Nash Finch Company Records
Collection Overview
Title: Nash Finch Company Records
ID: OGLMC1246
Primary Creator: Nash Finch (1885-)
Extent: 105.0 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 01/10/1992. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Business and Industry, Grand Forks - Business
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Nash Finch Company Records, 1849-present, have been organized into sixteen series:
Series 1: Company History
Series 2: Annual Reports
Series 3: Annual Meetings
Series 4: Meetings
Series 5: Company Financial Materials
Series 6: Individual Store Financial Materials
Series 7: Product History
Series 8: Correspondence
Series 9: Manuals/Procedures
Series 10: Training
Series 11: Publications
Series 12: Family Historical Materials
Series 13: Nash Foundation
Series 14: Photographs
Series 15: Artifacts
Series 16: Oversize Documents
Collection Historical Note
The Nash Finch Company began as a small family-owned retail business in rural North Dakota. In 1885, Fred Nash, with his brothers Edgar and Willis as partners, established a small confectionery and tobacco store in Devils Lake, North Dakota. A year later, the brothers expanded their business to include retail fruit and opened another fruit store in Devils Lake and one in Park River. After fire destroyed the original store in 1887, they relocated to Grand Forks.
Although the company was primarily involved in retail sales, by the time it moved to Grand Forks, the brothers had begun to sell surplus goods to other retailers. When, in 1889, a unique opportunity presented itself, the brothers were quick to expand into wholesaling. After a railroad car of peaches arrived in Grand Forks with no buyer, the brothers secured a loan to purchase the peaches and thus began the Nash Brothers wholesale business. By 1891, Nash Brothers company business was entirely wholesale and included fruits and other grocer lines.
Edgar Nash served as vice-president and manager of the Grand Forks store. After contracting tuberculosis in 1889, however, he moved to California upon his physician's recommendation. There, Edgar acted as the company's western representative, purchasing fruit and shipping it to Grand Forks for distribution. Edgar Nash died in 1896.
After Edgar left for California, the company hired its first non-family employee, Harry B. Finch. Hired initially to handle and clean fruit, Finch quickly assumed greater responsibilities in the company. In 1896, Finch became the manager of Nash Brothers first acquisition outside of North Dakota, Smith Wholesale Company of Crookston, Minnesota.
The company's second major acquisition came in 1904 when it bought the Minot Grocery Company. Nash Brothers devised an innovative scheme to realize the purchase. By reducing its credit terms with retail customers from twelve to six months, the company freed enough cash to buy the Minot Grocery. Finch was placed in charge of this company and also of the Grand Forks Mercantile Company, acquired in 1905, to bolster Nash Brothers operation as a full-line grocery and fruit brokerage. That same year, Nash Brothers formed a partnership with another Grand Forks produce brokerage, C.H. Robinson Company, and Finch was named its vice-president. In 1913, two years after Robinson's unexplained disappearance, Nash Brothers purchased controlling interest in C.H. Robinson Company.
Expansion of Nash Brothers during the early years of its existence was financed in part by employee ownership. Nash Brothers was one of the first companies to provide its employees with an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Established in 1908, the plan enabled employees to invest in their company. The company, in turn, retained the right of first purchase when employees sold their stock. Although many company ESOP's failed during the Depression, that of Nash Finch continued to operate until World War II.
From 1907 to 1919, Nash Brothers enlarged their holding in the northwestern United States and parts of Canada by building or purchasing fifty-four fruit houses as well as related marketing, shipping, and grocery companies. For instance, in 1916 the company purchased the Caldwell Company, a coffee importer and provider of Nash Brothers "No-Vary Coffee." Fred Nash was president of the Nash Coffee Company until his death in 1926. He was succeeded by Harry Finch. Nash Coffee Company remained a subsidiary of the Nash empire until it was sold to the Otis McCallister Company of San Francisco in 1959.
By 1919, Nash Brothers had expanded its business holdings and territory to such an extent that the company thought it necessary to move its headquarters to a location more accessible to the nation's fresh fruit and grocery markets. On November 13, 1919, Nash Brothers closed its Grand Forks offices and moved to Minneapolis, a rapidly growing urban and regional distribution center.
In 1921, to take advantage of the state's flexible laws, Nash Finch was incorporated in Delaware. Consolidation formed two corporations, Nash Finch Company and Nash-Simington Ltd. of Canada, but did not include the subsidiary of the C.H. Robinson Company, which remained the operation's shipping and brokerage arm. Fred P. Nash was Nash Finch's first president and Willis K. Nash the company's first treasurer. Willis was also president of the Nash Company, incorporated in 1919 to hold company stock for the Nash family. He served as Nash Company's president from 1926 to 1930, chairman of the board from 1930 to 1940, and vice-president from 1940 until his death in 1956 at age 87.
Harry Finch was named president of Nash Shareholders, incorporated in North Dakota in 1922 as Nash Finch's investment division. It ceased operations in 1937 when Merchant Finance Company assumed total responsibility for company investments. Merchant Finance was established in 1932 to assist those independent retailers, with whom Nash Finch dealt, in their capital investment pursuits during the Depression. Also in 1932, Nash Finch sold its Canadian business interests. That sale freed enough capital to buy the company during the Depression. Moreover, Nash Finch was able to buy out competitors and establish a private store brand, "Our Family."
Finch succeeded Fred Nash as president after Nash's death in 1926 at age 66. Finch became chairman of the board in 1929 when W.E. Dietz was named president. Finch resumed the presidency in 1932. In 1939, Finch was named again as the company's chairman of the board and served in that capacity until 1953. Harold Finch, son of Harry Finch, was president of Nash Finch from 1939 through 1961, when he was appointed chairman of the board, a position he held until 1967. His son, Harold B. Finch Jr., was elected president in 1978 and chairman of the board in 1985.
In addition to its notable business ventures, the Nash Finch Company has a distinguished history of philanthropic activities. Chief among these was the Helping Hand Society, established in 1922 to "care for the sick, aged, and disabled, ministering to the needs of the poor, and for the advancement of promotion of charitable aims." In 1931, the society was renamed the Nash Foundation. Since then, foundation monies have aided employees, provided scholarship, and supported other charitable causes.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Numeous additions have been donated:
Bill Roberts, Nash Finch Company: August 1993 (94-1935); May 1995 (95-2018); June 16, 1995 (95-2019)
John Nash (grandson of Fred P. Nash), Minnetonka, Minnesota: June 22, 1994 (94-1961); December 15, 1995 (95-2049)
Nicholas Nash (grandson of Willis K. Nash), White Bear Lake, Minnesota: March 13, 1995 (95-2009); March 25, 2001 (2001- 2497)
Mary Lois Lowe, (granddaughter of Fred P. Nash), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in 1995 (95-2039)
Mary Lois Nash Coons, Port Royal, South Carolina: November 18, 1998 (2000-2469)
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Robert Nash, Vice President and Treasurer, Nash Finch Company
Acquisition Method: Donation; 92-1796
Related Publications: Gjovig, Bruce. Boxcar of Peaches: the Nash Bros. & Nash Finch Company: the First Fifty Years; Our Family. Grand Forks: Center for Innovation & Business Development, 1990.
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Nash Finch Company Records. OGLMC 1246, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Finding Aid Revision History: The finding aid was significantly revised in 2012 and 2014. The finding aid was made publically viewable in September 2014.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Company History],
[Series 2: Annual Reports],
[Series 3: Annual Meetings],
[Series 4: Meetings],
[Series 5: Company Financial Materials],
[Series 6: Individual Store Financial Materials],
[Series 7: Product History],
[Series 8: Correspondence],
[Series 9: Manuals/Procedures],
[Series 10: Training],
[Series 11: Publications],
[Series 12: Family Historical Materials],
[Series 13: Nash Foundation],
[Series 14: Photographs],
[Series 15: Artifacts],
[Series 16: Oversize Documents],
[All]
- Series 14: Photographs
- Contains photographs related to the Nash family, the Company, its products, and its properties.
- Sub-Series A: Non-oversized Photographs
- Contains the photographs that are housed in the regular Photograph Collection file cabinets.
- Photograph 1: Three Nash brothers with their assistants, circa 1890
- Photograph 2: Three Nash brothers with their assistants (black and white), circa 1890
- Photograph 3: Three brothers with assistants (sepia tone), ca. 1890
- Photograph 4: Three brothers with assistants (colorized), ca. 1890
- Photograph 5: Willis Nash portrait (b&w), 1885
- Photograph 6: Fred Nash portrait (b&w), 1885
- Photograph 7: Edgar Nash portrait (b&w), 1885
- Photograph 8: Willis Nash portrait (sepia tone), 1885
- Photograph 9: Fred Nash portrait (sepia tone), 1885
- Photograph 10: Edgar Nash portrait (sepia tone), 1885
- Photograph 11: Nash Bros incorporation certificate (b&w), July 1894
- Photograph 12: Nash Bros incorporation certificate (sepia tone), July 1894
- Photograph 13: Nash Bros N 3rd St location, ca. 1895
- Photograph 14: Nash Bros employees, ca. 1920
- Photograph 15: Nash Finch executives, ca. 1918
- Photograph 16: Harold B. Finch's desk in Crookston, MN, 1907
- Photograph 17: Slocum-Francis store on S. Broadway, Crookston, MN (b&w), ca. 1910
- Photograph 18: Slocum-Francis store on S. Broadway, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), ca. 1910
- Photograph 19: Finch-Winslow-Carlisle, Crookston, MN: No-Vary Coffee promotion, ca. 1910
- Photograph 20: Office of Finch-Smith Company, Crookston, MN, April 1901
- Photograph 21: Nash Finch executives, Grand Forks (b&w), ca. 1935
- Photograph 22: Nash Finch executives, Grand Forks (sepia tone), ca. 1935.
- Photograph 23: Nash Finch executives, Grand Forks (b&w), ca. 1935
- Photograph 24: Nash Finch executives, Grand Forks (sepia tone), ca. 1935
- Photograph 25: Crookston, MN employees (b&w), August 1935
- Photograph 26: Crookston, MN employees (sepia tone), August 1935
- Photograph 27: Broadway Grocery, S. Broadway, Crookston, MN (b&w), ca. 1937
- Photograph 28: Broadway Grocery, S. Broadway Crookston, MN (sepia tone), ca. 1937
- Photograph 29: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (b&w), 1932
- Photograph 30: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932
- Photograph 31: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932
- Photograph 32: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932.
- Photograph 33: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (b&w), 1932
- Photograph 34: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932.
- Photograph 35: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932.
- Photograph 36: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932.
- Photograph 37: Mercil's store, Crookston, MN (sepia tone), 1932.
- Photograph 38: Nash Finch Company, Supply House employees, Bismarck, ND, 1934
- Photograph 39: Finch-Winslow-Carlisle Company office, ca. 1942
- Photograph 40: Broadway Grocery, S. Broadway Crookston, MN (b&w), ca. 1937
- Photograph 41: Field hands loading freshly picked tomatos, (McAllen, Texas?) ca. 1940's
- Photograph 42: Staked tomatos, East Texas, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 43: Ribbon-cutting at grand opening of Nash Finch Company in Ottumwa, Iowa, May 1948
- Photograph 44: Nash Finch Company building in Nebraska, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 45: Nash Finch Company employees?, Bismarck, ND, 1946
- Photograph 46: Unidentified store interior, May 1948
- Photograph 47: Unidentified store interior, May 1948
- Photograph 48: Annual outing, Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 49: Salesman's party, Eagles Nest Lodge, May 1942
- Photograph 50: Warehouse, Hutchinson, Kansas, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 51: Manager's party, Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, ca. 1942
- Photograph 52: Manager's party, Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, ca. 1942
- Photograph 53: Manager's party, Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, ca. 1942
- Photograph 54: Nash Finch Company employees, Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, ca. 1941
- Photograph 55: Nash Finch Company wagon in unidentified parade, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 56: Nash Finch Company building in Nebraska, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 57: Nash Finch Company office staff, 430 Oak Grove, Minneapolis, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 58: (Salesman's party?), Birchmont Lodge, Bemidji, MN, May 1940
- Photograph 59: (Nash Finch Company employees?), Bismarck, ND, 1947
- Photograph 60: (Salesman's party?), ca. 1940's
- Photograph 61: Top-notch salesman's party, Eagles Nest Lodge, ca. 1941
- Photograph 62: (Salesman's party?), ca. 1940's
- Photograph 63: (Salesmen?) at dinner, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 64: Salesman Red Bourman, June 1941
- Photograph 65: Managers and sales personnel, Park Grant-Morin Colton at warehouse in Watertown, SD., 1949
- Photograph 66: Nash Finch Company office staff, 430 Oak Grove, Minneapolis, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 67: (Salesman's party?) trap-shooting, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 68: (Salesman's party?) trap-shooting, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 69: (Salesman's party?) trap-shooting, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 70: (Salesman's party?) fishing trip, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 71: (Salesman's party?) sing-along, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 72: (Salesman's party?) sing-along, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 73: (Salesman's party?) fishing trip, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 74: (Salesman's party?) sing-along, ca. 1940's
- Photograph 75: Nash Bros Company, 5th and Demers, Grand Forks, ND, ca. 1947
- Photograph 76: George Olson & Sons, Fisher, MN, ca. 1935
- Photograph 77: Nash Coffee display at "Nelson Grocerteria," ca. 1935
- Photograph 78: Unidentified Nash Finch instructor, ca. 1974
- Photograph 79: Unidentifed Sun Mart store, ca. 1970
- Photograph 80: Photographs pertaining to NFCO centennial celebration at Warehouse Market, Hutchinson, Kansas, October 1985
- Photographs are labeled "a" through "z".
- Photograph 81: Photographs pertaining to NFCO centennial celebration at Food Bonanza, Garden City, Kansas, October 1985
- Photographs are lettered "a" through "n".
- Photograph 82: Photographs pertaining to Jack & Jill store destroyed by a tornado, Grand Island, Nebraska, June 1980
- Photographs are lettered "a" through "o".
- Photograph 83: Park Grant Company, Huron, SD, employees, April 1972
- Photograph 84: Park Grant Company, Huron, SD, employees, April 1972
- Photograph 85: Ground breaking at Grand Island, Nebraska Jack & Jill, after tornado destroyed original building (see photos 1246-82 a-o), November 1980
- Photograph 86: 1940 Nash, ND hockey team
- Photograph 87: Hank Monson's general store in Nash, ND, June 1943
- Photograph 88a: Nash, ND legion baseball team wearing uniforms purchased by Hank Monson in about 1950 from the Grand Forks Chiefs.
- Note: One of those uniforms is within this collection.
- Photograph 88b: Fred P. Nash, ca. 1865-66
- Photograph 89: Lois, Mary, and Ruth Nash in Grand Forks, 1901
- Photograph 90: Mary Nash in front of her Grand Forks home, 1904
- Photograph 91: Lois, Ruth, Mary, and Carl in front of their Grand Forks home, 1904
- Photograph 92: Maybel Nash holding Robert sitting with Ruth, Lois, Carl, and Mary (San Diego, 1904?)
- Photograph 93: Ruth, Carl, Lois, Mary, and Kathleen Hays at La Jolla, CA beach, Jan. 31, 1905
- Photograph 94: Maybel (Carl) Nash wedding portrait, Dec. 5, 1894
- Photograph 95: Fred Parks Nash wedding portrait, Dec. 5, 1894
- Photograph 96: Willis K. Nash portrait
- Photocopy of original that is an oversize portrait.
- Photograph 97: Fred Nash in wedding suit, 1894-95
- Photograph 98: Fred Nash, undated
- Photograph 99: Fred Nash, undated
- Photograph 100: Fred and Maybel Nash, about 1900-05
- Photograph 101: Maybel Carl (Nash), about 1871-72
- Photograph 102: Maybel and Clayton Lockport in New York, undated
- Photograph 103: Maybel Carl (Nash), undated
- Photograph 104: Maybel Carl (Nash), undated
- Photograph 105: Maybel Carl (Nash), 1894-95
- Photograph 106: Maybel Carl (Nash), undated
- Photograph 107: Maybel and friends, double sided photo, undated
- Photograph 108: Fred Nash and Marie(Tante) in California, undated
- Photograph 109: Lora Vanderhoef (Nash), Maybel, and Marie, 1898
- Photograph 110: Lora Vanderhoef (Nash), Maybel, and Marie, 1898
- Photograph 111: Lora Vanderhoef (Nash), undated
- Photograph 112: Willis Nash, October 22, 1896
- Photograph 113: Willis Nash and family, undated
- Photograph 114: Mary Ann Webster (Nash), about 1840
- Photograph 115: Mary Ann Webster (Nash), undated
- Photograph 116: Mary Ann Webster (Nash), undated
- Photograph 117: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 118: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 119: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 120: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 121: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 122: Fred Nash's family
- Photograph 123: Mary B. Nash, 1903
- Photograph 124: Mary B. Nash being held by Margot Schmitt, undated
- Photograph 125: Lois Nash and (?)Norton, undated
- Photograph 126: Ruth Nash with Margot and Walter Schmitt, undated
- Photograph 127: Carl and Bob Nash, October 1907
- Photograph 128: Melvin Carl, undated
- Photograph 129: Fred's house in Minneapolis, undated
- Photograph 130: Fred's house in Minneapolis, undated
- Photograph 131: Warren P. Nash's home in Vermont, undated
- Photograph 132: Nash Family Reunion, 1994
- Photograph 133: Photostrips and Negatives (on back)
- Photograph 1: Three Nash brothers with their assistants, circa 1890
- Sub-Series B: Oversized Photographs
- Contains photographs housed in the Oversize Photograph file cabinets.
- Sub-Series C: Negatives and Proofs
- This sub-series consists of the negatives and proofs of photographs related to the Nash Finch Company, the Nash Foundation, or the Nash Family.
- Sub-Series A: Non-oversized Photographs
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Company History],
[Series 2: Annual Reports],
[Series 3: Annual Meetings],
[Series 4: Meetings],
[Series 5: Company Financial Materials],
[Series 6: Individual Store Financial Materials],
[Series 7: Product History],
[Series 8: Correspondence],
[Series 9: Manuals/Procedures],
[Series 10: Training],
[Series 11: Publications],
[Series 12: Family Historical Materials],
[Series 13: Nash Foundation],
[Series 14: Photographs],
[Series 15: Artifacts],
[Series 16: Oversize Documents],
[All]