How a 19-year-old founded Herberger's

Editor’s note: This story is courtesy of the Alexandria, Minn., Echo Press. It has been edited for publication in the American News.

Herberger’s first opened in Aberdeen in 1969. But the company got its start in 1890 when George F. Herberger and his brother, Frank, opened the original Herberger’s in downtown Osakis, Minn.

George was 19 years old when he founded Herberger’s. He bought out Frank’s interest in the store shortly after it opened when Frank moved to Seattle.

George’s store expanded into what was known as the Herberger-Cruse Co. department store, according to George’s 1956 obituary. George Herberger reportedly remained as head of the company until his death at the age of 85 from a heart attack.

Besides being the founder of Herberger’s in Osakis, George originated the Herberger’s stores in Alexandria and St. Cloud, Minn., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Although George’s obituary noted that his son-in-law owned and operated the Herberger’s store in St. Cloud, information at the county historical society indicates that it was his son, George Robert “Bob” Herberger, who founded the St. Cloud location.

Bob founded theHerberger-Hart Co. in 1927, according to his 1999 obituary, and opened the first Herberger’s store in St. Cloud. In 1942, he founded G.R. Herberger’s Inc. department stores, where he was president, general manager and chairman of the board. In 1972, he sold the stores to his key employees. The stores, known just as Herberger’s, continued to operate, but as a division of Saks Inc.

By 1990, there were Herberger’s stores in 35 cities in nine states.

The stores, which are now owned by Bon-Ton, are set to close in the next few months.

Bob Herberger and his wife, Katherine, spent winters in Arizona and summers in Alexandria and, according to his obituary, he was one of the founders of the Fiesta Bowl.

The Herberger Rose

According to an excerpt from “This Was Our Livelihood, Volume 2,” compiled by Mayme Hanson, Bob Herberger said that he was often asked about how the Herberger’s signature rose came to be.

He explained that most stores had signatures, but they were often bland, dull and uninteresting.

“I decided in the early ’40s that I was going to get a signature that would stand out and people would look at it, remember it and retain a mental picture of it,” Bob Herberger wrote.

He is said to have contacted artist Dale Olson, and, after many meetings, the two decided on the “Herberger Rose.” It was tested on approximately 150 billboards and the public liked it, so Bob told the artist, “OK, Dale, that’s going to fly. I want that.”

In the excerpt, Bob Herberger said that in a few years, the Herberger Rose was implanted in the minds and eyes of people who saw it.

“I’ve met people all over the U.S. and they remember the Herberger Rose. The media did an excellent job and it will never be changed,” Bob said in the excerpt.

Remembering when

Kathryn LeBrasseur of Alexandria knew the Herberger family and the downtown Herberger’s location. She said the cash registers were in the balcony so when customers would pay the cashier, the money would “shoot up” to the balcony through a tube.

“That was so fascinating,” she said.

LeBrasseur said her son, James, worked for Herberger’s and was a driver for Bob Herberger. She said after Bob moved to Arizona and would come back to Minnesota to visit, he would hire a driver to take him around to visit the stores.

“My son would drive him around and Bob wanted to take him back to Phoenix with him,” she said. “But that didn’t happen.”

She said the Herberger family was always a strong promoter of the community.

“To us, it’s our hometown store and it always will be,” LeBrasseur said.

Michael Tisserand, formerly of Alexandria, worked at Herberger’s in the early 1980s. It was his first job. He mostly worked in the men’s department, but would pitch in wherever needed.

“It was in every way an education,” he said. “I learned to measure inseams, to put shirts and pants together in attractive, or at least inoffensive, combinations. And I first heard of the retail maxim, ‘If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean.’”

Tisserand has many fond memories of working at Herberger’s, including a time when the overhead music got stuck on the theme to “The Muppet Show,” a time when he paged a male manager to the lingerie department, stating, “Alan, I’d like to see you in ladies lingerie,” and when he would space the hanging racks by measuring two fingers between each hanger.

“Looking back, I think the primary feeling I get from my time at Herberger’s is that of gratitude,” Tisserand said. “In my first foray in the adult world, I was treated with respect and found myself in a collegial, respectful work environment. There were mostly good times, except of course, the night of the damn ‘Muppet Show’ song!”

Herberger's company timeline

1890: George F. Herberger, 19, along with his brother, Frank, opens the original Herberger's store in downtown Osakis, Minn. Shortly after, George F. purchases Frank's interest because Frank moved to Seattle.

1927: The Herberger-Hart Co. is founded by G. Robert "Bob" Herberger, son of George F. Herberger. Bob Herberger then opens his first Herberger's store in St. Cloud, Minn.

1942: Bob Herberger opens more stores, under the name of G.R. Herberger's Inc.

July 1956: George F. Herberger dies.

October 1963: G.R. Herberger's Inc. acquires ownership of "The Herberger Company."

Oct. 16, 1963: The signature Herberger's rose is designed and becomes the symbol of the store.

1969: Herberger's opens in Aberdeen after the purchase of the Olwin Angell department store at 321 S. Main St. That building today is Anytime Fitness and Lofts on Main.

November 1972: Employees purchase all Herberger's stock holdings and the stores become employee-owned. There are 17 stores that have an annual sales volume of about $22 million.

Dec. 24, 1981: Herberger's downtown Aberdeen location closes, and most of its 30 employees lose their jobs.

July 24, 1990: Herberger's becomes the first retail store to open in the then-Lakewood Mall in Aberdeen.

November 1996: Herberger's mergers with Proffitt's Inc., a fast-growing regional department store company based in Tennessee. Proffitt's Inc. operates stores under the names Younker's, McRae's and Parisian. Proffitt's changes its corporate name to Saks Inc. after acquiring Saks Holdings.

Feb. 2, 1999: George Robert "Bob" Herberger dies at age 94.

2005: Saks sells most of its stores, including Herberger's, Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's, Boston Store and Younkers to Bon-Ton Inc.

2018: Bon-Ton Inc. announces it is going out of business two months after filing for bankruptcy protection.