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
Cars along South Front Street, Mankato. Note on photo says,""110 Block, S. Front, West Side. Addresses 126-1185." Businesses include The Fair Store, The Florsheim Shoe store.
A horse-drawn wagon is shown heading north on Minnesota Avenue in St. Peter. From left to right, the buildings shown are the Cunningham Hotel, the Gorman building, and the Presbyterian Church. Mulberry street is between the Gorman building and the church.
Two motorcycles, one with a sidecar, in front of the building at 401 South Minnesota Avenue in St. Peter. The building contained both the Post Office and the Sorenson Millinery store when the photograph was taken. The men are, from left to right, Bill Ritt, Art Wacholz, and Jack Iverson.
First Suspension Bridge; note railroad tracks and toll keepers office in foreground; view from Minneapolis looking towards St. Anthony Falls; Winslow House Hotel can be seen in background.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Landscape view, publisher from Saint Paul. Minnestereographs of Minnesota Scenery, From Taylor's Book Store, St. Paul. Toll keeper's office and bridge abutment in foreground.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Streetscape; horse pulling a wagon with signage, "Gowan Peyton Trophy Co. Wholesale Groceries." In background is a storefront sign for the "Great Northern Railway" building.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library