Federal Bank opened on January 1, 1925 in Chicago, in the area now known as Portage Park. The bank closed on February 20, 1982, in a major merger with LaSalle Bank N.A. In 2007, LaSalle Bank N.A. merged with Bank of America. North West Federal Bank's slogan in 1977 was, “A sound place to save." They advertised being open 63 hours a week.

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Black and white illustration of a range on white background with an outer red edge with white text and red text on an inner white circle with a black stripe across the center with white text

Eternal kitchen ranges with "eternametal" flues were the main feature of an advertising campaign by Engman-Matthews Range. A kitchen range company founded by Harry Engman Jr. in the early 20th century, Engman-Matthews was based in South Bend, Indiana, where several other kitchen range companies operated at the time. One such company, The South Bend Range company, was founded by Jacob Woolverton and William Kizer in 1898.

The South Bend Range company primarily sold coal and wood kitchen ranges, and one of their early partners was Harry Engman Jr. Engman Jr. left not long after beginning his partnership with South Bend Range to establish his own stove manufacturing company, Engman-Matthews Range. Engman-Matthews marketed "eternametal" amalgamated copper and steel kitchen ranges that were supposed to outlast any wear and tear. While their competitor, South Bend Range Company, continued selling ranges late into the 20th century, Engman-Matthews Range did not last past the end of the 1920s. 

Illustration of a building with a blue sky and green tree over a dark brown area with white text and dark brown text on a white background

Cutler's Funeral Home, now Cutler-O'Neill-Meyer-Woodring, is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Its former buildings were built in the mid-to-late 1800s.

Prior to the 1970s, many funeral homes, including Cutler's, operated ambulance services. Funeral home hearses were convenient emergency vehicles due to their ability to fit a person laying down on a stretcher. This unregulated practice gradually ended with the passage of the 1966 Highway Safety Act, which established stricter federal guidelines for emergency medical services. Individual states still maintain varying EMS rules and regulations. 

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Born in 1919 in Clio, Alabama, George Wallace was the 45th Democratic governor of his home state, serving four non-consecutive terms. Wallace ran for President three times, but his 1972 campaign was cut short due to an assassination attempt. He was shot and ultimately paralyzed from the waist down. Because of this, he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Wallace returned to serve as governor two years after the assassination attempt, holding the office from 1975-1979 and 1983-1987. He was most well known for his staunch opposition to desegregation although in the late 1970s, during his third term as governor, he renounced his views.