Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce. Papers, 1926 - 1974

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: SMHC Collection 1238

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the papers of the Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce. Included in the collection are meeting minutes, financial records, correspondence, and ACT program records. This collection is separated into broad subject areas, which are in inverted chronological order. The oldest items are in the back of each folder since this is the way they were originally used.

Series 1 – Minutes and Correspondence

The first portion of the collection includes meeting minutes and correspondence. Most of the items in this series are in folders, but there are five bound volumes of minutes and correspondence. The series is divided by the subject group involved, and are filed in chronological order. Some of the groups included are: the Board of Directors, the Retail Division, and the Executive Committee. Included in this series are several volumes of “Paul Hadley’s Reading File”. This is a collection of correspondence, announcements, informational material, and memoranda, and is divided by subject and filed in chronological order.

Series 2 – Financial records

The second major portion of the collection involves the financial records of the Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce. Included in this portion are: payroll and income tax records, financial statistics, special events accounting, and ledger sheets. This portion is in chronological order, and divided by the type of material involved.

Series 3 - ACT

This final portion of the collection contains information pertaining to Active Community Thought (ACT). This was a community program instigated by the Chamber of Commerce, whose stated goal was to determine the resources and future needs of the Mankato area. The papers included are meeting minutes, planning reports, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. These items are arranged chronologically in folders divided by broad subject areas. Some of the major topics included are: flood control, land usage, housing, urban renewal, and local government.

Dates

1926-1974

Biographical / Historical

The Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce had its beginning in 1868, when the Mankato Board of Trade was incorporated by Mankato, Minnesota businessmen. The board was established to promote commercial activities in Mankato.

About 1906 the name was changed to the Mankato Commercial Club. Meetings were still held at the City Hall on a monthly basis. About 1921, the organization became known as the Civic and Commerce Association, and established headquarters at 317½ South Front Street. By 1924, the name was changed again, this time to the Mankato Chamber of Commerce, and the headquarters were moved to Jackson Street in Mankato.

In 1965 the organization became known as the Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce, and initiated the Active Community Thought (ACT) program. This program was a community project that was intended to determine the resources and future needs of the city of Mankato.

The organization continues to be in operation, with its headquarters at 122 South Riverfront Drive.

Extent

3.00 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of the papers of the Mankato Area Chamber of Commerce. Included in this collection are meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, and records from the Active Community Thought (ACT) program. This program was a special project undertaken by the Chamber of Commerce from 1965 until 1970, with the goal of determining the resources and future needs of the Mankato community. Most of the records of the organization from prior to 1930 have been destroyed. Those that remain are part of this collection.