Northern School Supply Photograph Collection

Collection

Identifier: Photo 2062

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The photographs were received with the other Northern School Supply records at the time of its closure in 1997. The photographs were organized into two series: Buildings and Employees. The records were organized as a separate collection, Manuscript 197. The Buildings Series consists of exterior and interior photographs of its buildings in Fargo, N.D. and Great Falls, Montana. The Fargo exterior photographs show the Northern School Supply building from different angles. Included is one 4x5 in. color transparency. There is an exterior photograph of its building in Great Falls, Montana. The interior photographs of the Fargo facility show the floor display area, the offices, and the storage, packing, and shipping areas. Few of the images are dated, although some are partially identified. The Employees Series includes primarily snapshots of employees, general managers, and president. The employee photographs were taken at various times of the year and at special gatherings such as retirement or farewell parties. Many of the snapshots are dated and identified. There are two group photographs, one of all the employees and one of the management. The management photographs are of general managers E. M. Kvikstad and Charles H. Kimball, and president J. A. Burger.

Dates

1920 - 1990

Creator

Northern School Supply (Fargo, N.D.) (Organization)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection remain with the creators.

History

Northern School Supply was founded in 1911 at Fargo, North Dakota when Fred V. Hutchinson and Walter L. Stockwell agreed to organize a school supply company. The co-founders saw their business grow and formed new branch offices in Great Falls, Montana and Portland, Oregon. Northern School Supply also made acquisitions of other companies. When the Greenwood Stationary Company of Fargo, N.D. went out of business, Northern School Supply bought the controlling shares and reorganized it as Dacotah Paper. Northern School Supply sold Dacotah Paper in 1959 to F.W. Mohr and Vernon R. Ranger. In 1975 Northern School Supply had retail and warehouse operations in Fargo and Great Falls Montana, a new retail outlet in Minot, and fifteen of their 100 employees serving as salespeople covering a five-state region. Also in 1975 Northern School Supply offered its employees an opportunity to purchase company stock over a ten year period, an offer many accepted. On October 31, 1997 Northern School Supply closed after eighty-six years in business. It was bought out by School Specialty Inc. of Appleton, Wisconsin.