Central Co-operative Wholesale (U.S.)

The Central Cooperative Wholesale (Superior, Wis.) was founded in 1917 as the Cooperative Central Exchange. It functioned as a marketing and purchasing agency for farm produce. The Cooperative Central Exchange developed its own line of merchandise during the 1920's, while its membership and sales continued to grow. In the late 1920's, however, a political struggle ensued between Communist and non-Communist members; the cooperative split and the non-Communist faction changed the organization's name to the Central Cooperative Wholesale. During the 1920's, the cooperative had prospered. Ethnic composition of membership shifted from being exclusively Finnish and became more Americanized. In 1956, the name was changed to Central Cooperatives, Inc. The organization continued to operate until the early 1960's; in 1963, it merged with Midland Cooperatives.

From the description of Central Co-operative Wholesale records, 1916-1969. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62435394

From the guide to the Central Co-operative Wholesale records, 1916-1969, (University of Minnesota Libraries. Immigration History Research Center [ihrc])