Reyleck’s Department Store Records, 1929-1995
Collection Overview
Title: Reyleck’s Department Store Records, 1929-1995
ID: OGLMC1303
Primary Creator: Reyleck's Department Store (1887-1995)
Extent: 5.5 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 02/27/1995. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Business and Industry, Grafton, North Dakota
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Reyleck’s Department Store Records dates from 1929-1995, and has been divided into six series.
Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Financial
Series 3: Store History
Series 4: Legal
Series 5: Advertisements
Series 6: Oversized Material
Collection Historical Note
Reyleck’s was a department store in Grafton, North Dakota. The store was founded in 1887 by W.W. Reyleck and closed for business in 1995.
Walter Winslow Reyleck was born in Austria in 1861. After immigrating to the United States, he lived for a time in Sauk Center, Minnesota. He moved to Grafton, North Dakota, in 1884. Three years later, he and two other partners, Thomas Scotland and James Rosholt, bought out a retail store in Grafton named the Chicago Store. The partnership dissolved by the end of 1887, and Reyleck took on a different partner, John Borch. This arrangement lasted until 1889, when Reyleck took over sole ownership of the store.
The name of the store changed to Reyleck’s in 1911, when the W.W. Reyleck Company was organized. Reyleck served as President, his wife as Vice-President, and Edward A. Casper as Secretary-Treasurer. The business moved several times during its early years, before settling into a building at 532 Hill Avenue in October 1916. Reyleck’s was a true department store, selling groceries, shoes, and men’s, women’s and children’s clothing.
W.W. Reyleck retired from the business in 1927 and sold his shares to Edward Casper, A.E. Carlson, T.A. Driscoll, and D.J. LaBerge. Reyleck moved to Los Angeles, California, where he died in June 1946. That same year saw Richard LaBerge, son of D.J. LaBerge, begin working in the store. He eventually became the co-owner of Reyleck’s, along with Murphy Callahan.
Business remained steady from the 1950s through the 1970s, until Reyleck’s began facing increased competition from larger stores in Grand Forks and Fargo during the 1980s. After more than a decade of declining business, Reyleck’s closed in February 1995.
Sources: "100 Years in Grafton," Supplement to the Walsh County Record, Box 2, Folder 23
A 100 Year Look at Grafton, North Dakota, 1882-1982. Grafton Centennial Corporation and the City of Grafton: 1982.
"End of an Era." Grand Forks Herald. 30 January 1995
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Accruals: Additional material was donated by Richard P. LaBerge, President, and Murphy Callahan, Vice President, Reyleck's Department Store, on May 5, 1999 (Acc.99-2292).
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Richard P. LaBerge, President, and Murphy Callahan, Vice President, Reyleck's Department Store, Grafton, North Dakota
Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.95-2007
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Reyleck's Department Store Records. OGLMC 1303, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid input to Archon in October 2014.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Correspondence],
[Series 2: Financial],
[Series 3: Store History],
[Series 4: Legal],
[Series 5: Advertisements],
[Series 6: Oversized Materials],
[All]
- Series 1: Correspondence
- This series consists of eight folders mainly dealing with communication between store employees and management, as well as general correspondence concerning other business related activities.
- Series 2: Financial
- This series contains financial materials mainly from the 1970s – 1990s.
- Box 1
- Folder 9: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1985
- Folder 10: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1986
- Folder 11: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1987
- Folder 12: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1988
- Folder 13: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1989
- Folder 14: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1990
- Folder 15: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1991
- Folder 16: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1992
- Folder 17: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1993
- Folder 18: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1994
- Folder 19: Financial Statements: January 31, 1989
- Folder 20: Financial Statements: December 31, 1990
- Folder 21: Financial Statements: January 31, 1990
- Folder 22: Financial Statements: December 31, 1991
- Folder 23: Financial Statements: December 31, 1992
- Folder 24: Financial Statements: December 31, 1993
- Folder 25: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1929-1955
- Folder 26: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1956-1959
- Folder 27: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1960-1969
- Folder 28: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1970
- Folder 29: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1971
- Folder 30: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1972
- Folder 31: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1973
- Folder 32: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1974
- Folder 33: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1975
- Folder 34: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1976
- Folder 35: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1977
- Folder 36: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1978
- Folder 37: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1979
- Folder 38: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1980
- Folder 39: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1981
- Folder 40: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1982
- Folder 41: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1983
- Folder 42: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1984
- Folder 43: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1985
- Folder 44: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1986
- Folder 45: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1987
- Folder 46: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1988
- Folder 47: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1989
- Folder 48: Income Tax – State and Federal: Fiscal 1990
- Folder 49: Income Tax – State and Federal: Calendar 1991
- Folder 50: Income Tax – State and Federal: Calendar 1992
- Folder 51: Income Tax – State and Federal: Calendar 1993
- Folder 52: Income Tax – State and Federal: Calendar 1994
- Folder 53: Income Tax – State and Federal: Calendar 1995
- Folder 54: Inventory: 1977-1993
- Folder 55: Last Day of Business: Auction Contract
- Folder 56: Last Day of Business: Dissolution
- Folder 57: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1960 – December 1965
- Folder 58: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1966 – December 1973
- Folder 9: Checking Account Summaries: Calendar Year 1985
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1974 – December 1979
- Folder 2: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1980 – December 1984
- Folder 3: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1985 – December 1989
- Folder 4: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1990 – December 1994
- Folder 5: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1959 – December 1977
- Folder 6: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1978 – December 1983
- Folder 7: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1984 – December 1986
- Folder 8: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1987 – December 1988
- Folder 9: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1989 – December 1991
- Folder 10: Sales and Use Tax Returns: December 1992 – December 1994
- Folder 11: Trial Balance: January 1951 – December 1959
- Folder 12: Trial Balance: January 1960 – December 1968
- Folder 13: Trial Balance: January 1969 – December 1976
- Folder 14: Trial Balance: January 1977 – December 1983
- Folder 15: Trial Balance: January 1984 – April 1995
- Folder 1: Monthly Expense Statements: January 1974 – December 1979
- Box 1
- Series 3: Store History
- This series mainly consists of 100th Anniversary information about the store, including guest books, pictures, and a scrapbook. This series also contains three coins that were used as store credit, and one folder of store photographs.
- Box 2
- Folder 16: Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings
- Folder 17: History – Coins (used for store credit)
- Folder 18: History – Old Store Photographs
- Folder 19: History – Store sign and Store stamp
- Folder 20: 100th Anniversary – Guest Books
- Folder 21: 100th Anniversary – Letters and Cards
- Folder 22: 100th Anniversary – 35 millimeter negatives of Photo’s
- Folder 23: 100th Anniversary – Newspaper Clippings
- Folder 24: 100th Anniversary – Photographs
- Folder 25: 100th Anniversary – Centennial Plaques
- Folder 26: 100th Anniversary - Scrapbook
- Folder 16: Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings
- Box 2
- Series 4: Legal
- This series contains five folders and deals with correspondence between attorneys as well as court related items concerning the store.
- Series 5: Advertisements
- This series consists of two folders containing Reyleck’s Store Ads from 1965 to 1986.
- Series 6: Oversized Materials
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Annual Sales Records – Loose pages: 1989 – 1995
- Folder 2: Auction: February 22, 1995
- Folder 3: Blueprint: February 1, 1966
- Folder 4: Daily Sales Register Ledger Book: 1941 – September 1952
- Folder 5: Daily Sales Register Ledger Book: October 1952 – June 1963
- Folder 6: Daily Sales Register Ledger Book: July 1963 –1989
- Folder 1: Annual Sales Records – Loose pages: 1989 – 1995
- Box 4
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Correspondence],
[Series 2: Financial],
[Series 3: Store History],
[Series 4: Legal],
[Series 5: Advertisements],
[Series 6: Oversized Materials],
[All]