The End of the Credit Era in Coulee City
Local merchants announce a shift to a 'cash-only' economy, aiming to eliminate debt and reduce consumer prices.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
On and after July 1st, 1916, the undersigned retail dealers of Coulee City will discontinue the sale of goods on credit and will sell for cash only, thereby making a great saving to the farmers and other patrons. We believe that by selling for cash we can reduce the price enough to pay any one to borrow the money from his banker and eliminate the trouble and worry of keeping accounts. There will be no discount from the selling list. Prices will be reduced and we will have one price to all.
“We believe that by selling for cash we can reduce the price enough to pay any one to borrow the money from his banker.”
This 1916 shift highlights the transition from localized, relationship-based credit systems to a modern cash-flow economy. Today's debates over credit card surcharges and digital-only payments echo this early 20th-century friction between merchant efficiency and consumer purchasing power.
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