KIENE FAMILY:

This collection is arranged by company or person into the following series:

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Kiene Family. Kiene Family Business Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 16,604

Transferred from the Northwest Minnesota Historical Center to the Minnesota History Society in 2001.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Alex Kent, November 2011.

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

When the collection was processed, boxes 35 and 36 were combined into one box; hence, there is no box 36 in the collection.

Catalog ID number: 990074131220104294

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Kiene Farms was incorporated on March 1, 1917 by Frank Kiene, Hannah M. Kiene and Alfred A. Berr. It was located in Kennedy, Minnesota. The capital stock was $200,000 and was divided into 2000 shares at $3100 each. Besides the major crops of potatoes, wheat, barley and flax, the general nature of the business included buying, acquiring, improving, leasing, owning, selling and dealing in lands and tenements.

In 1951 Frank Kiene was president, R. [Ruth?] E. Anderson secretary and Ell Kiene vice president. In 1956 Ell Kiene became president after his father Frank Kiene died in 1954. In August of 1944, Kennedy Trading Company merged with Kiene Farms, Inc. Kiene Farms, Inc. also owned 46 shares in Kittson Farm Bureau Service Association.

The Kiene family's landholdings included lands that once formed James J. Hill's Northwest Farm, an experimental property developed to test new strains of wheat and other crops. The Kiene family also owned businesses in Kennedy and Hallock, Minnesota. Kiene Farms, Inc. was at one point the largest privately owned farm in Minnesota.

The records include articles of incorporation, crop data, financial statements, ledgers and journals, cost estimates, inventories, stock certificates, tax statements, and general business correspondence.

Alphabetical subject files kept by Frank and Ell Kiene, and chronological subject files kept by Ell Kiene make up the majority of the records. They consist of records from business associates and include crop data, rental agreements, loan agreements, land sales and mortgage documents, deeds, insurance papers, accounts, legal papers, and related correspondence.

Administrative Files

General business correspondence

Alphabetical subject files

Chronological correspondence and subject files

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Frank Kiene was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1876, the son of Gustav and Pauline Kiene. The family first moved to Goodhue County, Minnesota and then to Kittson when Frank was six years old. His mother died when he was nine years old. Frank Kiene married twice. His first wife Rena C. Calmer died shortly after they were married. He married Hannah Berg on June 11, 1915, and they had one son, Ell. Hannah died on March 1, 1924. Frank Kiene died in 1954.

These files, kept by Frank Kiene, document his personal finances and tax payments, include correspondence with business partners and the Minnesota Potato Growers Association, of which Frank Kiene was president (circa 1924-circa 1926), and contain Kiene Farms, Inc. records such as grain records, potato data/information, crop yields and sales data, land purchases, applications, and sale documents. Papers related to Frank Kiene's estate are also included.

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Ell Kiene was born in 1917 in Kittson County, Minnesota, the son of Frank and Hannah Kiene. He graduated from Kennedy High School in 1935 and the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1940. He was mayor of Kennedy (dates unknown). On January 29, 1949 he married Margaret Luverne Woldy and they had a son and daughter. Together they operated the large grain and livestock enterprises known collectively as Kiene Farms. Ell Kiene spent his entire life in Kennedy and died in 1971.

These files were kept mostly by Ell Kiene and include personal financial statements, ledgers, correspondence, tax records, grain and potato records, and soil sampling information Papers related to Ell Kiene's estate are also included.

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Includes accounts kept by Ruth E. Anderson who served as secretary of Kiene Farms, Inc. (circa 1951) and who was also involved with several other family companies, often as treasurer or secretary.

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The McCabe Brothers were grain commission merchants based in Duluth with offices in Minneapolis, Winnipeg, and Spokane that the Kiene's worked with in pricing and selling their grain. On August 26, 1929 the Kennedy Trading Company was mortgaged to the McCabe Brother's Company for $12,800.00.

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The Kennedy Trading Company of Hallock, Minnesota was started in 1902 and incorporated March 20, 1917 with a capital stock of $200,000. The company started as a bulk tank station dealing in gasoline, light fuel oils, and related products. Later a general merchandise store was included that sold groceries, dry goods, shoes, and meats. The first board of directors was: Frank Kiene, president; J. E. Sundberg, secretary; and Ruth E. Anderson, treasurer. The Kennedy Trading Company also owned 17 shares of stock in Northern Jobbing Company of Chicago, Illinois. The Kennedy Trading Company was liquidated September 27, 1971 following the death of Ell Kiene.

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The Northwestern Implement Company was organized in 1937 in Hallock, Minnesota. Its owner was Ell Kiene, who became president after the company was incorporated on April 1, 1948. The secretary was Ruth E. Anderson and Clara Paulson was treasurer. Ell Kiene was the sole stockholder. The company dealt in farm implements, retail hardware and grain shipping. Its main grain, wheat, was shipped to Pills Mills Company in Duluth. The company had a share or preferred stock in Kittson County Locker System in Hallock, Minnesota.

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The Kennedy Implement Company was incorporated on April 1, 1908 by Frank Kiene, Lauritz Mlgaard and C. E. Johnson with a capital stock of $25,000 which was divided into 250 shares of $100.00 each. The nature of the business included wholesale and retail buying, selling and trading in tools, implements, produce, provisions, livestock, grains, hay, flour, and similar products. The company went out of business in 1925.

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The Sterling Store started January 1, 1937. At that time the store only dealt in groceries and a few meats. By 1942 Ell Kiene was the owner. The store was incorporated on May 1, 1945 with 1,000 shares; each with a par value of $100.00.

Ell Kiene was the president and treasurer, and sole stockholder. F. Moberg was the vice-president and Ruth E. Anderson the secretary. After incorporation the store expanded to include dry goods, meats, groceries, clothing, furniture, household appliances, farm machinery, supplies and other kinds of personal property. The store also dealt in livestock (cattle, horses, pigs, sheep and poultry), animal and poultry feeds and real estate of all kinds. It was merged with the Northwestern Implement Company on May 3, 1965.

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Incorporated March 18, 1948; liquidated, September 27, 1971. The Prairie Farms, Inc. was organized to absorb the last of the Kennedy Trading Company holdings and some of Frank Kiene's personal holdings.

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The Kittson County Implement Company was incorporated in 1919 and dealt mainly in farm implements. The first board of directors was C. E. Johnson, president, and Frank Bryden, treasurer. After they resigned Ell Kiene became president and Ruth E. Anderson, secretary. The major shareholders in the H. M. Wilcox Company bought the Kittson County Implement Company in April 1941. It was fully liquidated on March 16, 1942.

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Incorporated March 22, 1948; liquidated July 31, 1971.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Agriculture -- Minnesota.

Agriculture -- Finance.

Agricultural industries.

Family corporations.

Farm corporations.

Persons:

Anderson, Ruth E.

Kiene, Ell.

Kiene, Frank, 1876-1954, author.

Organizations:

Fairway Foods, Inc.

Home Furnishing Company.

Kiene Department Store.

Kiene Farms, Inc.

Kennedy Trading Company.

Kennedy Implement Company.

Kittson County Implement Company.

McCabe Brothers Company.

Northwestern Implement Company.

Prairie Farms, Inc.

Sterling Store.

Places:

Hallock (Minn.)

Kennedy (Minn.)

Kittson County (Minn.)

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