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Manuscripts by Subject - Business / Commerce - #10472

Title: Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce Records

Dates: 1968-1983

Collection Number: 10472

Quantity: 5.25 feet

Abstract: Consists of minutes, correspondence, memos, subject files, committee files, reports, audits, and financial statements.

Provenance: The State Historical Society of North Dakota acquired the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce Records as a gift from the Chamber in December 1987 and June 1989. This collection was processed and the inventory prepared by Lotte Bailey, December 1989.

Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.

Copyrights: Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce has dedicated such copyrights as it possesses in this collection to the public. Consideration of all other copyrights is the responsibility of the researcher.

Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of
North Dakota.

Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.

Transfer: Three-fourths of a foot of material was removed from the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce and transferred to the appropriate collection management area of the State Archives. One-half foot of publications such as bulletins, magazines and newsletters was removed and transferred to the library collection.
Several photos were transferred to the Photo Archives, including one black and white photo depicting a high school hockey championship and three color photos of the City Center Incorporated taken in 1979.
Transferred to the ephemera collection were a button from the 20th Annual UND Potato Bowl and a shamrock celebration decoration book.

Related Material:
Oral history interviews on audio cassette tape with: Mary and Dorothy McSarry, Hume Lee, Oben Gunderson, Edith Thompson, Dr. Phillip Woutat, George Saumur, Lloyd Campbell, Dr. Elwyn B. Robinson.
Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce. Grand Forks: the Heart of the Rich Red River Valley.
Grand Forks: [1950?].

HISTORICAL SKETCH

Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce is considered the oldest commercial organization in North and South Dakota. Energetic and influential citizens of Grand Forks formed the Pioneer Club as a social organization in 1882 or 1893. Membership afforded many opportunities and the elegant surroundings of the club required that gentlemen be properly attired.

In 1904 the Commercial Club secured facilities from the Pioneer Club, thus incorporating the Pioneer Club with the Commercial Club. Officers were: E. J. Lander, president; Willis Nash, first vice president; Alvin Robertson, second vice president; F. S. Sargent, treasurer; and Mr. Cooley, secretary. Landers, Nash, and Robertson also served as members of the Board of Directors.

Articles of incorporation state that the object of the club "shall be to promote progress, increase trade and industries, acquire and disseminate valuable commercial and economical information, interchange views, and secure concerted action upon all matters concerning the public welfare". The Commercial Club promoted municipal improvements (e.g. development of a city beautification project), enhancement of social and educational features, encouragement of patriotism, and nurturing of the growth and development of Grand Forks. Because the organization encouraged a variety of interests, members were asked to become acquainted with their neighbors to make certain the future of Grand Forks would be insured.

In 1929, the Commercial Club changed its name to Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, and its offices were moved to city hall. Officers were Don E. Whitman, president, and W. W. Blain, secretary. The Chamber actively supported projects of industry and business in Grand Forks.

Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce is an association of business and professional people, promoting efforts for greater economic and civic development. Staff members include: executive vice president, assistant manager, director of transportation, bookkeeper, secretary, and the Grand Forks Development Foundation personnel. Officers and standing committees consist of president, president elect, and the vice presidents of the following divisions: Community Improvement, Area Economics, Community Relations, Internal Operations, and Traffic.

Sources:

Grand Forks Centennia1 Corporation. They Came t o Stay: Grand Forks Centennial, 1874-1974. Grand Forks: 1974.
Grand Forks Commercial Club. Grand Forks: 1907.
Grand Forks Illustrated : The Commercial Metropolis of North Dakota. Detroit: 1891.
Grand Forks Herald. June 26, 1904; March 1, 1936.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Records of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce date from 1968 to 1983 and measure 5.25 ft. The collection documents the activities of the Chamber and the part it played in all aspects of city life in Grand Forks. The bulk of the records date from 1977-1978 and 1980-1981. It consists of subject files arranged chronologically and alphabetically by keyword within each year.

BOX / FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1:

1. Highway # 2 1976
2. Accounts Delinquent 1978
3. Agribusiness 1977-1978
4. All-Purpose Building 1977-1978
5. Assistant Manager, Jerry Sandstrom 1978
6. Aviation 1977-1978
7. Board, Executive 1978
8. Chamber Keys 1978
9. Chamber Council 1978
10. City Beautification 1977-1978
11. City Center 1978
12. Congressional Action 1978
13. Convention and Tourist 1977-1978
14. Directors, Board of , Part A 1977-1978
15. Directors, Board of, Part B 1977-1978
16. Downtown Merchants 1978
17. Development Foundation 1978
18. Employment Trends 1978
19. Events Part A 1977-1978
20. Events Part B 1977-1978
21. Events Part C 1977-1978
22. Finance and Budget 1978
23. Financial Statement 1978
24. Free Enterprise Story 1978
25. Good Government 1977-1978
26. Greater North Dakota Conference 1976-1978
27. Honor Student 1977-1978
28. Law Enforcement Part A 1977-1978
29. Law Enforcement Part B 1977-1978
30. Law Enforcement Part C 1977-1978
31. Merchants, City-Wide 1977-1978
32. Miscellaneous 1977-1978
33. News Release, Public Schools 1978
34. Nominations and Elections 1978
35. North Forks 1978
36. Parking Ramp, City Center Promotion 1978
37. Potato Bowl Part B 1978
38. Potato Bowl Part B 1978
39. President George Unruh, Jr. 1977-1989
40. President-Elect, Bridston, Paul 1978

Box 2:

1. Retailers Association 1978
2. Safety Council 1977-1978
3. South Forks Merchants 1978
4. Speakers 1978
5. Sports and Recreation Part A 1977-1978
6. Sports and Recreation Part B 1977-1978
7. Sports and Recreation Part C 1977-1978
8. Streets and Highways 1978
9. United Way 1978
10. University of North Dakota 1978
11. Vice-President, Executive Board 1977-1978
12. Windson Goodies 1975-1978
13. Agribusiness 1979
14. All-Purpose Building 1977-1979
15. Good Schools Committee 1978-1979
16. Greater North Dakota Association 1975-1979
17. Military 1977-1979
18. South Forks Merchants 1978-1979
19. Agribusiness Committee 1978-1980
20. All-Purpose Building 1977-1989
21. All-Purpose Building, Task Force 1977-1978
22. Annual Meeting 1979-1980
23. Aviation 1977-1979
24. Board o f Directors 1979-1980
25. Board Retreat 1979-1980
26. Business Challenge 1979
27. Christmas Lighting 1977-1980
28. Citizen's Advisory Committee 1978-1980
29. City Beautification 1972-1980
30. City Center I 1972-1980
31. City Center II Part A 1978-1979
32. City Center II Part B 1978-1980
33. City-Wide Promotion I 1977-1980
34. City-Wide Promotion II 1979
35. Columbia Overpass 1978-1980
36. Convention & Visitors Bureau 1979-1980
37. Delinquent Accounts 1979
38. Directory of Metro GF Area Selective Service 1979
39. Executive Board 1979
40. Fish Fry 1976-1980

Box 3:

1. Good Schools 1978-1980
2. Governor's Special Airline Search Committee 1978-1980
3. Grand Forks Development Foundation 1978-1979
4. Greater Grand Forks Safety Council 1976-1979
5. Honor Student 1978-1979
6. Honor Students 1978-1980
7. Honor Students Banquet 1977-1978
8. Membership Drive 1979
9. Military Affairs I 1978-1979
10. Military Affairs II 1978-1980
11. News Releases 1978-1979
12. Nominations & Elections 1977-1980
13. Pornography Regulations 1979
14. Potato Bowl 1978-1980
15. Safety Council I 1979
16. Safety Council II 1979-1980
17. Safety Council III 1980
18. Sandstrom, Jerry 1979
19. Sec.V, Membership Financing & Fin. Respon n.d.
20. South End Committee 1979
21. South Forks Merchants, South End Comm. 1978-1979
22. Sports Bidding Part A 1977-1980
23. Sports Bidding Part B 1977-1982
24. Sports & Recreation I 1978
25. Sports & Recreation II 1978-1979
26. Streets & Highways 1979
27. Transit 1979

Box 4:

1. Transportation 1978-1979
2. U.S. Chamber Annual Meeting 1979
3. University of North Dakota Committee 1979-1980
4. Youth On Base 1978-1979
5. "1979" 1977-1979
6. Untitled I 1977-1979
7. Untitled II 1968-1980
8. Untitled III 1972-1979
9. Untitled IV Part A 1979
10. Untitled IV Part B 1979
11. A.C.C.E. 1980
12. Addressograph Sheets 1979-1980
13. Agri-Business Committee 1978-1981
14. All-Purpose Building 1980
15. Annual Meeting 1979-1981
16. Aviation & Traffic 1979-1981
17. Banquets 1981
18. BIDD 1980
19. Big Business Day 1980
20. Bulk Mail 1975-1981
21. Business Challenge 1980
22. Chamber Keys 1979
23. City Beautification 1980
24. City Center Boosters 1979-1981
25. City Center Inc. 1980
26. Columbia Mall 1977-1979
27. Columbia Road Part A 1976-1980
28. Columbia Road Part B 1972-1979
29. Congressional Action 1980
30. Convention & Visitors Bureau 1979-1980
31. Delinquent Accounts 1980
32. Executive Board 1980
33. Explorers Highroad 1977-1979
34. Fund Drives 1979-1981
35. Good Government 1973-1981
36. Good Schools Part A 1979-1980
37. Good Schools Part B 1979-1980
38. Good Schools Part C 1979-1980

Box 5:

1. Grand Forks Development Foundation 1974-1980
2. Greater North Dakota Association, GNDA 1976-1980
3. Job Services 1980
4. Kipplinger Letters 1980
5. Lease Agreement, Property 1980
6. Leigh, Kenneth D. 1976-1981
7. Leigh, Ken 1978-1980
8. Membership 1979-1980
9. Membership Drive 1979-1980
10. Military Affairs 1979-1981
11. Miscellaneous 1976-1979
12. Miscellaneous 1980
13. Mock-ups 1975-1980
14. Newsletter Fillers 1978-1981
15. News Releases 1981
16. Nominations & Elections 1979-1980
17. North Dakota Retail Association 1979-1980
18. Old West Region 1979-1980
19. Out of Town Newsletters 1980
20. Potato Bowl Part A 1979-1980
21. Potato Bowl Part B 1979-1980
22. Public Relations Committee 1980
23. Resume 1977-1980
24. Rowe, Clair D. 1980
25. Safety Council 1979-1981
26. Sales Tax 1977-1980
27. Sandstrom, Jerry E. 1980
28. South End Committee 1978-1979
29. Speeches 1980
30. Surveys 1978-1979
31. Transportation 1978-1980
32. Turtle River Park Association 1980
33. United Way 1978
34. University Committee 1980-1981
35. Wage & Price Standards 1979
36. White House Conference, Small B 1979
37. Windsor Publications 1978-1980
38. Untitled I 1980
39. Untitled II 1978-1979
40. Untitled III 1978-1980
41. Untitled IV 1978-1979
42. Untitled V 1980
43. Untitled VI 1979-1981
44. Untitled VII 1977-1981
45. Untitled VIII 1977-1980

Box 6:

1. Untitled I 1977-1980
2. Untitled II 1980
3. Transportation 1980-1983

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