Textiles
Tailoring and men’s clothing businesses were an important part of Delano’s early commercial life, with several Norwegian immigrants bringing their skills to the community. Ole Erwig opened a merchant tailoring establishment in Delano in 1873, earning a reputation for quality fabrics, fashionable styles, and a guaranteed fit. John Brandser later worked as a tailor in Delano with his brothers before moving to Superior, Wisconsin. Another familiar figure was Ole “Curley” Dainsberg, who operated Curley the Tailor and had been in business for 15 years by 1933. After Curley became ill, his son Marshall Dainsberg left school to help support the family and later operated Curley’s Men’s Clothing Store from 1936 to 1943. The business continued in various locations before being sold to Carroll Lundeen in 1953, eventually becoming Lundeen’s in 1957. Together, these craftsmen and merchants provided generations of Delano men with custom-made clothing and furnishings while contributing to the vitality of the city’s downtown business district.
Ole Carrelious Dainsberg immigrated from Norway in 1907, and married Minnie Strand June 20, 1917 in Hennepin County. Ole was known as Curley the Tailor, with a shop in Delano, enumerated on the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Ole and Minnie had seven children: Eleanor, Marshall, Harold, Adele, Lorraine, Stanley, and John.
Clothing Stores
Curley the Tailor’s shop is the first one on the left, on the corner of Bridge Avenue and Second Street, across from City Hall.
(1919 Ad from the Delano Eagle)
An ad in the May 4, 1933 Delano Eagle advertised that Curley the Tailor had moved to a new store, next to the State Bank, after 15 years in business. However, Ole got sick in 1933 and died in 1936. In 1933, his son Marshall left school during his freshman year of high school to help his mother provide for the family, and from 1936-1943 Marshall owned and operated Curley's Men's Clothing Store in Delano.
In 1947 Curley’s Clothing Store moved next to Krumm’s Barber and Beauty Shop on River Street. Marshall eventually sold the business to Carroll Lundeen in 1953. Carroll moved his business across the street to the Epple building, and changed the name to Lundeen’s in 1957.
The building is the oldest business building in downtown Delano. Lundeen’s store flourished and was a mainstay in Delano, open sixty-three hours a week for over thirty years. Lundeen’s sold clothing for men and boys. The building was given a facelift in 1962, remodeled with a colonial motif in order to preserve the lines of the structure.
When Lundeen’s closed in 1986, the lines went around the block in both directions. To the east of Lundeen’s was Janelen’s, women’s clothing store, the succeeder to Theo’s Fashion Shop.
Theo’s Fashion Shop opened in 1947, selling ready-to-wear clothing for women, juniors, children and infants. It opened in a new stone block building across the street from the State Bank of Delano. The owner and manager of the dress shop was Theo Fonfara. The store offered Wright County women up-to-date and inexpensive styles.
A few years after opening Theo added on to the original structure and did extensive remodeling in the lower floor of the building. She carried famous lines of fashion and donated many times to style shows sponsored by local organizations.
Theo’s Fashion Shop, Inc.
Al and Theo Fonfara with granddaughter, in 1959
Assisting Theo in the store were Jane Schreder, Edna Nolan, (Theo Fonfara) and Ilene Maas.
Jane and Len Schreder bought Theo’s Fashion Shop, Inc. in September of 1970 and opened Janelen Fashions. The shop was a staple in downtown Delano for the many years, still carrying fashions for women, youth, child and infants, and accessories.
The name of the store was a combination of Jane and Len’s first names. They had married in 1948, and had lived in Delano since 1953.
1971 ad
1980 ad.
1986 ad
Janelen’s closed in 1986.
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