Preview
Identification #
OGL291-73
Description
Photograph taken in the early 1900's shows the E.J. Lander & Company on the corner of the Finks and Gokey Block located at 414-420 DeMers Ave.The Finks and Gokey block is made up of two connected buildings, with the Finks building on the western side and the Gokey building on the east.
The Finks and Gokey Block is one of the last two remaining frame with brick veneer commercial buildings in Grand Forks. The Finks and Gokey Block is also significant for its association with E. J. Lander and Company, which was one of the largest and best-known real estate and farm loan businesses in the Lower Red River Valley of the North. This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. (Taken from The Historical Marker Database)
Edward J. Lander came to Grand Forks in 1883 and shortly after his arrival founded E. J. Lander & Co. This business dealt with land investments, mortgage loans, and property management. Lander also had large stock holdings in the Grand Forks Transportation Company, the Western Investment Company, and the Shaw Poster Advertising Company. He was a founder of the Grand Forks Building & Loan Association as well as the Grand Forks Commercial Club, the forerunner of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce. Lander was very active in civic affairs, including the Metropolitan Opera House, the Oratorio Society, the Fair association, the Red River Valley Immigration Bureau, the Pioneer Club, and the Kiwanis. He was an avid gardener who grew prize-winning flowers.
Lander’s business passed through his family and remained in the block for at least 70 years, and though it is no longer there today his influence is evident, as his office’s sign still remains out front. He’s remembered as “one of the city’s most progressive and substantial businessmen.”
Today, the block is notably home Bonzer’s Sandwich Pub, a local business that opened in 1983 which has been a staple of downtown Grand Forks since.
Places Depicted
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Organizations Depicted
E.J. Lander & Company; Bonzer's Sandwich Pub; National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior
People Depicted
E.J. Lander
Rights
Elwyn B Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks