1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

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DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 813
Finally Air. Van Vick changed his business from the manufacture
of containers for one line of articles to paper boxes and cartons
fabricated to suit every demand and necessity of such standard containers.
The Duluth Paper Box Company has complete equipment
for the manufacture of paper and cardboard and fiber containers,
including fancy candy boxes. It is an important Duluth industry and
located at 122 West Second street. Mr. Van Vick is a popular business
man, is a member of the Masonic Order, also of the Order of
Elks, the Rotary Club, and of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He was
married to Elizabeth Thennis, of Duluth, and their three children, all
living, are Russell T., Cornelia R., and Roger F. Mrs. Van Vick
passed away in 1914.
Carl R. Johnson, who under the title of the Johnson Supply
Company, and as its president, has develcjped a remarkably large and
prosperous business in the handling of furniture, household goods
and talking-machines at Virginia, and over the Range, is still a
young man but has the distinction of being the pioneer in the talkingmachine
business in Minnesota.
Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden on the 23d of May, 1879, and
is a son of John L. and Maria (Anderson) Johnson, of whose five
children all but one are living. The father was engaged in the manufacturing
of flour in his native land. Carl R. Johnson acquired his
early education in the schools of his native land, and he was a youth
of seventeen years when he determined to join an older brother,
Anton E., w^ho had previously come to the United States. Accordingly,
in April, 1896, Mr. Johnson severed home ties, and sailed fr^r
America. After landing in the port of New York city he forthwith
continued his journey to Biwabik, St. Louis county, Minnesota,
where he joined his brother, who was there engaged in the mercantile
business. At the time of his arrival Mr. Johnson could not speak
word of the English language, and his initial knowledge of English
was gained during a service of seven months as a section hand on
the Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railroad, in which connection he received
a compensation- of one dollar and five cents a day. The selfreliance
and ambitious purpose that thus marked his early period of
residence in the land of his adoption have continued dominating
characteristics and have been important forces in his advancement
to the goal of substantial and worthy success. In the autumn of
1896 Mr. Johnson became a student in the pul)lic schools of Virginia,
which was at that time a mere mining vilhige. and in the three months
of study here he greatly fortified himself in the knowledge of English,
which he began to speak with comparative fluency. In the meanwhi'le
his brother had removed to Tower, this county, and after
leaving school he clerked in his brother's store and about a year
later clerked a few months in a store at Mountain Iron. Still later he
became a traveling salesman in the selling of furniture and household
goods. He gained diversified and valuable exj)erience in this connection,
and in the summer of 18*^8 formed a partnershij) with Hilnier
A. Nelson, now general manager of the (iatley's stores and who had
been in the employ of the same house, and engaged in the furniture
and house-furnishing business in the city of Duluth. The firm built
up a prosperous business, in connection with which it established branch
stores at l^veleth and flihbing. .Xfter the dissolution of the partnership
in 190.S Mr. Johnson assumed control of the Hibbing and I\veleth stores,
the business of which he concentrated at I'A-eleth by closing the store at
Vol. 11—20