ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

FANKHANEL'S VARIETY STORE RECORDS

COLLECTION: OGL #1435

DATES: 1930- 2001

SIZE: 6.5 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Fankhanel's Variety Store Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Earl Fankhanel of Hillsboro, N.D., on November 14, 2001 (Acc. #2001-2539).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

Fankhanel's Variety Store in Hillsboro, N.D. was a family-operated business for 66 years. Paul Fankhanel and his wife, Julia, opened the store in September, 1929. They ran the store until 1949, at which time Paul contracted tuberculosis. Paul died in 1964 followed by Julia in 1976. Paul and Julia had five children: Dolores, Earl, Lois, Julian, and James.

Earl Fankhanel, Paul and Julia's oldest son, returned to Hillsboro in 1949 after serving in the Navy Air Force. Earl and his mother operated the store together from 1949 until 1964, at which time Earl and his wife, Joyce, purchased the store.

The store sold a variety of merchandise including crystal ware, kitchen items, crafts, and clothing. There was also a candy counter which was well-known for selling penny and bulk candy. Fankhanel's candy counter was the only one in the state which sold "Brach" candy in bulk.

Fankhanel's Variety Store closed in 1995 upon the retirement of Earl and Joyce Fankhanel.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Fankhanel's Variety Store Records consist of materials related to the history of Fankhanel's Variety Store in Hillsboro, N.D.

Series I: Personal Material
The first series contains personal scrapbooks pertaining to the store's anniversaries, 1979 to 1994. To better preserve contents of the scrapbooks, materials from the books were removed from their original three-ring binder, while still maintaining original order. Box 1, Folder 1-13

Series II:Inventory
The second series consists of the store's annual inventory from 1940-1995. Box 1, Folder 14- Box 2, Folder 18

Series III:Finances
The third series includes the store's financial information including taxes, check stubs, and expenses, dating from 1930 to 1995. Box 2, Folder 19- Box 4

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder
SERIES I: Personal Material

  1. Newspaper Clippings, 1995-2001
  2. 50th Anniversary, 1979
  3. 50th Anniversary, 1979
  4. 50th Anniversary, 1979
  5. Hillsboro Centennial, 1981
  6. Hillsboro Centennial, 1981
  7. 60th Anniversary, 1989
  8. 60th Anniversary, 1989
  9. Earl and Joyce 40th Wedding Anniversary, 1989
  10. Earl and Joyce 40th Wedding Anniversary, 1989
  11. 65th Anniversary, 1994
  12. 65th Anniversary, 1994
  13. 65th Anniversary, 1994

SERIES II: Inventory

  1. 1940
  2. 1941, 1943
  3. 1942
  4. 1947
  5. 1951
  6. 1952
  7. 1953
  8. 1954
  9. 1955
  10. 1956
  11. 1957
  12. 1958
  13. 1959
  14. 1960
  15. 1961
  16. 1962
  17. 1963
  18. 1964
  19. 1965
  20. 1966
  21. 1967
  22. 1968
  23. 1969
  24. 1970
  25. 1971
  26. 1972
  27. 1973

Box 2
Folder

  1. 1974
  2. 1975
  3. 1976
  4. 1977
  5. 1978
  6. 1979
  7. 1980
  8. 1981
  9. 1982
  10. 1983
  11. 1984
  12. 1985
  13. 1986
  14. 1987
  15. 1988
  16. 1989
  17. 1990
  18. 1994

SERIES III: Finances

  1. Retail Pricing, 1944-1946
  2. Retail Pricing, 1951-1952
  3. Invoices, 1968
  4. Expenses- Milage, 1968-1979
  5. Expenses, 1970-1983
  6. Expenses, 1984-1995

Check Stubs

  1. #1800-2096, September 1935- October 1936
  2. #2103-2396, November 1936- December 1937
  3. #916-1071, March- September 1944
  4. #300-611, February 1945- January 1946
  5. #1840-1935, August- November 1949
  6. #5359-5598, December 1964- December 1965
  7. #15325-15636, December 1992- December 1993
  8. #15637-15924, January- December 1994

Taxes

  1. 1951-1960
  2. 1961-1970
  3. 1971-1980
  4. 1981-1988
  5. Excise Tax Records, 1958-1963

Miscellaneous

  1. Certificate: 10 Year Member of Variety Distributers, Inc.

Box 3
Income Tax Record Books

1930-1932
1933-1934
1935-1937
1937-1939
1939-1949

Box 4
Income Tax Record Books Cont.

1949-1954
1954-1959
1959-1960
1960-1963

SEPARATIONS RECORD

One income tax record book from 1964-1995 was wrapped in schrim weave and placed on the shelves adjacent to the Fankhanel's Variety Store Records.

One audio tape was separated and placed in the audio tape collection.
#2044:Interview with Earl Fankhanel on Fankhanel's Variety Store's 65th Anniversary, August 13, 1995.

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