The Black Company Records
Collection
Identifier: Mss 401-Oversize 21
Scope and Content
The Black Company Records consist of paid invoices, ledgers, and statements from the early 1930s. Most of the transactions are from Fargo businesses operating during this time. There are also a number of blueprints related to the construction and remodeling of the Black Building and a few of the Black’s Store.
The Invoice Series consists of paid invoices from various Fargo businesses between 1931 and 1934.
The Ledger Series consists of rent payment information made to the Black Company between 1920 and 1936.
The Returned Checks and Statements Series consists of returned checks and statements from the Merchant’s National Bank & Trust Company of Fargo from 1930 to 1940.
The Black Building Construction Series consists of information pertaining to the cost and construction of the Black Building.
The Black Company Blueprint Series, located in Oversize 21, map cases, contains three folders with drawings of the original Black Building, Elm Tree Square, Sears, all located at 114-118 Broadway, in the first folder. The second folder contains drawing of Blacks Store Without A Name, City Centre located at 110-112 Broadway. The third folder are miscellaneous drawings for the original Blacks store located at 110 Broadway, an office space for Dr. Fercho, Boiler Addition to the Graver Inn, and the Eighty Niner Apartments. The final folder contains the Black Building newsletter “The Blue Print”.
The Invoice Series consists of paid invoices from various Fargo businesses between 1931 and 1934.
The Ledger Series consists of rent payment information made to the Black Company between 1920 and 1936.
The Returned Checks and Statements Series consists of returned checks and statements from the Merchant’s National Bank & Trust Company of Fargo from 1930 to 1940.
The Black Building Construction Series consists of information pertaining to the cost and construction of the Black Building.
The Black Company Blueprint Series, located in Oversize 21, map cases, contains three folders with drawings of the original Black Building, Elm Tree Square, Sears, all located at 114-118 Broadway, in the first folder. The second folder contains drawing of Blacks Store Without A Name, City Centre located at 110-112 Broadway. The third folder are miscellaneous drawings for the original Blacks store located at 110 Broadway, an office space for Dr. Fercho, Boiler Addition to the Graver Inn, and the Eighty Niner Apartments. The final folder contains the Black Building newsletter “The Blue Print”.
Dates
- 1922-1990.
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives.
History
In 1912, George M. Black moved to the Fargo area to expand his family’s business. His father, Leslie Black, had already established a Black’s Store in Little Falls, MN. As George was changing trains in Fargo during a business trip, he decided to take a quick tour around downtown to get a sense of whether business would flourish in this location. He was impressed by what he saw, and opened a Black’s Store at 112 Broadway in Fargo on June 12, 1912.
As business thrived in Fargo for the Black’s, George purchased more property on Broadway to accommodate a larger store. Black’s Store had been in business for seventeen years before it was sold in 1929 to the Sears Roebuck Company. Instead of moving out of the Fargo area, George used the money he received in the sale of his store to build the famous Black Building sitting at 118 N Broadway in Fargo. The Black Building was constructed in 1930 by Fargo construction company named T.F. Powers and Company, designed by architects Lang, Raugland, and Lewis of Minneapolis along with Fargo associates Braseth and Houkom. When the building was complete, it was eight stories tall with the two lower levels occupied by the Black-Sears store while the remaining six were to be used as office space. WDAY had leased the eighth floor of the building for a number of years.
George M. Black ended his association with the Sears business in 1934 then decided to open another business after learning Sears had let several of his employees go. On September 1, 1934 he opened his new store on First Avenue called the Store Without a Name. The story behind the name is after George had lost his rights to use the name ‘Black’ when he sold the Black Building to Sears, he held a contest to find a new name for his store. While the names were being compiled for the contest, it was called StoreWithout a Name until Jean Fagerwick of Fargo came up with the acronym SWAN as the new name. Most people continued to refer to it as Store Without a Name, but the logo is that of two swans flanking ‘Store Without a Name’.
The store remained on this site for twenty-seven years until George Black’s nephew, William Bunce, took over management when it was moved back near the original Broadway location, where Scan Design is currently located. The name of the store was changed to Black’s in 1961 and focused on women’s apparel. Later, a branch of the store was opened in West Acres by George’s son-in-law William Schlossman. After 1981, the downtown store was replaced by City Center, Inc.
As business thrived in Fargo for the Black’s, George purchased more property on Broadway to accommodate a larger store. Black’s Store had been in business for seventeen years before it was sold in 1929 to the Sears Roebuck Company. Instead of moving out of the Fargo area, George used the money he received in the sale of his store to build the famous Black Building sitting at 118 N Broadway in Fargo. The Black Building was constructed in 1930 by Fargo construction company named T.F. Powers and Company, designed by architects Lang, Raugland, and Lewis of Minneapolis along with Fargo associates Braseth and Houkom. When the building was complete, it was eight stories tall with the two lower levels occupied by the Black-Sears store while the remaining six were to be used as office space. WDAY had leased the eighth floor of the building for a number of years.
George M. Black ended his association with the Sears business in 1934 then decided to open another business after learning Sears had let several of his employees go. On September 1, 1934 he opened his new store on First Avenue called the Store Without a Name. The story behind the name is after George had lost his rights to use the name ‘Black’ when he sold the Black Building to Sears, he held a contest to find a new name for his store. While the names were being compiled for the contest, it was called StoreWithout a Name until Jean Fagerwick of Fargo came up with the acronym SWAN as the new name. Most people continued to refer to it as Store Without a Name, but the logo is that of two swans flanking ‘Store Without a Name’.
The store remained on this site for twenty-seven years until George Black’s nephew, William Bunce, took over management when it was moved back near the original Broadway location, where Scan Design is currently located. The name of the store was changed to Black’s in 1961 and focused on women’s apparel. Later, a branch of the store was opened in West Acres by George’s son-in-law William Schlossman. After 1981, the downtown store was replaced by City Center, Inc.
Extent
3 Linear Feet (3 linear feet.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Records of the George M. Black Company, Fargo, North Dakota business responsible for the Black Building, Blacks Store Without A Name, and various other commercial enterprises.
Provenance
Donated by Kilbourne Group in 2017 (Acc. 2017-056irs; 2019-117irs).
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to The Black Company Records
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu