OVERVIEW
Minnesota Historical Society
De Laittre, John.
John De Laittre papers.
1906-2009 (bulk 1913-1991).
Materials in English.
Papers of a Minneapolis bank president relating to his
career as a banker, government official, and corporate director; his involvement in
banking industry groups; his management of family finances and trusts; iron mining
on Bovey-DeLaittre Lumber Company lands in northern Minnesota; and to Tettegouche,
De Laittre's wilderness retreat.
15.0 cubic feet (16 boxes).
See [Detailed Description](a9) for shelf
locations.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John De Laittre was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 7, 1907. He was the
son of Karl (1874-1957) and Rosamond (Little) De Laittre, and a grandson of
lumberman John De Laittre (1832-1912). The elder De Laittre was a partner in the
Bovey-De Laittre Lumber Company, and a trustee and president of Farmers &
Mechanics Savings Bank (Minneapolis). Karl De Laittre was a lumberman, state
legislator, and president of the Minneapolis City Council.
De Laittre attended Blake School (Minneapolis) until 1923, and graduated from Milton
Academy (Milton, Mass.) in 1925. He earned a bachelor's degree (1929) and a law
degree (1933) from Harvard University, and worked as an attorney with the
Minneapolis law firm of Kingham, Cross, Morley, Cant & Taylor (1933-1940).
De Laittre spent many years with Farmers & Mechanics, serving as assistant
treasurer (1940-1942), treasurer (1942-1947), vice president (1946-1956), executive
vice president (1956-1957), and president (1957-1962). He was president of the
National Association of Mutual Savings Banks (1959-1960). In 1962 De Laittre was
appointed to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, serving until 1966. He was executive
vice president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (1966-1968), a
director of Midwest Federal Savings and Loan Association (Minneapolis, 1974-1989),
and a director and officer of some other mortgage and banking organizations.
For many years De Laittre was involved with the Bovey and the De Laittre lumber and
iron ore interests in such capacities as counsel, officer, director, agent, trustee,
and partner. He retired from these activities in 1984.
John De Laittre married Carolyn Erminger (1911-1982) on April 30, 1934. The De
Laittres had three children: Corinne, Carolyn, and Lila. He evidently married again
later in life.
De Laittre died of heart failure in Minneapolis on February 4, 1992.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The collection consists of correspondence and subject files, corporate records and
minute books, unpublished annual reports, personal financial records and
information, speeches, maps, photographs, clippings scrapbooks, and some
biographical and genealogical information. There are records of several De Laittre
lumber and real estate investment companies.
There is information about a 1927 expedition to Jasper National Park in the Canadian
Rockies in which De Laittre participated as a college student, and a return visit he
and others made fifty years later; the failure of Minneapolis-based Midwest Federal
Savings and Loan Association, of which De Laittre was a director; and family mining
investments in northern Minnesota. Much of the material relates to Tettegouche, a
family-owned wilderness retreat and preserve near Silver Bay, Minnesota, and the
process by which it became a state park. There are files pertaining to the
Environmental Learning Center, which for a time was apparently based at Tettegouche.
Trip files relate to trips and vacations De Laittre and his family made to various
parts of the United States, Europe, and the Far East. There is information about
several De Laittre family trusts, which John De Laittre began managing in 1934.
Includes correspondence and subject files, financial records, speeches, maps,
photographs, clippings scrapbooks, and an unidentified diary (1961). There are
minute books and other records of several family-owned companies.
There is information about Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank of Minneapolis, Midwest
Federal Savings and Loan Association, and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board; an
expedition to the Canadian Rockies (1927); the dumping of taconite tailings into
Lake Superior by Reserve Mining Company; and trips to Europe and East Asia. There is
some information about De Laittre's father, banker and politician Karl De Laittre,
and his grandfather, lumberman John deLaittre. Correspondents include family members
and friends, business associates, bankers, government officials, attorneys, iron
mining companies, and staff of the Environmental Learning Center.
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should search
the catalog using these headings.
Topics:
Banks and banking -- Minnesota.
Fishing lodges -- Minnesota -- Lake County.
Iron mines and mining -- Minnesota.
Lumber trade -- Minnesota.
Mountaineering -- Alberta.
Savings and loan associations -- Minnesota --
Minneapolis.
Savings banks -- Minnesota -- Officials and
employees.
Scientific expeditions -- Canadian Rockies (B.C. and
Alta.).
Taconite.
Trusts and trustees.
Persons:
De Laittre family.
De Laittre, Karl,
1874-1957.
De Laittre, Rosamond,
1886-.
deLaittre, John, 1832-1912.
Organizations:
Bodel Corporation (Minneapolis,
Minn.).
Bovey-DeLaittre Lumber Company
(Minneapolis, Minn.).
Cleveland-Cliffs Iron
Company.
Crosscountry Mortgage Corporation
(Newport Beach, Calif.).
deLaittre Company.
Environmental Learning Center, Inc.
(Isabella, Minn.).
Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank of
Minneapolis -- Management.
John De Laittre Company (Minneapolis,
Minn.) -- Management.
Lamoine Company (Minneapolis,
Minn.).
Midwest Federal (Firm : Minneapolis,
Minn.) -- Management.
Mutual Securities Company
(Minneapolis, Minn.).
National Association of Mutual Savings
Banks.
Reserve Mining Company.
Tettegouche Camp (Lake County,
Minn.).
United States. Federal Home Loan Bank
Board.
Places:
China -- Description and travel.
East Asia -- Description and travel.
Europe -- Description and travel.
Document Types:
Diaries.
Photographs.
Speeches.
Occupations:
Bankers -- Minnesota.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. John
De Laittre papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 8,264; 15,343; 16,519
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project
grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC).
Processed by: David B. Peterson, November 1998; Shelby Edwards, November 2011
Catalog ID number: 001734996
RELATED MATERIALS
Records of the Bovey-De Laittre Lumber Company are in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscripts collection.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
144.E.3.5B
1
Alaska: Norman Vaughn,
1987-1988.
Aldrich, Betty and Bailey,
1988-1991.
American Red Cross, 1984-1991.
6 folders.
Bay Area Historical Society (Silver Bay, Minnesota),
1990-1991.
Beaver Bay Club:
1967-1970.
Includes information about Reserve Mining Company taconite tailings
dumping issue.
De Laittre cabin, 1985-1989.
Guest house, 1983.
2 folders.
Minutes, 1969-1970, 1978.
Beaver Bay Inn (Beaver Bay, Minnesota), 1990.
Bertram, John, 1985-1988.
Biographical information,
1958-1992, circa 2009.
2 folders.
Bodel Corporation:
A real estate and mineral rights holding company.
1971-1979.
4 folders.
Annual meetings, 1975-1977.
3 folders.
Directors meeting, March 19, 1976.
Minute book, 1955-1961.
144.E.3.6F
2
Minute books, 1962-1977.
3 volumes.
Turtle Lake (Itasca County, Minnesota), 1970-1972.
Bovey, Martin K., undated.
Includes biographical information.
Bovey-De Laittre Lumber Company:
1911, 1950-1952.
Canisteo Mine: Exploration maps, 1952-1955.
Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company:
1953-1962.
Canisteo Commingling Agreement, 1950-1960.
Dump #32, 1954-1955.
Purchase of surface for dumping:
55-25, 1954-1959.
SW _ NE _ Sec. 28 T56 R24, 1955-1960.
Stockpile for Hemmens Cretaceous Ore, 1952-1959.
Stockpiles #10, #22, and #23, 1954-1962.
Tailings Basin #1, 1955.
Tailings Basin #2, 1954-1960.
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway Company: Right-of-way,
1955-1956.
General file, 1954-1958.
History, 1954.
Iron Ore Lessors Association, Incorporated,
1953-1961.
Land conveyances to stockholders, 1951.
Land maps, 1954.
M. A. Hanna easement on Lot 3 Sec. 31 T56 R24,
1955-1957.
Mill site property (Minneapolis), 1951-1958.
Includes an undated photograph of Bovey-De Laittre Lumber Company sawmill
and lumber yards on the Minneapolis river front.
Mining maps, undated and 1964-1966.
144.E.3.7B
3
Minnesota Power and Light Company easement,
1954-1956.
Minnesota income tax (1951), 1954.
Power of attorney, 1953-1956.
Prairie River lease, 1945-1958.
Sally Mine commingling agreement, 1957-1959.
Sugar Lake forties, 1955.
Taconite royalties, 1954.
Trip to Grand Rapids, September 1954.
Trout Lake iron tailings, 1932, 1951-1962.
3 folders.
Bradley, Dora, 1987-1991.
Brown, G. Helen, 1988-1991.
Brown, Ian, 1990.
Burling, Eddie, 1989.
Butt, Dr. Hugh, 1988-1989.
Mayo Clinic.
Canada: Ostheimer Expedition (1927):
Papers relate to a 1927 expedition De Laittre participated in as a member
of the Harvard Mountaineering Club to Jasper National Park in the
Canadian Rockies, and a return visit made in 1977.
Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1927-1929.
Journal and notes, 1927.
2 folders.
Photocopies.
Maps, 1927.
Newspaper stories, 1927.
Photographs,
circa 1927.
Return trip (1977):
Correspondence and miscellaneous papers,
1977-1979.
East Chaba Glacier recession report (1927-1977),
1977.
"Half a Century Later,"
1979-1980.
September 1979 issue of the Harvard Mountaineering Club journal
containing an article by Alfred J. Ostheimer III and John De Laittre
concerning the 1977 return trip to East Chaba Glacier.
China: Urban development and planning issues, undated and
1973-1979.
Chucker, Harold, 1987-1988.
Correspondence and miscellaneous papers:
Undated and 1931, 1940-1943.
1950-1968.
6 folders.
1971-1972.
3 folders.
144.E.3.8F
4
1973-1991.
13 folders.
Crosscountry Mortgage Corporation (Newport Beach,
California):
Wholly-owned by Midwest Federal Savings and Loan Association. John De
Laittre was a member of the board of directors.
1976-1977.
2 folders.
Directors meetings, 1977-1979.
12 folders.
Touche Ross audit, 1979.
Culligan, Mary, 1987-1990.
De Laittre, Carolyn E., 1979-1982.
De Laittre, Corinne, undated.
De Laittre, John (1832-1912):
Estate, 1913.
144.E.3.9B
5
Reminiscences of John De Laittre,
1910.
De Laittre, Karl:
Awards, 1949-1952.
Estate:
Appraisal of Itasca County mineral interests,
1957.
Miscellany, 1958.
Karl De Laittre Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1962-1970.
Letters received, 1906, 1921.
De Laittre, Rosamond (Mrs. Karl):
1943.
Dermy's employment, 1976-1982.
"Dermy" refers to Carolyn De Laittre Hawley.
GID-DAP letters,
1967-1969.
Household expenses, 1976-1977.
Largilliere Painting, 1962-1983.
Ninetieth birthday, 1976.
Travel, 1952-1960.
Trusts:
Eleanor Alexander ("Nuffy"), 1970-1983.
Harold R. Ward III ("Wardy"), 1977-1978.
De Laittre Company:
A personal holding company. The De Laittre Company was merged into
Massachusetts Investors Trust in 1966.
Annual reports, 1959, 1965.
General file, 1959-1962.
4 folders.
Includes meeting minutes.
Lamoine Company, 1957-1959.
Legal bills and miscellany, 1987.
Liquidation, 1967-1968.
Massachusetts Investors Trust merger, 1966-1967.
2 folders.
Meetings, 1960, 1963-1966.
10 folders.
Meetings of directors, stockholders, executive committee.
Merger file, 1958.
Merger of Lamoine Company and Mutual Securities Company into the
deLaittre Company.
Operating report, 1990-1991.
Partnership agreement, 1978-1979.
Uranium, 1976-1979.
144.E.3.10F
6
Delsprings Corporation, 1970-1978.
Diary, 1961.
Possibly kept by Carolyn De Laittre; not Dermy and not Lila.
Driscoll, Bill, 1989.
Environmental Learning Center: Directors meetings, 1983.
Essex Institute, 1983-1990.
Evans-Novak political forum, 1990.
Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank of Minneapolis:
1957-1982.
Annual Report for trustees, 1962, 1965.
2 folders.
Final Years luncheon, Sept. 23,
1988.
Final Years 1974-1982 is the title of a book
by Harold Chucker, a retired Minneapolis Star
Tribune financial writer, detailing the process which led up
to the 1982 acquisition of Farmers and Mechanics by Carl Pohlad's
Marquette Bank, Minneapolis. The newly-published book was evidently
presented to the final trustees of F & M at this luncheon, which was
given by De Laittre and his wife Delores.
Twenty Year Club, 1974-1991.
Federal Home Loan Bank Board:
1962-1966.
Appointment file, 1962-1966.
2 folders.
Includes photographs.
Retirement, 1966.
Speeches, 1962-1965.
2 folders.
Swearing-in audiotape, 1962.
1 sound tape reel; 7 inches.
Swearing-in photographs, 1962.
Financial records and information (personal):
Ledger accounts and journal, 1929-1957.
4 folders.
Includes some biographical information.
144.E.4.1B
7
Personal accounts, 1958-1961.
Personal ledger, 1938-1960.
4 folders.
Tax returns, 1933-1962.
16 folders.
Trial balance, 1943-1957.
Friends of Grand Portage, 1986-1991.
Gilbertson, Lloyd, undated and 1989.
Hall, Ted, 1986-1991.
Harvard Club of Minnesota:
1988-1991.
Centennial, 1984.
Harvard University: Capital campaign, 1978-1979.
144.E.4.2F
8
Hawley, Carolyn De Laittre:
General file, 1962-1963.
Includes information about marriage to and divorce from Michael
Hawley.
Guardianship: Final account, probate court,
1948-1964.
Hennepin County Historical Society, 1987-1991.
Hotel del Coronado (Coronado, California): New Year,
1980-1981.
Humphrey, Hubert H.: Testimonial dinner, March 16, 1977.
Iditarod Trail sled dog race: Anchorage-Nome, 1985-1988.
International Language Villages (Moorhead, Minnesota),
1986-1991.
Itasca County Historical Society, 1989-1990.
John De Laittre Company:
Personal investment company formed to buy, hold, manage, and sell real
estate, securities, and other investment property. Incorporated in 1913;
name changed to Lamoine Company in 1950.
Accounts, 1914-1958.
Profit and loss, dividends paid.
Corporate record books, 1913-1958.
2 volumes.
Financial record book No. 1, 1914-1936.
Includes journal (1914-1928) and ledger (1914-1936).
Financial record book No. 2, 1914-1943.
Includes journal (1940-1942) and ledger (1914-1943).
Financial reports, 1919.
Stock certificate books, 1914-1958.
3 volumes.
Kavanaugh, Sue: Canoe trip to northern Minnesota, August
1987.
Leland N. Lien, Bookseller (Minneapolis, Minn.),
1987-1990.
Lenfestey, Jim and Susan, 1988-1990.
Linn, Rosemary, 1984.
Little, Luther: Memoir (1842), 1975.
Father of Philip and descendant of William the Conqueror. Includes De Laittre
family genealogical information.
144.E.4.3B
9
Little, Philip: Random Reminiscences of an
Impulsive Person, circa 1940s.
Livingston, Kip, 1990.
Loonwatch, 1985-1990.
Lowry, Goodrich, 1985-1991.
Mayo Foundation, 1971-1990.
McCord, David, 1985-1991.
Meisel, Donald, 1988.
Midwest Federal Savings and Loan Association:
John De Laittre was on the Midwest board of directors.
1981-1985.
2 folders.
1988-1989.
2 folders.
Airfleet expenses, 1987-1989.
Directors meetings, 1978, 1981-1983.
16 folders
Merger with First Federal, 1985.
Midwest Federal v Green Tree Acceptance, Incorporated,
1989-1992.
144.E.4.2F
10
Milton Academy (Milton, Massachussettes), 1988-1991.
John De Laittre was a member of the Class of 1925.
Mining:
Bovey-De Laittre:
1969-1974.
2 folders.
Cleveland Cliffs, 1976.
Cleveland Cliffs/Liberian Iron Ore Limited/M.A. Hanna,
1964-1966.
H. H. De Laittre, 1962-1964.
2 folders.
Iron ore, 1964-1966.
Iron ore, 1967-1968.
Canisteo Mine lease: Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company.
Meriden Engineering Division Map, 1983.
Severed mineral rights, 1973-1976.
2 folders.
Minnesota Council of Parks, 1983-1988.
Minnesota Historical Society, 1960-1990.
Monahan, Gene Ritchie, 1991.
Montana Historical Society Foundation, 1990-1991.
Morgan, Sam, 1988.
Mortgage Bankers Association of America, 1966-1969.
Mutual Securities Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota):
A personal holding company incorporated in 1913. Mutual Securities Company
and the Lamoine Company merged into the DeLaittre Company in 1958.
Accounts, 1913-1958.
Corporate record books, 1913-1958.
2 volumes.
Ledger, 1951-1956.
144.E.4.5B
11
Stock certificate books, 1913-1958.
2 volumes.
Miscellaneous reports, 1919-1932.
National Association of Mutual Savings Banks:
1958-1960.
Annual conference (Atlanta, Georgia), May 16-19,
1982.
Speeches, 1959-1960.
John De Laittre was president.
North Central Airlines, 1968.
Plant, Frank, 1986-1990.
Plant, Michael: Yacht race around the world, 1986.
Quetico-Superior Foundation, 1947-1953, 1971-1982.
3 folders.
Riddell, Sheila, 1984-1985.
Ropes, Horace,
circa 1944.
Ropes Estate: Probate, 1948-1952.
Rostvold, Rusty, 1986-1992.
Schurke, Paul and Susan, 1987-1990.
Shepard, Clarence, 1986-1988.
Sister cities (USSR and USA), 1987-1988.
Snowberg, John, 1990.
Sommer, Larry and Barb, 1990-1991.
St. Louis County Historical Society, 1988-1989.
Tettegouche:
1978-1980.
2 folders.
Accounts, 1972-1976.
Appraisal, 1971-1975.
Appraisal, 1975.
1 volume.
144.E.4.6F
12
Bear Lake, 1975-1976.
Beaver Bay Members: Correspondence, 1976-1977.
Electric power, 1971-1975.
Environmental Learning Center at Tettegouche:
1977, 1979-1982.
4 folders.
Campaign: Directors, 1980-1982.
Directors meeting, March 21, 1981.
New location, 1980-1981.
Summer, 1980.
Financing, 1975.
Fish management, undated and 1972-1976.
Inventory, 1979.
Inventory of furnishings and other items.
Legislation, 1979.
Minnesota Council of State Parks, 1978.
National Geographic,
1976-1978.
Nature Conservancy correspondence and legal documents,
1975-1979.
Operations, 1971-1973.
Option to Nature Conservancy, 1976-1979.
Previews, Incorporated, 1975.
Real estate marketing firm.
Quinn contract, 1968-1974.
Sale of lands to south, 1972-1974.
Sierra Club/Project Environment Foundation,
1975-1976.
Concerns controversy over the disposal of taconite tailings by Reserve
Mining Company.
Snowmobile trail, 1973-1977.
Timber appraisal, 1974.
Trip files:
Alaska, 1971-1972.
Alaska, 1975.
China: Peking Fortnight-1929,
1971-1972.
Published account of De Laittre's 1929 trip to China.
144.E.4.7B
13
China: Peking Fortnight - 1929,
1971-1972.
Eastern United States, May 1975.
Eastern United States, December 1-3, 1975.
England, 1974.
Wedding trip.
England, 1978-1979.
American Museum (Bath, England).
Europe, 1968.
Europe, 1971.
Far East, 1929-1930.
216-page typescript account of a trip to such places as China, the
Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Siam (Thailand), Cambodia, and
India.
Florida, 1969-1971.
Germany, 1966.
Japan, April 13-May 5, 1962.
Maine: Tenants Harbor, 1974-1978.
St. Moritz/London, 1975-1975.
United Kingdom: Les Dames, 1977.
Trusts:
Family trusts managed by John De Laittre.
Corinne De Laittre Ropes Trust, 1956-1957, 1968.
2 folders.
De Laittre agency agreement, 1955-1959.
2 folders.
De Laittre Family Trusteeships, 1987.
De Laittre Trusts:
Asset analysis, July 1969.
John De Laittre statement at court, 1991.
Trustees meeting minutes, 1984-1985.
De Laittre-Jones agency agreement, 1952-1955.
144.E.4.8F
14
Iron ore trust, 1967.
John De Laittre Trust, 1945.
Karl De Laittre Trust (1934):
1934-1968.
2 folders.
Kusmaul, Beth, 1956-1967.
Karl De Laittre Trust (under will):
1961-1963.
Eleanor De Laittre Lienau Fund, 1959-1961.
John De Laittre Fund, 1959-1961.
Rosemond De Laittre Ward Fund, 1959-1961.
Kimball, 1968-1977.
Kimball trusts, 1976-1979.
Lamoine Foundation, 1967-1981.
Melhado, Flynn and Associates, 1984-1989.
5 folders.
Rosamond De Laittre Trust (1958):
1963-1968, 1975-1979.
2 folders.
Appraisal, 1955, 1982.
Drawings of personal property by children, 1958,
1972-1983.
General file, 1958-1962.
3 folders.
Statements, 1959-1960.
Termination, 1978-1979.
2 folders.
Trusts 3, 1985, 1987-1989.
4 folders.
144.E.4.9B
15
Trusts 3:
1989-1991.
2 folders.
Annual reports, 1980-1984.
Hearings, 1990-1991.
2 folders.
Vaughan, Norman and Carolyn, 1986-1992.
Norman Vaughan was a polar explorer and classmate from Milton Academy.
Voyageurs National Park, 1968-1970.
Walker Art Center, 1986-1988.
WCCO Radio Good Neighbor award, 1990-1991.
Wiggins, J. Russell, 1977, 1986-1987.
Woodhill Country Club, 1969-1970.
144.E.4.10F
16
Oversize materials:
Journal (unidentified), 1955-1958.
Probably Lamoine Company or Mutual Securities Company. A personal holding
company formerly known as the John deLaittre Company. The Laomoine
Company and Mutual Securities Company merged into the deLaittre Company
in 1958.
Scrapbooks:
De Laittre Family clippings, 1911-1926.
2 volumes.
Flax prices and market analysis clippings,
1914-1917.
De Laittre, Karl: De Laittre and Anderson Company (Calderwood,
Michigan) stock certificate, 1922.
Photographs:
De Laittre, John,
undated [circa 1960s]
De Laittre, Karl [?],
undated.