Straus Clothing Company Ledgers

Collection

Identifier: Mss 3056

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a ledger that is labeled journal that details accounts and materials and a ledger that is labeled ledger and contains store accounts. These ledgers including expenses, merchandise, and employee accounts for both the Casselton and Valley City stores.

Dates

1908-1918.

Creator

Straus Clothing Company. (Organization)

Access

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

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection is held by the Institute.

Biographical / Historical

Straus Clothing began in 1879 when Adolph and Isaac Sternberg opened the first store in Sanborn, North Dakota. Mr. Sternberg then moved his family and the store to Valley City when it became the county seat in 1882. The store was on the first floor of the Kindred Hotel. Mrs. Sternberg’s cousin, M.G. (Morris G) Straus, arrived in 1897 and purchased a tore in Casselton, North Dakota while Mr. Sternberg opened a new store in Sanborn. Adolph Sternberg died in 1907, M. G. Strauss purchased the Valley City story from him and sent his nephew, Herman Stern to manage it. In 1920, Herman Stern fully owned and operated the Valley City store while Morris Katz led the Casselton store. Herman stern and his son Ed would go on to open a store in Fargo, North Dakota in 1936. In 1955 they expanded to Grand Rapids, and then in 1963 into Jamestown, North Dakota.

The store in Fargo would suffer a fire in 1963 but was rebuilt. A second store in Fargo was opened in 1979-1980 in the West Acres Mall. There were many changes between then including a new opening of Straus for Men in 2016. However, the company closed for good in March of 2018.

Herman Stern was born in Oberbrechen, German in 1887. He immigrated to the United States in 1903 after encouragement of his uncle, Morris G. Straus. He moved to Valley City, North Dakota in 1910 to help management of the Valley City store of Straus Clothing company. In 1912 he married Adeline Roth (who was related to Adolph Sternberg). They would go on to have two children, Richard Morris Stern, and Edward Roth Stern.

In the 1930s, with the help of Adeline and U.S. Gerald Nye, Herman, saved the lives of at least 140 German Jewish refugees by sponsoring them for visas and made arrangements to bring them to the United States. A documentary about his efforts, titled “The Mission of Herman Stern” was created in 2017. It was directed by Art Phillips and was shown at the Fargo Theater in Fargo, North Dakota.

Herman Stern was a member of the Casselton Lodge, No. 3 of Freemasonry. He was active in Rotary, founded the Greater North Dakota chamber, which promotes business and North Dakota tourism and developed the North Dakota Winter Show. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and helped with fundraising to build a regional camp for the Boy Scouts (which is now Camp Wilderness).

Herman Stern died June 20, 1980 in Valley City, North Dakota.

Extent

2 Volumes (Two leather ledgers.) : There is some red-rot on these ledgers

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection contains a ledger that is labeled journal that details accounts and materials and a ledger that is labeled ledger and contains store accounts.