John W. Edwards is still among the younger of the businessmen of Redlands, although he has been successfully and continuously in business in this city for nearly eight years. Mr. Edwards is a native of England, where he was born in 1866. Ten years ago he came to California, and for about two years was connected with a wholesale grocery business in San Francisco. In the winter of 1890-1891 he established his present business in Redlands in partnership with L. H. Dutton. This partnership continued until July, 1896, when Mr. Edwards purchased his partner’s interest. The business was commenced in the store room at 110 Orange street, but in 1892 the continued growth of Redlands and a consequent increase in business rendered it necessary for the firm to have more room, and the store was enlarged to take in the adjoining store at 112 orange street, thus securing very large, handsome and attractive quarters.
Mr. Edwards has always made a specialty of catering to the best family trade and of carrying the best and purest goods obtainable, irrespective of cost. By this policy he has succeeded in building up a very desirable patronage. His ample store room is always fully stocked with a splendid assortment of all lines, plain or fancy, imported or domestic. Believing it to be well worth his while to cater to the most fastidious, Mr. Edwards has persistently followed the plan of making quality the question of prime importance, even when hard times have suggested a lowering in prices, which would have made it necessary a lowering of quality. His faith in this line of conduct as a business policy has been justified by the fact that his business has grown steadily from year to year and is larger in volume at the present time than ever before.
(Source: Illustrated Redlands, 1897, p. 74.)
