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August 1937. "Virginia, Minnesota -- cooperative service station of the Virginia Work People's Trading Company." One manifestation of the Iron Range consumer cooperative movement started by Finnish immigrants. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
My father was employed at the Elanto Co-op in nearby Nashwauk in this era. Virginia was the local headquarters for Co-op stores all over NE Minnesota. In their day they sold most anything a person would need from canned corn to Studebakers. Alas, it's all gone now other than some local credit unions, the victim of chain stores.
The Finnish immigrants in this area brought the concept with them from Finland.
Although, in a different capacity.
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