How the Olson brothers changed the dapper scene of Sioux Falls: Looking back
For much of the 20th century, the E. C. Olson Clothing Company outfitted the well-dressed men of Sioux Falls. Edgar “Ed” Olson didn’t start this business in Sioux Falls, however, it was originally a family affair that had its start in Dawson, Minnesota, a small town east of Watertown.
John, Martin and Edgar Olson, sons of Gabriel and Martha Olson, were born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin in 1869, 1871 and 1874, respectively. In 1875, the family moved to Kasson, Minnesota, west of Rochester. Edgar attended high school in St. Paul, and later took night classes to fill some gaps in his primary education. In 1890, Ed took a job at a clothing store in St. Paul. Whether they coordinated this is unclear, but Martin had taken a job with his brother-in-law in 1886 at his clothing store in Dawson.
In 1894, Martin opened his own store in Montevideo, Minnesota. Ed joined him in 1890. The point at which John joined the company is not entirely clear, but the store was known as Olson Brothers. In 1902, there was a location in Marshall, and the brothers were planning to add another in Brookings. When the store in Brookings came to fruition, it was called The Model Clothing House, and it quickly became the go-to store for the area’s most dapper men.
John Olson, who ran the store in Marshall, died in 1904, at just 34 years of age. Martin and Edgar bought out John’s portion of the business. At the time, there were stores in Brookings, Marshall, Montevideo, and Wheaton, Minnesota. Martin spent most of his time buying product for the stores, while Edgar made sure the stores were running as they should.
On Jan. 8, 1906, Edgar C. Olson married Callie Williams in Brookings. The newlyweds took three or four weeks to travel and visit friends and relatives before returning home to Brookings.
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In 1907, the Olsons opened a store in Watertown. On July 31, 1907, Callie gave birth to Lyle Olson. In 1908, Martin opened a store in Grand Forks, followed by stores in Rapid City and Platte in 1909. Business was good. The Olsons were getting a corner on the clothing markets in many of the smaller communities. Their entry into the Sioux Falls market would have to be more ambitious.
On Jan. 17, 1911, Edgar had a deal hammered out with Charles Delaney and Carl Berdahl to open a new store in Sioux Falls. Delaney had been associated with the Buxbaum Clothing Co., and Berdahl with T. J. Fosdick & Son. The new company would be called Olson, Delaney & Berdahl, and would be located at 108 S. Phillips, in space that, at the time, contained the Vreeland Clothing Store. All that was left was for Vreeland to vacate the space. The grand opening was March 11, 1911.
In September, Martin closed a deal to purchase the Ontario Clothing Store in Grand Forks from its owner, R. B. Griffith. It went like this: Martin and Griffith were walking together when Olson said, “You have been in the business long enough to have a rest.” To which owner Griffith replied: “Yes sir.” Followed by, “What’s the matter with you buying me out?” Thirty minutes later the agreement was signed.
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In July 1913, the Olsons bought out the interests of Delaney and Berdahl, and the E. C. Olson Co. came to be. The rebranded store made its debut on July 15. Edgar moved his family to Sioux Falls to focus his efforts on the local store. On April 28, 1921, Martin died in Chicago at age 50, unable to shake off the pernicious anemia that had been plaguing him for some time.
In 1929 and 1930, Edgar sold off all of the Olson Bros. stores he still owned, save for the Model Store in Brookings and E. C. Olson clothing in Sioux Falls. By that point, his son Lyle had been helping to run the stores.
On May 4, 1937, Edgar Olson died at age 63. Lyle was well prepared to take the reins. The E. C. Olson Clothing store carried on until 1974, at which point First National Bank was buying businesses on that part of Phillips Avenue for its new building. Lyle and his son, Gar, closed up shop and decided not to carry on the business in another location. It was the end of a clothing empire.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How the Olson brothers changed the dapper scene of Sioux Falls: Looking back
