Jacob Aloysius Dorf Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Haviland, Opal Dorf
label: Creator
content: Dorf, Jacob Aloysius, 1879-1965 (blacksmith, businessman)
place: label: Place
content: Missouri -- 20th century
topic: label: Occupation
content: Blacksmiths
label: Topic
content: advertising -- 1930-1940 -- California
label: Topic
content: Storekeepers
label: Topic
content: Hardware stores -- 1900-1970 -- Missouri
label: Topic
content: Depressions -- 1929 -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Opal Dorf Haviland (daughter), 1986, January 16.
creator: label: Creator
content: Haviland, Opal Dorf
label: Creator
content: Dorf, Jacob Aloysius, 1879-1965 (blacksmith, businessman)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Jacob Aloysius Dorf Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Papers relating to blacksmith and hardware store owner Jacob Aloysius Dorf of Missouri.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Jacob A. Dorf was born in Cedar Hill, Missouri. His name was originally Blittersdorf. To Anaconda, Missouri in 1901, where he owned and operated a blacksmith shop. In 1911 he purchased a hardware store in Cuba, Missouri, which he operated for more than 49 years. Throughout his long business career he was an innovative advertiser in the local press and elsewhere, sponsoring a radio program in 1924 which stimulated letters from thirty states and Canada. Dorf was active in community affairs, particularly during the depressed 1930s. In 1933 he led an effort which saved the local bank from failing. He branched into other business lines, including real estate, and once financed the purchase of a better breed of cattle for local farmers.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1909-1972
custodhist: label: Ownership and Custodial History
content: Donated by Dorf's daughter.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0193
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Advertisements
label: Type
content: Obituaries
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Clippings
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Don Darroch, 1986
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements
label: Genre/Form
content: Obituaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Newspaper clippings and correspondence relating to Dorf's activities, particularly in the hardware business. Biographical information and obituaries are included as well as samples of his unusual advertising.