Kelley-How-Thomson Company records

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: S4440

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of certificates of incorporation and by-laws and a history of the company; minutes 1908-1910; titles, leases, deeds 1887-1959; contracts, correspondence and minutes; stock ledgers 1902-1913; financial statements and balance sheets 1919-1944, 1945-1957; personnel 1956; appraisal 1917; and one black and white photograph of the buildings.

Dates

Creation: 1887-1957

Creator

Kelley-How-Thomson Company (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

In 1873 R. A. Costello opened a tin shop on North First Avenue East. The tin shop burned and the business moved to Superior Street. Costello sold the business to his brother, J. J. Costello, but reentered the firm in 1887 and operated it as the J. J. and R. A. Costello hardware store for the next seven years. The Costellos bowed out in 1895 when controlling interest went to Mike H. Kelley and J. F. Killorin, Duluth lumbermen. They changed the name to Kelley Hardware Co. In 1902 D.W. How joined the company and the store name changed to Kelley-How. It was this organization that set up the Kelly-How-Thomson wholesale hardware company, operating the store as a retail branch. The retail store remained a unit of the wholesale house until 1928, when it was acquired by E. A. Bergeron and renamed Kelley-Duluth Hardware Company. Marshall-Wells bought out Kelley-How-Thomson in 1955 with Kelley-How-Thomson continuing under its own name as a subsidiary of Marshalls-Wells. In January 1958 Kelley-How-Thomson consolidated with Marshall-Wells, becoming Marshall-Wells-Kelley-How-Thomson. In December 1958 Coast-to-Coast Stores of Minneapolis bought Marshall-Wells-Kelley-How-Thomson Duluth Division.

Extent

1.50 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Physical Location

This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.

Related Materials:

NEMHC Archival Collections S3614 Marshall-Wells Company records

NEMHC Archival Collections S2265 Marvin Meierhoff photograph collection

NEMHC Print Collection Kelley-How-Thomson Catalog Folio TS405 .M3 1958