Marshall-Wells Hardware merchandise is loaded and ready for delivery to various railroad lines for transport. The first horse-drawn sleigh will take the orders packed into it to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha depot. The truck behind the sleigh is destined for the Soo Line depot. The next in line will be shipped on the Great Northern railway and the one after that will go to the Northern Pacific. The Union Depot served seven railroads including the GN and NP. It still stands as the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center. All of the other depots are gone. The Marshall-Wells Company started in 1886 as Chapin and Wells Company a wholesale hardware business. Albert Morley Marshall, son of Seth, bought controlling interest in 1893 and changed the name to Marshall-Wells Company. The company grew to include 14 wholesale offices throughout the northwestern U.S. and Canada. In 1955 Ambrook Industries Inc. of New York bought controlling interest. Kelley-How-Thomson and Marshall-Wells merged January 1, 1958. Kelley-How-Thomson had been a subsidiary of Marshall-Wells since 1955 when Ambrook bought Marshall-Wells and reorganized. The Coast-to-Coast Stores bought the Duluth division of Marshall-Wells-Kelley-How-Thomson Company in 1958, which ended the Duluth firm's operation. Also in the image are the People's Hotel 246 Lake Avenue South, and the Lyceum Theater billboard.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Lake Avenue is perpendicular to Superior Street in downtown Duluth. Lake Avenue runs up and down the hillside. In Duluth, you are either directed "up the hill" or "down the hill", "away from the Lake" or "toward the Lake." Lake Superior is the primary fixture we orient people to. Lake Avenue is the road that leads you to the Aerial Lift Bridge. When you have crossed the bridge you are on South Lake Avenue on Minnesota Point. The businesses on South Lake Avenue in Canal Park are the businesses "below" Superior Street en route to the Bridge. Many of the buildings on South Lake Avenue are original frame or brick and stone buildings dating from the 1870s and 1880s. The little frame building at the right in the foreground of this photograph is 241-243 South Lake Avenue, the Standard Salt and Cement Company. Across the avenue is General Electric Supply Company at 244-246 South Lake Avenue. The board walk is still functioning. The Coast-to-Coast Stores bought the Duluth division of Marshall-Wells-Kelley How-Thomson Company in 1958, which ended the Duluth Marshall-Wells hardware firm's operation. The sign is not fibbing, Marshall-Wells was in fact the world's largest wholesale hardware company.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Aerial view of Main Street facing northeast. Photograph taken from Schumachers. Businesses identified include Hadac Market in the red building and City Club Bar.
Aerial view looking north. North south road in photograph is Columbus Avenue. In the center of photo is Saint Wenceslaus School and Saint Wenceslaus Church. On the lower right side is the eighth hole of the New Prague Golf Course. Written on the back of photograph is 'Chuck from Sharkey's plane.'
Aerial view from the newly constructed water tower in Heron Lake looking west showing a steam operated train from the Chicago, St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad Company. Included in this image: the railroad spur to Dundee, the Koch Elevator on the right, the Heron Lake Creamery on the left, and various houses (all still in existence in 2008).
Image shows an aerial view of city of New Prague facing northwest. On the upper left of the image is the New Prague Mill, the center of the photograph shows the mill pond, and on the lower right is Saint Wenceslaus church.
Real photographic postcard of downtown Shakopee. The image shows the intersection of First Avenue and Lewis Street. Also visible in the image are Jacob Ries Bottling Works, Inc. and St. Mark's Catholic Church. Printed along the bottom edge of the image is "Shakopee, Minn." The card is unused.
An aerial view of Pine River showing the new water tower on the left and the older water tower on the right. Some of the town's most iconic buildings have been removed by this time.
Image includes view of Presbyterian church, 116 Court Street South; Grace Methodist Church, 216 Junius Avenue West; M. Benson building, 201 Lincoln Avenue West; Otter Tail River; Court Street and Union Street bridges; Park Region Lutheran College in background on right.
This photograph shows the aftermath of a lumber yard fire in St. Peter. Grace street is at right. Identified structures include Old Main, the city water standpipe, the Konsbruck Hotel, Feldman's tin shop, the high school, and the Central Hotel.