Roy's Corner Store (Verendrye N.D.) Records
Collection
Identifier: Mss 3109
Scope and Content
The Roy’s Corner Store Collection has been broken down into seven series: the Invoice Series, the Promotional Series, the Family Business Series, the Correspondence Series, the Multimedia Series, the Artifact Series, and the Ledger Series.
Invoice Series contains invoices from the businesses Roy’s Corner Store purchased goods and services from mostly between the period of 1955-1958. It also has daily cream reports, invoices from debt collection agencies, electric cooperative self-billing books, Farmers Union merit certificates, and tax information.
Promotional Series has various promotional items for Roy’s Corner Store, such as matchbooks, calendars, post cards, and stationary.
Family Business Series is made up of the land deed from the sale of the store from Nick Abel to Roy and Millie Howe and the records from the auction that was held before the Howes moved to Minot.
Correspondence Series has letters written to the Howes regarding billing disagreements, service requests, and responses to classified ads all dated between 1952-1958. March of Dimes pledge sheets from 1953-1957 and Easter Seals donations from 1957 are also included.
Multimedia Series consists of two photographs – one of Roy and Millie Howe and one of the exterior of the store – as well as several 8mm home movies of Verendrye and its people celebrating, working, and hunting.
Artifact Series holds many objects from the collection, including promotional pencils and rain gauge, invoice books from the 1940s and 1950s, vendor catalogs, and handwritten notes on land and townspeople.
Ledger Series contains the store’s inventory records from 1953-1957, credit and account books, and complete business ledgers from 1945-1958.
Invoice Series contains invoices from the businesses Roy’s Corner Store purchased goods and services from mostly between the period of 1955-1958. It also has daily cream reports, invoices from debt collection agencies, electric cooperative self-billing books, Farmers Union merit certificates, and tax information.
Promotional Series has various promotional items for Roy’s Corner Store, such as matchbooks, calendars, post cards, and stationary.
Family Business Series is made up of the land deed from the sale of the store from Nick Abel to Roy and Millie Howe and the records from the auction that was held before the Howes moved to Minot.
Correspondence Series has letters written to the Howes regarding billing disagreements, service requests, and responses to classified ads all dated between 1952-1958. March of Dimes pledge sheets from 1953-1957 and Easter Seals donations from 1957 are also included.
Multimedia Series consists of two photographs – one of Roy and Millie Howe and one of the exterior of the store – as well as several 8mm home movies of Verendrye and its people celebrating, working, and hunting.
Artifact Series holds many objects from the collection, including promotional pencils and rain gauge, invoice books from the 1940s and 1950s, vendor catalogs, and handwritten notes on land and townspeople.
Ledger Series contains the store’s inventory records from 1953-1957, credit and account books, and complete business ledgers from 1945-1958.
Dates
- 1941-1982
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
Roy’s Corner Store was owned and operated by Roy and Amelia “Millie” Howe from 1945 until its final closure in 1958. The store was in Verendrye, North Dakota and started in 1914 by Leo Zabak, who then sold it to Nick Abel in 1934, whom the Howe’s bought it from in 1945. Founded in the early 1910s along a cut-off of the Great Northern Railroad, Verendrye was originally named Falsen until 1925 when the name was changed to honor Pierre de la Verendrye, a French-Canadian explorer of the region. It was located in McHenry County in the Mouse River valley of north central North Dakota and was home to Norwegian and German from Russia ethnicities. Population peaked at 100 in 1938, but the last residents moved out of Verendrye in 1970 and the former townsite is now a farmstead.
Roy Alvin Howe was born on March 18, 1912 in Velva, North Dakota. He graduated from the Velva Agricultural High School in 1929. In January 1935 he married Amelia “Millie” Enders and they would be married until Roy’s death. Amelia Enders was born on December 17, 1910 near Garrison, North Dakota. They had no children. Roy and Millie bought Nick Abel’s Corner Store in 1945 and would operate the store until 1958 when they moved to Minot. During this time, Roy helped found the Verendrye Electric Cooperative, which is still in operation today. After moving to Minot, Roy worked for Mitchell Hardware and the Moose Lodge before passing away from a heart attack on August 4, 1967 at just 55 years old. Millie would work at the City Bakery and helped in the kitchen at the Moose Lodge. Millie never remarried and passed away in 1995 at age 84.
Roy Alvin Howe was born on March 18, 1912 in Velva, North Dakota. He graduated from the Velva Agricultural High School in 1929. In January 1935 he married Amelia “Millie” Enders and they would be married until Roy’s death. Amelia Enders was born on December 17, 1910 near Garrison, North Dakota. They had no children. Roy and Millie bought Nick Abel’s Corner Store in 1945 and would operate the store until 1958 when they moved to Minot. During this time, Roy helped found the Verendrye Electric Cooperative, which is still in operation today. After moving to Minot, Roy worked for Mitchell Hardware and the Moose Lodge before passing away from a heart attack on August 4, 1967 at just 55 years old. Millie would work at the City Bakery and helped in the kitchen at the Moose Lodge. Millie never remarried and passed away in 1995 at age 84.
Extent
3.5 Linear Feet (3.5 linear ft)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The records of Roy's Corner Store in Verendrye, North Dakota. Records date from 1941-1082.
Provenance
Donated by Jackie Marler, 2020 (Acc. 2020-048irs).
Separated Materials
The following non-manuscript items have been removed from the Roy’s Corner Store Records and sent to the sections indicated:
Artwork Prints
Print of a painting done by Mrs. Julius (M. Gjellstad) Hauge of the home of Roy and Millie Howe (Ephemera collection AR.E53)
Advertising Poster
Poster advertising the auction of the contents of Roy’s Corner Store (Ephemera collection AG.A92)
Artwork Prints
Print of a painting done by Mrs. Julius (M. Gjellstad) Hauge of the home of Roy and Millie Howe (Ephemera collection AR.E53)
Advertising Poster
Poster advertising the auction of the contents of Roy’s Corner Store (Ephemera collection AG.A92)
Property Rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Roy's Corner Store (Verendrye, N.D.) 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