Series 2: Electric Fence Records

The ELECTRIC FENCE RECORDS are arranged alphabetically by subject and contain correspondence, instructions and promotional literature, photographs taken for advertising purposes, sketches and notes, and financial records. The records are most extensive for the period when Meinen operated under the name Meinen Manufacturing Company, with some correspondence pertaining to later work carried out under the name Meinen Sales & Service. The correspondence contains a general file of all electricity-related letters covering the period 1937-1975 and a separate alphabetical file covering relations with agents during the period 1937-194l. The agents' correspondence contains detailed information on sales and on the difficulties experienced by Meinen in marketing and servicing his product. This correspondence provides an interesting comparison to the experiences of Edwin J. Gengler of the Prime Manufacturing Company, whose records are also held by the Historical Society and who operated during the same period. Other correspondence relates to advertising, testing, and financial problems. The later Kwik-E files emphasize advertising, promotion, sales, and patent matters. There are few true accounting records for Meinen's electrical activities, although there are numerous customer account sheets and inventories.

Box 2 Folders 20-21: Accounts, 1936-1974
Box 2 Folder 22: Advertising correspondence, 1935-1938
Box 3: Agents' correspondence (A-J), 1937-1941
Box 4: Agents' correspondence (K-W), 1937-1941
Box 5 Folder 1: Article proposal, 1944
Box 5 Folder 2: Barn cleaners, circa 1945
Box 5 Folder 3: “Habit-breaking” equipment, 1947
Box 5 Folder 4: Ideas, sketches, and notes, circa 1936-1938
Box 5 Folder 5: Financial problems correspondence, 1936-1938
KWIK-E

Box 5 Folder 6: Advertising and promotion, 1953-1956
Box 5 Folder 7: Inquiries, 1953-1956
Box 5 Folder 8: Literature, circa 1954-1956
Box 5 Folder 9: Patent sale correspondence, 1962
Box 5 Folder 10: Sales and distribution, 1953-1957
Box 5 Folder 11: U.S. Department of Agriculture Experiments Station, 1954