Edward F. Wahl Company (Wahl's Inc.) records

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: S4425

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains directors minutes, 1901-1936; and articles of incorporation, 1894-1921; correspondence, 1911-1979; stockholder notices, proxies, and certificates, 1901-1935; purchasing; accountant's reports, 1912-1918; employees' payroll, 1901-1905, 1934-1972; wage adjustment application Federal Department of Labor records, May 1943-February 1946; union development, 1938-1950; strike, 1946; audits, 1911-1940; titles, 1861-1925; rent and rent adjustments, 1915-1948; sale and leases, 1901-1950; contracts; appraisals, 1948, 1962, 1968; insurance, 1924-1956; taxes, 1909-1955; inventory and dales by department, 1913-1945; sales by salesperson, 1941-1946; marketing documents, 1928-1943; architectural drawings, Fair Department Store, 1926, Frank Labovitz, Gulivson, Ellingsen & Erickson Inc; architectural drawings and pneumatic tube system, Mark Fitzpatrick, W. A. Hunt, Starin & Melander, Thomas J. Shefchik, 1911-1949.

Dates

Creation: 1894-1979

Creator

Wahl's Incorporated (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

George A. Gray came to Duluth July 5, 1888. He worked two years in the retail store of J. T. Condon, 18 months for Duluth Iron & Steel, and 11 years at Friemuth's department store, rising from bookkeeping to office manager. Gray watched Huntington & Tallant "The New Store" from 1900, the business of S. W. Huntington and Frank E. Tallant, which became Hendren & Tallant Company, dry goods, in 1901 under William T. Hendren and Tallant, both of Minneapolis. With Gray's investment the store became the Gray & Tallant Company department store in 1902, and incorporated as the George A. Gray Company April 4, 1911. Edward Frederick Wahl, born in Illinois in 1886, came to Duluth in 1924 to manage Gray's. It became the Edward F. Wahl Company in 1935. It was a general department store with a board of five directors. Wahl died in Duluth in 1962. Wahl's closed in 1986, at its stalwart location of 117 West Superior Street.

Extent

3 boxes

19 Volumes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

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.

General

This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library, and are on permanent loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.