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Northrup, King and Company
With its lavishly illustrated seed catalogs and store displays, Northrup, King and Company became a household name at the turn of the twentieth century. The company sold hardy, Northern-grown garden seed before expanding into Northern field seed and plant hybrids.
Northrup, King and Co. was founded in 1884 as Northrup, Braslan and Company. Its founders, Jesse E. Northrup and Charles E. Braslan, moved to Minneapolis from the Eastern United States. They chose Minneapolis because they believed seeds grown in the North were resilient and productive, and because they viewed Minneapolis as an ideal distribution center. They published their first illustrated seed catalog in 1885. It used striking full-color lithographs that made a strong impression.
During the 1880s, Northrup and Braslan expanded their business but soon experienced trouble. In 1887, Northrup and Braslan invited A.H. Goodwin to partner with them. The men renamed the business Northrup, Braslan and Goodwin Company and expanded its reach. Yet after the economic panic of 1893 and a fire in the company building, the business could not pay back its debts.
In 1894, they sought relief from Colonel William S. King and his son Preston. The Kings' assistance was not enough, however, and in May 1896, Northrup, Braslan and Goodwin Co. went bankrupt. Six months later, in November 1896, the men incorporated a new business: Northrup, King and Co.
Northrup, King and Co. struggled for several years but had success by 1900. Its mail-order business peaked in 1909, and the company began to send salesmen to retailers across the state. The company continued selling seeds for garden use but also began to sell field seed for farming.
The cold Minnesota weather was a major selling point for Northrup, King and Co. The company created its Polar Brand to emphasize the virtues of Northern-grown seed. Northrup, King and Co. later developed other cold-weather brands called Sterling, Northland, and Viking. These brands differed in price and quality, and were targeted to different audiences. This made Northrup, King and Co. one of the first seed companies to use branding as a marketing technique.
In 1917, Northrup, King and Co. built a new headquarters in Minneapolis at 1500 Jackson Street Northeast. The company kept a retail store on Hennepin Avenue, but its new location was ideal for distributing seed. It was located where the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads came together.
Corn hybrids became a major part of the company's business in the 1930s. In 1938, Northrup, King and Co. partnered with the University of Minnesota to test the company's hybrid corn varieties at Femco Farms in the Red River Valley. Their hybrids were engineered to have the best traits of different genetic strains. They were also very profitable, because the hybrid breeding process meant that the hybrids were intellectually protected even without patents.
In the 1960s, Northrup, King and Co. vice president Allenby White fought for patent protection for agricultural crops that were more difficult to hybridize. This expanded protection was initially rejected by the United States Congress but passed in 1970. It helped companies including Northrup, King and Co. but hurt horticulturalists and small farmers.
In 1968, Northrup, King and Co. offered its first public stock shares. The company grew rapidly after it went public, but in 1975 it saw significant losses. The next year, the company was purchased by a Swiss pharmaceutical company called Sandoz, Ltd. Sandoz bought the company for more than twice its book value, renamed it Northrup King, and invested heavily in research.
In 1986, Northrup King moved out of the large building that it had occupied on Jackson Street since 1917. In 1996, Debbie Woodward began managing the old Northrup King building. Under her management, it became home to art studios, art galleries, and nonprofit organizations. Sandoz, Ltd. went through several corporate mergers and reorganizations in the 1990s. In 1997, Northrup King became a subsidiary of Syngenta, where it became known as the NK brand.

Bibliography
60 Years of Seed Experience at Your Service. Minneapolis, MN: Northrup King, 1945.
Cleland, J.H., "Corn Varieties Test at Femco Farms Aids Northern Growers." Minneapolis Tribune, October 9, 1938.
Collisson, Charles F., "New Strains of Super-Corn Being Developed in North West." Minneapolis Tribune, January 26, 1930.
Doyle, Jack. Altered Harvest: Agriculture, Genetics, and the Fate of the World's Food Supply. New York: Viking Press, 1985.
Gihring, Tim, and Gregory J. Scott. "Secret Spaces: Deep Inside Minnesota's Largest Artists' Building," Minnesota Monthly (November 2011).
Northrup, King & Co: Its History and Functions. Minneapolis: Press of the Byron Printing Company, 1919.
"Northrup, King & Co., of this City one of the Largest Seed Concerns in the World." Minneapolis Star, February 24, 1910.
One Hundred Years of Trust, 1884–1984. Minneapolis, MN: Northrup King Co., 1984.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup, King Took an Offer It Couldn't Refuse." Minneapolis Tribune, September 26, 1976.
Related Resources
Primary
Camp, John, "Northrup King Never Seems to Stop Growing." St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch, October 20, 1985.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-10-20/news/8503120091_1_research-center-gardener-crops
"Insiders Gain from Northrup, King Sale." Minneapolis Star, December 16, 1976.
Flour and Feed Bag Research Files, 1890–2002
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00994.xml
Description: Background research files, correspondence, fabric pattern samples, surveys, and other material related to private and public feed, flour, and dress print bag collections collected by Loris Sofia Gregory.
Mac Martin Advertising Agency, Client Scrapbooks and Films, 1905–1982
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00508.xml
Description: Advertising proofs, brochures, booklets, catalogs, photographs, and films documenting work done by Mac Martin Advertising Agency of Minneapolis for more than 130 companies, including Northrup King. Location 148.F.3.10F. Box 4. Northrup, King and Co., c.1920.
Northrup King Co. Company Records, 1884–1985
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Advertising materials and public relations department files, printed newsletters and related materials, price lists, photographs, motion picture films, phonograph records, and audio tapes related to the Northrup King Company.
Norton and Peel Photograph Collection, 1915–1969
Sound and Visual Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/sv000041.xml
Description: Norton and Peel was a commercial photography studio operating in Minneapolis. Northrup King was one of their major clients.
Piper Jaffray Corporate Records, 1895–1998
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00514.xml
Description: Corporate records, subject files, and oral histories of a securities firm headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul with branch offices mainly in the northwestern part of the United States. Location 143.C.13.5B. Box 15. Northrup, King and Co., 1906-1966. Materials related to Northrup, King and Co. Location 149.C.20.7B. Box 18. Northrup, King and Co., October 26, 1972.
"Swiss Firm Plans to Buy Northrup, King." Minneapolis Star, September 21, 1976.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup Chief Admits Problems—Even His Own." Minneapolis Tribune, September 5, 1976.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup, King Agrees to Sale to Swiss Company." Minneapolis Tribune, September 21, 1976.
M1463
The Seed Bag
Periodicals Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Company periodical published by Northrup, King and Co. from 1949 until 1975.
Secondary
"The History of the Central City Market." Minneapolis Journal, December 31, 1922.
Keating, Maurice. 50 Years Association with Northrup, King & Co. Tucson, AZ: M. Keating, 1976.
Price, Susan Davis. Minnesota Gardens: An Illustrated History. Afton, MN: Afton Historical Society Press, 1995.
Ziebarth, Marilyn. "On Gardening." Minnesota History 53, no. 2 (Summer 1992): 70–79.
http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/53/v53i02p070-079.pdf
Web
The Northrup King Building.
http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com
Minnesota Historical Society, Placeography . Preston King House.
http://www.placeography.org/index.php/Preston_King_House,_2400_Stevens_Avenue_South,_Minneapolis,_Minnesota
The Syngenta. NK Seeds.
http://www3.syngenta.com/country/us/en/agriculture/seeds/pages/seeds.aspx
Related Images

Northrup King Dahlia seed packet
Northrup King Dahlia seed packet, 1986.
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Articles
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Postcard advertising Northrup, King and Company's Sterling Seeds
Postcard advertising Northrup, King and Company's Sterling Seeds, c.1912.
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Articles

Northrup, King and Company offices on Hennepin Avenue
Northrup, King and Company offices on Hennepin Avenue, c.1915.
Public domain
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Articles

Postcard advertising Northrup, King and Company carnations
Postcard advertising Northrup, King and Company carnations, c.1915.
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Articles

Northrup, King and Company seed laboratory
Northrup, King and Company seed laboratory, 1917. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard.
Public domain
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Articles

Northrup, King and Company automatic weighing machine
Northrup, King and Company automatic weighing machine, 1917. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard.
Public domain
Holding Location
Articles

Northrup, King and Company seed separator/cleaner
Northrup, King and Company seed separator/cleaner, 1917. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard.
Public domain
Holding Location
Articles

Northrup King trade sign
Double-sided, wood-framed, painted trade sign advertising Northrup, King and Company's Sterling seed corn, 1917. Made by the E.E. Peterson Sign Company.
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Northrup, King and Company load of popcorn
Northrup, King and Company load of popcorn, 1920. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard.
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Articles

Man with vegetables grown from Northrup, King seeds
Man with vegetables grown from Northrup, King seeds, 1921. Photographer: Charles J. Hibbard.
Public domain
Holding Location
Articles

Northrup, King and Company Sterling Chick Feed bag
Northrup, King and Company Sterling Chick Feed bag, dated between 1921 and 1950. Printed with nutritional information and an ingredient list.
All rights reserved
Holding Location
Articles
More Information

Bags of Northrup, King and Company lawn seeds
Bags of Northrup, King and Company lawn seeds, February 14, 1935. Photographer: Norton and Peel.
Holding Location
Articles
Related Articles
Turning Point
In 1885, Northrup, Braslan and Company, later known as Northrup, King and Company, becomes a household name with its colorful mail-order seed catalogs.
Chronology
1884
1885
1887
1894
1896
1917
1938
1968
1976
1986
1996
1997
Bibliography
60 Years of Seed Experience at Your Service. Minneapolis, MN: Northrup King, 1945.
Cleland, J.H., "Corn Varieties Test at Femco Farms Aids Northern Growers." Minneapolis Tribune, October 9, 1938.
Collisson, Charles F., "New Strains of Super-Corn Being Developed in North West." Minneapolis Tribune, January 26, 1930.
Doyle, Jack. Altered Harvest: Agriculture, Genetics, and the Fate of the World's Food Supply. New York: Viking Press, 1985.
Gihring, Tim, and Gregory J. Scott. "Secret Spaces: Deep Inside Minnesota's Largest Artists' Building," Minnesota Monthly (November 2011).
Northrup, King & Co: Its History and Functions. Minneapolis: Press of the Byron Printing Company, 1919.
"Northrup, King & Co., of this City one of the Largest Seed Concerns in the World." Minneapolis Star, February 24, 1910.
One Hundred Years of Trust, 1884–1984. Minneapolis, MN: Northrup King Co., 1984.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup, King Took an Offer It Couldn't Refuse." Minneapolis Tribune, September 26, 1976.
Related Resources
Primary
Camp, John, "Northrup King Never Seems to Stop Growing." St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch, October 20, 1985.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-10-20/news/8503120091_1_research-center-gardener-crops
"Insiders Gain from Northrup, King Sale." Minneapolis Star, December 16, 1976.
Flour and Feed Bag Research Files, 1890–2002
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00994.xml
Description: Background research files, correspondence, fabric pattern samples, surveys, and other material related to private and public feed, flour, and dress print bag collections collected by Loris Sofia Gregory.
Mac Martin Advertising Agency, Client Scrapbooks and Films, 1905–1982
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00508.xml
Description: Advertising proofs, brochures, booklets, catalogs, photographs, and films documenting work done by Mac Martin Advertising Agency of Minneapolis for more than 130 companies, including Northrup King. Location 148.F.3.10F. Box 4. Northrup, King and Co., c.1920.
Northrup King Co. Company Records, 1884–1985
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Advertising materials and public relations department files, printed newsletters and related materials, price lists, photographs, motion picture films, phonograph records, and audio tapes related to the Northrup King Company.
Norton and Peel Photograph Collection, 1915–1969
Sound and Visual Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/sv000041.xml
Description: Norton and Peel was a commercial photography studio operating in Minneapolis. Northrup King was one of their major clients.
Piper Jaffray Corporate Records, 1895–1998
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00514.xml
Description: Corporate records, subject files, and oral histories of a securities firm headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul with branch offices mainly in the northwestern part of the United States. Location 143.C.13.5B. Box 15. Northrup, King and Co., 1906-1966. Materials related to Northrup, King and Co. Location 149.C.20.7B. Box 18. Northrup, King and Co., October 26, 1972.
"Swiss Firm Plans to Buy Northrup, King." Minneapolis Star, September 21, 1976.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup Chief Admits Problems—Even His Own." Minneapolis Tribune, September 5, 1976.
Youngblood, Dick, "Northrup, King Agrees to Sale to Swiss Company." Minneapolis Tribune, September 21, 1976.
M1463
The Seed Bag
Periodicals Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Company periodical published by Northrup, King and Co. from 1949 until 1975.
Secondary
"The History of the Central City Market." Minneapolis Journal, December 31, 1922.
Keating, Maurice. 50 Years Association with Northrup, King & Co. Tucson, AZ: M. Keating, 1976.
Price, Susan Davis. Minnesota Gardens: An Illustrated History. Afton, MN: Afton Historical Society Press, 1995.
Ziebarth, Marilyn. "On Gardening." Minnesota History 53, no. 2 (Summer 1992): 70–79.
http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/53/v53i02p070-079.pdf
Web
The Northrup King Building.
http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com
Minnesota Historical Society, Placeography . Preston King House.
http://www.placeography.org/index.php/Preston_King_House,_2400_Stevens_Avenue_South,_Minneapolis,_Minnesota
The Syngenta. NK Seeds.
http://www3.syngenta.com/country/us/en/agriculture/seeds/pages/seeds.aspx