In 1893, the Rolph & Ball Furniture Company was established in Minneapolis to manufacture upholstered furniture. By 1901, they sold the company to four tradesmen formerly of the nearby McCloud & Smith Furniture Company. 1901-1929 The four new partners were John Grau, salesman; R.F. Curtis, shipping clerk; T.J. Gorman, finisher; and Frank Bertsch, upholstery foreman….