The Retail Merchant's Board, Inc. was established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1900, at the end of a period which had seen a rapid increase in the growth of business organizations in the United States. During this time such organizations as the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Civic Federation, and chambers of commerce were founded. Amid this background, seventeen merchants formed The Retail Merchant's Board to serve Cleveland manufacturers.
The Retail Merchant's Board was an organization of downtown Cleveland, Ohio merchants which developed as a branch of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. Business was booming and merchants realized their interests could best be served by cooperative efforts. Members met at weekly luncheon sessions and discussed various issues affecting their businesses. Their goals ranged from establishing a code of good advertising to setting a standard rate of exchange for Canadian currency. The Board was also involved with legislation concerning minimum wages and state sales taxes.
The Retail Merchant's Board, Inc. Records, 1907-1971, consist of bound volumes of minutes with summary reports of special committees.
The collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of business and entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio, particularly in its downtown area. The earliest records give the most information and will be useful in examining the attitudes of businessmen towards specific issues of the early twentieth century. Later records might be less useful in that the Board met less frequently in the post-World War I era. Weekly meetings became monthly meetings, and the Board appears to have lost its earlier function as an informal forum discussing issues from the viewpoint of the retail merchant.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
The researcher should also consult MS 3471 Greater Cleveland Growth Association Records.
Processed by Timothy C. Connell in 1974.
None.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3586 Retail Merchant's Board, Inc. Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of the Retail Merchant's Board, Inc. in 1973.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.