Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 73
The Tilden Store Company
Records, 1919-1971, n.d.


Descriptive summary

creator:

The Tilden Store Company
title:

Records
dates:

1919-1971, n.d.
extent:

1.42 linear ft. (4 document boxes)
collection number:

MS 73
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

The Tilden Store Company Records, MS 73, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Historical note

The Tilden Store began as the retail store of Bigelow, Huntington, and Tilden on April 15, 1869 in Ames. George Tilden bought out his partners (D. A. Bigelow and H. C. Huntington) and the firm was dissolved in 1884. George Tilden continued on alone. Primarily a clothing store (the original grocery store was later moved to a different location), it remained in the Tilden family until it went out of business in 1971. Almost as remarkable as being in the same family for over a century, the store remained at the same location on Main Street, at 203 Main Street, for all those years.

 

Collection description

This collection (1919-1971, n.d.) contains correspondence, business evaluations, promotion data, budget records, sales records, store stationary, delivery list, list of accounts past due, original newspaper accounts of the store, blueprints, photographs, and advertisements that ran in the Ames Daily Tribune and Ames Advertiser. Plans of the store's building include blueprints of the original store and remodeling plans from 1961. Included among the photographs of the storefront and merchandise is one of a Tilden billboard advertisement stating "If you don't find what you want in Des Moines, try Tilden's."

For additional Tilden Store material, please visit the Ames Historical Society. For collections related to the Tilden family here in the Special Collections Department, see the Tilden/Brown Family Papers (MS-247), Winifred R. Tilden Papers (RS 10/7/11) and Farwell T. Brown Papers (RS 21/7/151).

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Correspondence: business and political

1934-1971

1

2

Correspondence: Simplicity pattern

1947-1960

1

3

General Concerns: business evaluation by John R. Hall Corporation, customer survey

1936

1

4

General Concerns: business form samples

n.d.

1

5

General Concerns: promotion data

1948- 1968

1

6

General Concerns: writings of Clark D. Tilden, notes, lecture, The Use of the Standard Frequency Curve as Applied to Apparel Sizes pamphlet

1933-1954, n.d.

1

7

General Concerns: Iowa State University Memorial Union certificate (monetary gift), Ford "standard panel" warranty

1931-1935

2

1

Store Records: budget records and planning sheets

1962-1964

2

2

Store Records: financial and legal records, includes president's annual report, annual corporation report, real estate tax receipts, and personal affairs record

1923-1957

2

3

Store Records: merchandise plan, charge book, inventory sheets

1965-1968

2

4

Store Records: sales records

1961-1965

2

5

Store Records: stock control records

n.d.

2

6

Store Records: calendar, store stationary, form letters, accounts past due, delivery list

1932-1935

2

7

Tilden Store History: newspaper accounts

1919-1924

3

1

Business literature: bulletins include Department Stores and Semi Department Stores No. 1-5, National Retail Selling Institute, Teaching Systems Corporation, Direct Retail Selling Vol. 1-6

1951-1965

4

1-6

Advertising: Ames Daily Tribune, advertisements include coats, suits, dresses, pants

1947-1970, n.d.

4

7

Advertising: Ames Advertiser

1964-1971

4

8

Store blueprints

1941

4

9

Display case information

n.d.

4

10

Photographs of storefront, merchandise, and billboard (6- 3.75x2.5, 1- 4x6, 1- 4.5x2.5, 1- 8x10)

1929-1935, n.d.

4

11

Remodeling plans and related correspondence

1961