Cass County Government Celebrating 150 years - 1873-2023

Since its founding in 1873, Cass County, North Dakota has been an area of growth and advancement. A place where hard work has provided opportunity for those that call it home.

150 years ago, county residents demanded structure and reliable services to turn the areas that they settled into the communities that we know today. That demand is what still drives Cass County Government today - to provide Service You Can Trust.

Cass County Government First Official Meeting

On October 27, 1873, the first official Cass County Government Board of Commissioners held its initial meeting in a blacksmith shop on what is now Main Avenue in Fargo. The board consisted of N. Whitman, Jacob Lowell, and W.H. Leverett, but only Whitman and Lowell were present at the first meeting.

During the first meeting Whitman was appointed chairman of the board, the bonds of Terrence Martin as register of deeds and H.S. Back as judge of probate were accepted, and Martin was instructed to make a requisition for statutes and session laws of the Territory of Dakota. The last item was a motion to agree to meet again on November 3, 1873, at Whitman’s blacksmith shop.

The meeting on November 3 focused on establishing law enforcement and setting prices for liquor licenses in the county. A. Plummer and N.B. Pinkham were appointed justices of the peace, and J.O. Perkins was made constable at Fargo. Charges for licenses were fixed at $100 a year for retail liquor shops, $25 for peddlers, $15 for auctioneers, and $50 a year for retail merchants.

Residents are encouraged to follow Cass County Government on social media for more historical information on the county over the last 150 years. There will be stories posted regularly about the early settlers in this area, the events that helped shape this region, and how the cities in Cass County were eventually formed.

Cass County Courthouse History

At a meeting held on January 13, 1874, Cass County Commissioners ordered a special election to be held February 14th to vote on the question of building a courthouse and jail, and the issuance of $10,000 bonds for that purpose. This special election was held at the house of F. Pinkham and resulted with 123 votes for the proposition and 56 against.

On August 4, 1874, the contract for the erection of the new courthouse and jail was awarded to Whitbeck, Potter & Co. of Minneapolis for the sum $9,773. The first courthouse was completed by the end of the year and located at the present site of the Northern Pacific Depot. A total of $15,000 was spent on completing and furnishing the building which served as both courthouse and jail. The building was later moved in 1886 to First Avenue South between 7th and 8th Streets and used as a YMCA and then as a boarding house until it was torn down in 1967.

The second courthouse was built in 1884 and its estimated cost was $50,000. It was designed by the architectural firm Daniels & Proctor. The building was under renovation when it burned down on November 17, 1904.

The current Cass County Courthouse was built on the same site as the second courthouse. The original portion of the courthouse opened for business on July 31, 1906. The original building was 70 feet by 109 feet and was built at a cost of $151,000. It was designed by architect Charles E. Bell in a classical revival style and was built with as little wood as possible in keeping with its fireproof construction. It has three floors with a small basement area, most of which is crawl space. The interior courthouse mural paintings were the work of Herman Boerth and a Milwaukee artist known only as G. Peter.

In 1981 construction on the north addition to the courthouse was started and was completed over several years as funding became available. Like the original courthouse the north addition is three floors but with a full basement. Total cost of the north addition was $1.4 million.

1985 brought about the start of construction of the south addition to the courthouse. This addition is the same height as the rest of the courthouse but has four floors instead of three with a full basement. Cost of the south addition was $2.3 million.

Construction on the west addition to the courthouse began in 2011 and was completed in October 2012. This addition was built on the site of the old county jail and sheriff’s residence. Features of the new addition include 72,000 square feet of space which is utilized among several new courtrooms, various offices & a secured area to move prisoners within. A welcomed feature of the west addition was the underground parking for judges, county department heads and official vehicles.

In addition, a skyway was constructed over 10th Street to allow for easier passage of county employees and the public between the main courthouse and the annex building, which houses human services and extension services. The cost of the west addition was $16 million.

The Cass County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1983, and placed on the State Register on May 2, 1986.

Photos and content courtesy of Digital Horizons (North Dakota Histories Collection, ND State Library).

Fargo Town Plat First Official Record in Cass County

The first instrument filed for record in the Cass County Office of Register of Deeds (now Cass County Recorder’s Office) was the Fargo town plat on January 2, 1874. The original Townsite of Fargo was platted out of Section Seven by the Northern Pacific Railroad, and it extended from the Red River to what is now South University Drive and from the Northern Pacific tracks south to Fourth Avenue. Squatters located in the area were allowed to purchase the lots on which they were located, and in 1887, the railroad deeded what is now Main Avenue from the Red River to South University Avenue to the city. At that time, it was discovered that several businesses encroached on the street, and they had to be moved.

At the time that the plat was filed, east-west avenues to the south were named Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison. In 1902, the names were changed to numbered avenues by city ordinance. It was not until 1955 that Front Street became Main Avenue. In the very early days, businesses were concentrated along the south side of Main Avenue, across from the Headquarters Hotel and the railroad offices and headquarters.

Island Park was a part of Section Seven, and through the intervention of Jacob Lowell, Jr., and J. B. Power, a land agent for the railroad, the Northern Pacific deeded this area to the city for a park, as it is still being used today. On the north side of the N.P. tracks, to University Avenue, the railroad held only the 200 feet from the center of the tracks which was a part of its original grant. By 1883, the Land Office announced that all land in Cass County was surveyed and could be acquired by purchase only.

Photos and content courtesy of Digital Horizons (North Dakota Histories Collection, ND State Library) and the Cass County Recorder’s Office.

District Courthouse

The building pictured below is the original Hagemeister School #2, District 31 in Berlin Township from 1930-1956. At its new location at the Cass County Historical Society in Bonanzaville, it serves as a home for original furnishings from the current Cass County Courthouse. As you step through the doorway today you are entering the Cass County Courthouse as it was in 1906.

Architect Charles E. Bell designed the current courthouse in 1904 and it opened in 1906. In the 1970s, the county courthouse went through renovations to modify the large courtroom into two smaller district courtrooms. Furnishings used during all court proceedings from the years 1906-1967 were pulled during reconstruction and donated to Bonanzaville in 1978.

Judge Charles A. Pollock operated as the Judge of District Court in Cass County from 1897 to 1917. Pollock became known as the father of prohibition law in North Dakota when a prohibition bill drafted by him passed the territorial council in 1889. By July 1, 1890, open saloons no longer operated throughout North Dakota except in a few communities that opposed the ban of alcohol. Prior to nationwide prohibition in 1920, states had a local option law which allowed counties or towns to go dry if they chose to do so. Judge Pollock, however, was strict on issues involving alcohol since he believed that sellers of alcohol were equally guilty of any crime committed by a drunk person who had been served at their establishment. Judge Pollock later served as the President of the North Dakota Bar Association in 1921 and passed away on July 9, 1928.

U-R Next Barbershop

Built around 1900, this barbershop was originally located in Buffalo, ND. W.J. Frederick first operated it as the “City Tonsorial Parlor”. Tonsorial is a fancy word for hairdresser or barber. From 1909 to 1964, Lewis Easton owned and operated it as the U-R Next Barbershop. Easton was also a law enforcement officer and it was reported that he would sometimes run out of this shop and give a speeding ticket to someone racing through Buffalo on the highway.

Before Buffalo had a city water system, the U-R Next had running water. Easton’s son, Donal, would fill the large galvanized tub above the ceiling in the back entry using a bucket. Two water pipes went to the tub/shower and the sink in the main room. The pipe carrying cold water went directly to the shower/tub. The other pipe went through a small, coal-fired water heater.

After Lewis died, his wife Alfreda sold the shop to the Associated Master Barbers for Fargo who donated it to the Cass County Historical Society in 1969, where it can be seen in Bonanzaville in West Fargo with many of its original furnishings, including the wood and glass-backed bar with the marble top and the wooden barber chairs.

Dobrinz School

The first school in Mapleton Township, southwest of Fargo, North Dakota, was built in 1895, one-quarter mile east of the farm of John Dobrinz. The school designated as Mapleton Township District #27 School was named after John Dobrinz who was the farmer closest to the school when it was built, and the father of thirteen children, one of which later taught at the school.

This building is typical of one-room schoolhouses that were built in the area during the late 1800's and early 1900's. These schools were designed to teach students from grades one through eight. While some students were as young as three or four years of age, other students were older than the teacher. Grade level was based on how many books were successfully completed rather than on age.

Despite also being used for community events, church Sunday School, and as a voting precinct for Mapleton Township, the school was closed by the mid 1900's. Other one-room schoolhouses in North Dakota had a similar fate as school districts consolidated and the state’s rural population dwindled.

The Dobrinz School was given to the Cass County Historical Society in 1968 and was one of the first three buildings at the Museum’s new location in West Fargo, North Dakota.

The Checkered Years House

Expanding settlements made Mapleton, North Dakota a “boom town” in 1870 as it experienced rapid growth due to sudden economic development. The extension of the Northern Pacific Railroad opened acreages of land for farming. Large tracts of land were turned in bonanza farms and landowners often hired managers for farm operations. Bonanza farm work brought the Woodward family to the Mapleton Township.

In the late 1800’s, 62-year-old Mary Dodge Woodward moved from Kingston, Wisconsin into a house in what is now Mapleton Township with her two adult sons and adult daughter. Walter, her oldest son, worked as a bonanza farm manager for Mary’s cousin Daniel Dodge. Mary’s other son, Fred, also worked on the farm. Mary and her daughter, Katie, cared for the home and fed the family plus the large farm crews during the planting and harvest seasons. The family left the farm in 1889 and returned to Kingston, Wisconsin where Mary died the following year. Mary kept a diary of her experiences while she lived in Mapleton that her granddaughter, Mary Boynton Cowdrey, turned into a book titled The Checkered Years and published in 1937. The Checkered Years House became an affectionate reference to the house that the Woodward family donated to the Cass County Historical Society at Bonanzaville, where it is currently located.

In 1882, Mary noted that there were only two buildings on the farm, but by 1887 twenty-seven buildings were located there. She wrote that people would think their farm was a town, and that if they built a saloon, it really would be a town. She thought “Dodgetown” would be an appropriate name.

Mary wrote a lot about the weather in her diary. She mentions snow banks as high as second story windows in the winter. She also wrote about sleeping with her shoes on so mice would not get in them, and using a telescope to see a light in the city of Fargo from her upstairs bedroom window.

On December 15, 1884, Mary Dodge Woodward wrote the following:

Eighteen degrees below zero.

“From all this large excess of wintry gloom, the ungenerous sun grants us but scant reprieve.”

The sun is shining but it is such a ghostly light, so white! The boys came in half frozen from their chores. Doing chores is not much fun in Dakota in wintertime. Boys used to work for their board in the East but they will not do it here, and I do not blame them. If only the sleighing were good! Anyone would be likely to freeze in a wagon.

The cold weather has cleared the air and tonight we could see eight trains of cars at once on the Fargo Southern, Manitoba, Northern Pacific, and Southwestern railways. This morning, in a mirage which would have been worth going many miles to see, the houses looked like old German castles straight out of a picture book.

The Historic Houston House

The Houston House, a beautiful bonanza farm home, was built by David H. Houston in 1881 near Hunter, ND. Houston was a Scottish immigrant, farmer, poet, and inventor. Because his first house was destroyed by a powerful wind storm, this house included a storm cellar, 2” by 6” supporting timbers and the largest nails that he could find.

The house was an elegant home with maple floors, cherry and oak wainscoting, a walnut staircase leading to the second floor, high ornamental ceilings and large bay windows. The original cost to build this house was estimated to be $7,000. Houston installed a new type of heating system in the basement, a hot air furnace. The house was heated by means of metal conduits and air registers. It even has a bathroom which was uncommon in any house at this time.

David Houston is best known for his photographic inventions. A major goal of Houston’s was to make a camera that anyone would be able to own. In 1867, he got his first patent on a camera improvement he had devised. In 1886, Houston invented a device that totally changed photography. Instead of using bulky plates of film, this invention allowed film to be wound on rolls inside the camera. Houston sold the rights to this patent to George Eastman, another inventor. Houston received $5,000 and monthly payments from the sale of roll-film cameras for the rest of his life.

George Eastman started his own camera company and bought 21 camera patents from David Houston. Houston suggested the camera company be named after northern Dakota and called “Nodak.” Eastman liked the suggestion but wanted a name that did not mean anything. He changed the first letter and called his company “Kodak.”

Houston married Anni Laurie Pencille on April 26, 1888. She was an exceptional musician and was known as “The North Dakota Songstress.” They had one son, David Jr., born 1889. David Houston was caught outdoors in the middle of a blizzard in 1906 while walking home from Hunter. He found shelter but the chill caused significant trauma and he died three months later.

Fargo's First House

Fargo’s first house was built by Harry Moore with help from George Mann in 1869. Fargo at this time was just a city of tents in what was then Dakota Territory. In 1872 the house served as the Mann-Moore Hotel and in 1875 as a jail. The city paid rent of $15 per month for a year while the new jail was being built. The upstairs of the house was the jail. The main floor held the offices of the Sheriff and Mayor.

The house was close to the Red River, on the bank of the “slough” and what is now Island Park. This dwelling was later moved to higher ground (in the one hundred block of South Fourth Street). The house was named “Elm Tree House” and was occupied by the Moore family until 1879. The house was later purchased by Henry Hector and he lived there until his death in 1940. The “Hector House”, as it became known, is credited with being Fargo's oldest wooden structure still in existence.

In 1974, the Fargo Moorhead Board of Realtors and Multiple Listings Service donated the house to the Cass County Historical Society. Palmer Forness, a member of the Cass County Historical Society and a Fargo Fire Department Employee, did most of the restoration to the cabin. Replacing a few of the original logs and adding mixture of cement and sand to openings between the logs, the house was said to be near original condition by 1980 and can be found at Bonanzaville in West Fargo.

Casselton: The Eary Years

The site of what is now Casselton was first settled in 1873 by Mike Smith, an employee of Northern Pacific Railroad. He was to grow cottonwood and willow trees to serve as windbreaks, as well as replacement ties for railroad use. He lived in a furnished boxcar, sodded on the top and sides, and located south of the tracks. The venture was a virtual failure due to the seedlings dying in transit and the soil not being properly conditioned prior to planting. Fortunately, the failure of the nursery was not an indication of the future of Casselton.

Casselton was originally named Goose Creek, a translation of Aux Ontardes, the name given to a nearby creek by early French explorers. Railroad officials preferred the name Swan Creek, and that name was used until early 1876 when the railroad established a station called Casstown after George Cass, president of the Northern Pacific. The name was finally changed to Casselton on August 8, 1876, when a post office was established.

Mike Smith was joined by Emil Priewe, a German immigrant, and his wife in 1874 and on March 28, 1875, their son, Harry, was born in a sod shanty; the first child born in Casselton. By 1875, the population was five. Later that year ten more people came to Casselton and by 1880 the official census was 376.

The first business, a combination lumberyard-elevator, was built in 1876 by N. K. Hubbard and E . S. Tyler. A school was organized in 1878 and the first annual meeting in 1879 showed two school aged children living in town and seven or eight more living on nearby farms.

The early impact of farming was felt heavily by Casselton. While Mike Smith was establishing the nursery in Swan Creek, Northern Pacific stock dropped drastically, and the railroad announced it would accept bonds at par value for railroad land. Cass and Peter Cheney, a Northern Pacific director, traded a portion of their stock for 10,000 acres near Casselton for the equivalent of about fifty cents an acre. They decided to develop this land into one large farm instead of breaking it up into smaller tracts. They hired Oliver Dalrymple, an experienced farm manager from southern Minnesota, to run their operation.

Dalrymple built the first frame structure between Fargo and Bismarck in 1875 east of Casselton. Actual farming operations began in 1876 when 1,280 acres of wheat were planted and another 3,200 acres were broken. The overall venture proved successful and along with its success came proof of the tremendous agricultural potential the land afforded. Prior to the Cass-Cheney "Bonanza" farm many thought the prairie was not suitable for agriculture, but with high yields a proven reality, the way was paved for farming to become a dominant part of prairie life.

In order to attract people to the prairie the railroad began an extensive publicity program both in America and Europe. Casselton did its own campaigning to attract people to the area. For example, in 1885 the Dakota Blizzard, one of Casselton's two newspapers during the 1880s, ran an article stating "Casselton Township raises more wheat than any territory of equal size in the world ... " Another article claimed Casselton "ranks foremost in culture and intelligence."

With the public attention the area received, it's little wonder that Casselton experienced rapid growth through the late 1880s. In April 1885 the population was 724 and by August it had mushroomed to 1,365.

Today, over one hundred and fifty years after Mike Smith spent the winter in Swan Creek in a refurbished boxcar, Casselton remains a thriving community with over 2,500 residents. Agriculture continues to drive the development of the region, and Casselton's innovation and technological advancement in that area will shape what the community will look like over the next one hundred and fifty years.

The Beginning of Buffalo

The Northern Pacific Railroad entered Dakota Territory in the spring and summer of 1872. Before winter set in, iron rails were completed all the way to Steele, ND - this town was formerly called "Seventeen Siding." Buffalo was originally known as "Third Siding." The town was then known as a settlement called Buff, according to an early railroad map, then the name was changed to New Buffalo. According to some, the town was named by Gertrude Talcott of Buffalo, New York. According to other reports, the name was suggested by Mary Strong Willson, also of Buffalo, New York. But railroad authorities say that it was named for the birthplace of Samuel Wilkeson, the first corporate secretary of the Northern Pacific, whose home was also in Buffalo, New York.

H. B. Strand was the first known settler to locate on the ground now occupied by the business portion of Buffalo. He took up a claim a half mile northwest of the present town site. Here he kept the Post Office until the spring of 1879. He erected a small store on the corner where Clendening & Co., later were located.

The elderly Mr. Strong owned the land whereon the business section of the town is now located. At his death the property was inherited by his widow and two daughters. It was due to the generosity of his daughter, Mary S. Strong Willson, that the town was situated in the present site. She donated land to the churches and school, that a town might be started.

The first dwelling house constructed in Buffalo was the section house. The R. Stiles Hotel was built in 1879. Mr. Strand owned the store building on Front Street that later became the T. A. Quirk Store and still later the H. E. Brown Store.

The Village of Buffalo was incorporated March 3, 1883. The population of Buffalo grew to its highest in 1920 with 268 residents. Today, Buffalo is a community of around 200 people that enjoys being close enough to Fargo, Casselton, or Valley City to commute for business and pleasure, yet far enough away to enjoy the unique small-town life.

The Settling of Kindred

Kindred's history must start with the coming of two young men, namely Ole Hertsgaard and Ole Iverson, who came here in the spring of 1871. Having been sent by their friends and relatives, they were to find the best possible land on which they all could build their homes and develop their farms. It should be stated that in 1870, Peder Borderud, Simon Hanson, his nephew, John Rustad and Ole Svengaard had been in this area of the Red River Valley to see what possibilities this land offered. They came by horses and wagon and returned to Iowa, some of them coming back again the next year with their families or friends.

Since the two scouts, Hertsgaard and Iverson, decided that this was the place that they could recommend to their friends, they sent a letter, mailing it from Fort Abercrombie, back to Houston County, Minnesota, where their relatives and friends were temporarily living with other relatives who had established homes there. In June, a covered wagon drawn by oxen finally brought the first family to settle here. This was the Hertsgaard family composed of the mother, Mrs. Ingeri Hertsgaard, Ole's brothers Knut and Peder, and their sisters, Barbara, Birget and Olaug. Ole E.Perhus also came with this group as he had been a neighbor. Another young man by the name of Ole E. Oie came in contact with the two scouts in May of that year and was with them when these settlers arrived.

Later in the sum­mer, the following families came: Peder Borderud, Hans Bjerke, Simon Hanson, Erick Lee, Arne Lee, Soren Ottis, Petter Trana, Hans Trangsrud, Ole Tuskind, Hans Ellefsrud, Ole Herbrandson, Even Johnson, Carl Nelson, Gullick Olson, Helge Olson, Ole Olsgaard, Ole Stromsness and John Rustad.

The coming of the railroad made possible the birthplace of where we know Kindred today. Records show that Section 29, Township 137, Range 50 was originally owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was one of the thousands of sections granted by Congress in 1864 to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound by the northern route. On September 1, 1880, this section passed into the hands of J. S. Huntington and William A. Kindred for the specified sum of $2800. In October the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad (which later became the Great Northern, and still later the Burlington Northern) purchased a strip of land 300 feet wide through the section for a right-of-way. Then in December the original plat of Kindred was filed before Richard Skuse, the notary public of Cass County, Dakota Territory. From these records it is easily understandable how Kindred obtained its name.

It is common knowledge that the railroad had planned to locate Kindred on the south side of the Sheyenne River, but the owner of the land at that time demanded more money than the railroad wished to pay. The outcome was that Kindred was located where it is today.

Cass County records show that the first lot sold was recorded in the name of Fuller & Johnson, a company that sold wagons, plows, etc. This lot was located approximately on the southeast corner of Elm Street and 5th Avenue. The second lot was purchased by Iver Hasledahlen. This was on the south side of the original townsite. The third lot was sold to John Rustad, who in the early years of Kindred's history purchased many others and owned the greater part of the townsite, many acres being farmed for a time.

Mr. Rustad was a man of vision, and when the early settlers were informed that the railroad was coming through this area, he built a store building south of the Sheyenne on the west side of the farm owned by the Loui Perhus family. When Mr. Rustad found that the town could not be located at this point, he secured twelve yoke of oxen and transported the building to Norman, and then later to Kindred. This was the first store, but soon after this beginning, others appeared on the scene until Kindred was able to supply the needs of the community.

Throughout the years that Kindred has existed, they have experienced a steady growth which at times may have seemed slow but have always gone forward. There is something in the atmosphere or in the fertile soil of this community, or both, which makes the roots of plants and men and women alike, grow deep into this productive soil. It may be through this influence that a spirit of helpfulness and cooperation between neighbors has been fostered in the community’s midst. That spirit continues to spread throughout the city of Kindred and the entire area to this day.

The Early Years of Arthur, ND

There was a time when not even the name of Arthur existed. The "hill", now one of the main residential parts of town, was nothing more than a slight rise in the land and perhaps looked much as it did when the waters of Lake Agassiz lapped quietly against its edges. If one could have stood on the summit of this barren hill and looked westward, he would have seen none of the trees that mark the town today; there would have been no cultivated fields, not a farmhouse, but only undisturbed prairie. However, a day was soon coming when this same land was to be the scene of new activity and development.

In the year 1879, if one had been watching from this same hill, he might have seen the humble appearance of only one of the first homesteaders, Samuel Bayard, astride a mule, making his way from Casselton to the present site of Hunter. There he met two others, who were that day choosing the sites of their homesteads. The two men informed Mr. Bayard of a quarter section of land they had observed earlier that day, so after riding back to look at it, he decided to file his claim upon it for his homestead.

In like manner, other early settlers came during the next three or four years. Among the earliest homesteaders in the area were Robert Stewart, Charles McKinnon, and August Faltz. About this time there were enough people to establish a small settlement, which they called Rosedale, named for Rose Gunkel, the sister of a prominent early pioneer. The name was later changed to Arthur in 1882, in honor of Chester A. Arthur, who had succeeded James Garfield as U.S. President. There was a post office established in 1880, located north of the present site of Arthur, which was called Mallette, but which was later renamed Arthur. The townsite was platted in May 1882, by Samuel B. Johnson.

The year 1882 seems to mark the real beginning of a business nucleus in the community, as more homesteaders found their way to this part of the Red River Valley. By 1883 these names became familiar in the community: Wallace and Wilbur Hackett, A.]. Schur, L.D. Roberts, I.S. Roberts, Richard Vosburg, Dan Webster, John Schlaet, and A.T. Burgum.

The construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad played a major part in the development and growth of Arthur, this tiny spot in an area of many thousands of square miles of prairie. The first depot, opened for business in 1882 by William Winston, was a crude building located on the westside of the railroad tracks. The first building constructed in Arthur was a general store built in 1881 by S.W. Hall. Soon another store and lumber yard was built and managed by John Brandenburg.

Before the fall of 1882, a schoolhouse had been built by Dave Comb of Hunter. This building served the community for twenty years as a place of learning and as a social center. Church and Sunday School were also held there, and the big event of the year - the community Christmas tree and its festivities - took place in that building.

Another of the earliest buildings constructed was the Confectionary Store built by William Wagner and John Russell in 1882. Standing in the middle of the block along Main Street, the business was bought by William 's son, Herman, who ran competition to Gus Schur, who had a cafe in the building just south of his. Elmer Schur, son of Gus, had a one-chair barber shop and advertised in a 1920 Arthur News as a ''tonsorial artist.''

The Arthur Hotel was built by John and Leontine lwen about 1910 or 1911. Previously they had farmed just west of the Arthur Farmers Elevator. The hotel had twelve bedrooms on the second floor and one large bedroom on the first floor. The first floor consisted of a large room or lobby as you entered from the street, with a long table next to a large window facing west on Main Street, where the card playing and games took place. Next to the door was a small counter where people registered, and a few boxes of cigars and snuff were displayed for sale.

The first barber shop was in the Arthur Hotel building on Main Street. Early shop operators were Elmer Schur and Oscar Olson. In 1931, Nels Severson purchased the shop from Oscar Olson, and with Nels coming to Arthur, Oscar moved to Casselton. Early prices for barber shop services were: haircut, 35¢; shave, 15¢; and neck clip, 10¢. Nels liked to recall that he had cut hair for five generations of Gebekes, and for several generations of other families. Children's first haircuts were free and quite often it was a special event in the life of both parent and child. Many parents recorded the happening with a picture which they would share with Nels. Over the years, he accumulated quite a collection of these "first haircut" pictures. You might even recognize the child in the top left photo below.

More pioneers continued to come to this little settlement and for them was the necessity of homes and buildings. With progress comes change, and these people had the courage and faith that was needed for growth and prosperity. This same strength was shared by many others living on the land around them.

The History of Davenport

The townsite of Davenport platted on March 18, 1882, one of the earliest settlements in Cass County, is located in the heart of the Red River Valley, Section 1, Township 137, Range 51, at the junction of the Great Northern and Southwestern Branch, Northern Pacific Railroads, about twenty-five miles from Fargo. The land was conveyed by the U.S. Government to the Northern Pacific Railroad Co., later to Henry D. Cook, Jr., G. E. Channing and William Fletcher. The latter gentlemen were responsible for having the land surveyed and platted into town lots as the Town of Davenport. A petition signed by 34 legal voters of Congressional Township No. 137, Range 51, to organize as a town was submitted to the Cass County Commissioners, Dakota Territory, on January 26, 1884. The village was incorporated October 9, 1895.

The early settlement was named after Alice Davenport, "a Massachusetts friend" of G. E. Channing. She later became the wife of Massachusetts Governor Chalfin. A post office was established on April 2, 1882, with Elmer E. Smith postmaster. The first building to be erected upon the town site was that of Mrs. Mary Carr and used as a city restaurant.

In 1882, William Porterfield and Mr. Fout erected the first general store. For ten years Mr. Porterfield was identified with business interests in the village. He had also operated a drug store and, after disposing of it in 1892, he traveled for two years and then purchased a drug store in Fargo. Their village building later became the Tuskind-Transgrud store.

The first village officers elected were Eric Qualley, Arne P. Borderud, A. 0. Tuskind, trustees, Ole Torison, clerk, N. T. Nelson, assessor and A. I. Berg, town marshal. Some of these gentlemen were in business in Davenport. At this time, the village was a center of a large trading area with salesmen coming by rail from Fargo and other cities. They would register at the local hotel, rent a horse and buggy at the local livery stable and cover their territory. Located in the village were a large number of business places as shown on the 1899 pen sketch of the Davenport trade center. A lawyer, doctor, ministers and other professional people also resided in the village.

Arne 0. Tuskind entered the general merchandise business in 1893, having started the "Corner Store" as it was called. In 1894, he took Axel Transgrud as a partner. Soon after this building and stock was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1899 and Arne took on as his partner, brother Casper. Qualley and Schnieder, a hardware and machine firm, also started in business in 1893, having purchased the business from Broten and Qualley who launched out in hardware as early as 1884. Habberstad and Co., composed of M. H. Habberstad, Arne P. Borderud and B. H Trangsrud was organized in 1882. Mr. Borderud had control of the business and operated it for many years. He also served as village postmaster.

Mr. M. I. Myhra left his farm located south of the village in 1886 and with the assistance of his son, E. M. Myhra, started in the hardware and machinery business. It was in 1905 that Peter B. Fredrikson entered the hardware and machinery business with Hans Myhra. In 1908, Mr. Myhra sold his interest to Oscar N. Brakke. The Fredrikson-Brakke partnership continued until 1946, a period of 38 years. When they retired, the business was sold to Clark and Robert Fredrikson, sons of Peter Fredrikson.

The Union Hotel was operated by William Hildebrandt, who started in the hotel business in 1882, having purchased the building from F. Erdman. Lars Tiegen had a blacksmith shop and Anton Sandberg was a contractor. Dr. J. L. Savage, a graduate of Milwaukee, Wis., Medical School, located in the village in 1897. Ole Augedahl had a confectionary and cigar store. Amberson and Brieland had the livery business which later sold to Mr. Bischoff and the Johnson brothers. Joe Ruesink, "the barber" came from Howard County, Iowa. The city drug store was owned by Z.F. Hamilton. Ole Torrison served as agent for the Beidler and Robinson Lumber Co. The Merchants Hotel was operated by F.J. Friese. Peter Sanders had charge of the tin and bicycle repair shop and A.C. Lewis operated the "Peoples Store".

The first school in Davenport in the early 1890s was held in a small one-room frame house. Two of the earliest teachers at Davenport were Minnie Park, a graduate of Moorhead High School, and Nellie Hamilton, a graduate of Burlington, Wis., High School and Moorhead Normal School. In 1902 a brick two-story school was built. For many years Davenport had only two years of high school. Students wanting to continue their education beyond that point usually enrolled in Fargo High School.

At one time 10 trains a day made stops in Davenport, six passenger and four freight, the town being one of the first in the state supporting a Union Depot. A manually operated switch tower located at the railroads crossing was the highest observation point in the village.

The number of people living in Davenport in the late 1890s and early 1900s peaked at around 430. The population dropped off largely in the 1910s and steadily declined for the next several decades until the 1970s saw an increase in people moving to the area. The 80s, 90s, and 2000s saw slow but steady increases in population before leveling off over the last two decades. Today, Davenport’s population is estimated to be around 250 residents.

History of Hunter, ND

The present townsite of Hunter was purchased from the U.S. Government, described as the northwest quarter of sec. 24, township 143 north of range 52 west, and containing 160 acres, at the rate of $2.50 per acre, amounting to $400.00. Even Johnson made payment for this amount on August 7, 1880. Even Johnson and his wife Oleanna sold by warranty deed, four acres on south side of said tract to William Kindred and is listed as the original townsite. This tract was caused to be surveyed by Newton Hubbard and William Kindred in October of 1880 and was surveyed by Evert Lewis. On October 16, 1880, the original townsite was platted. This location was originally called Delano, named after the superintendent that oversaw the construction work on the railroad. This was registered May 28, 1881, at 4 PM at the Cass County Courthouse. Hunter was named after John C. Hunter, an extensive landholder in the area, when the post office was established in June of 1881.

The community of Hunter started growing very rapidly from the start. The Gale and Duffany general merchandise store was built in 1881, a store owned by L. C. Barrett, the school, Citizens Bank, and one after another it grew. In 1885, the 109 voters in the area containing 2,500 acres, voted in the school house on the 16th day of June and favored the incorporation of Hunter. A village election was then held and first members of the town board were - Trustees, J. Hollis Gale, Frank Moody, Peter Erickson, John Daley and D. H. McComb; clerk, Charles McKay; treasurer, L. C. Barrett; assessor, James Symington; marshal, George Smith; justice of the peace, John Daley; night policeman, Joseph Wekner.

By 1887, the population had grown considerably, and so had the business section, which by this time consisted of two general stores, a grocery store, hardware store, 2 hotels, a bank, lumber yard, 3 harness shops, 2 saloons, 2 livery stables, a barber shop, 2 blacksmith shops, a meat market, 3 machinery depots, a jewelry store, a drug store, 4 grain elevators, 2 churches in the process of construction, a school house, railroad service. Also, a thriving lodge of L.0.0.F., GAR Post, WCTU, a brass band of 10 pieces and an orchestra of 5 pieces.

The crops marketed here in 1887 were about 300,000 bu. of wheat, besides vast amounts of other crops and farm products, with wheat selling at 58 cents a bu. The population in 1887 was about 400. By 1899, Hunter had six grain elevators, with a capacity of 225,000 bu., and with an average shipment of 500,000 bu., three churches, one of the best graded schools with four teachers, a bank with capital of $10,000, two hotels, 2 weekly newspapers, long distance telephone and a private line connecting with Arthur, Amenia and Casselton, the population was 500. The stores boasted of carrying the most complete stock of goods of any town in the country. The Great Northern Railroad had ample passenger and freight facilities. The annual passenger and freight reciepts for the railroad station was $30,000.

Tragedy struck the booming community on December 28, 1899, when at 4 PM on Saturday morning a fire, discovered by Dr. Critchfield (just going on a sick call), was burning in the Gray's meat market. The alarm was spread but too late to save the building and the adjoining ones. The town was not provided with much fire protection, so the efforts were to save goods and furniture of the adjoining buildings. By heroic work the fire was confined to the block on front street. The livery barn, owned by L. Turner, across the street to the north was saved by a lot of hard work. The total loss of the fire was $45,450. With only $17,450 worth of insurance coverage. The fire wall saved the Gale and Duffany general store.

There was enough meat in the Gray meat market to supply Hunter for the balance of the winter. The office of the tribune sought refuge at the Herald office and the Herald published their last paper. This fire, which burned most of the block on main street was a cruel blow to the pioneers who worked so hard to build their town, but they didn't let it get them down. In 1901 and 1902 the projects of graveling the streets and building cement sidewalks was started. The population continued to grow until its peak of close to 600 in 1906. By this time we had two banks, four churches a creamery, high school, a new and important business enterprise in town was the Disc Grader and Plow Co., a corporation with $300,000 capital, whose business is to place on the market a disc grader and plow, invented in Hunter, manufactured in Moorhead and sold all over the United States. This corporation was owned by David Houston.

In 1917, in a Cass County publication said "It is safe to say that Hunter is one of the most beautiful little villages in North Dakota". The roads were all graveled throughout the town, and for one half a mile in each direction they were graveled, cement sidewalks connect nearly every home in town with the business section, and is the smallest city or village in the state to support a first class high school.

April 6, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson read a proclamation of war against Germany, the beginning of World War I. The first to enlist from Hunter were George Hogenson, Clarence Fisk and Albert Wallner. Wallner was killed in the last half hour of the war, the legion post is named after him. After the war was over, area men came back to their home. There were seven from our area who gave their lives; Martin Vos, Scott Berdell, Walter Bloom, Albert Wallner, Bernard Berdell, Walter C. Alberts and Almer Thompson.

Since 1906, when Hunter had reached its peak in population, there was more decline in population, many persons moved to California during the war years and did not move back. By 1950 the population in Hunter was 417 with 117 in Hunter township.

Hunter is and always has been a good place to live. Surrounded by some of the richest farmland in the country, energetic and hardworking people who have great love of family, neighbor and community continue to make Hunter a "great" place to live.

The Story of Leonard

One of the first homesteaders in Leonard Township was Andrew Ross who settled on Section 2 in 1877. Others to follow were: Mary Hewitt, Nick Seil, Edgerton Watts and Charley Roberts, who all came in 1881. The present townsite of Leonard was included in the claim originally filed by Mary Hewitt. Later, she and Edgerton Watts were married and the village plots were sold to the settlers. The early settlers were impressed by the lush grass, good drainage, easy to work soil, good water and an abundance of wild game.

The coming of the railroad came about through the efforts of Charley Roberts. He made a trip to New York to contact eastern capital under the pretense of starting a private railroad called the "Fargo and Southwestern." This brought action by the Northern Pacific Railroad, who bought him out and began laying their rails from Moorhead in the summer of 1882. The line was completed in 1883. The first trains ran for a short time during the summer of 1883, but stopped with the coming of winter. They started operating again in the spring of 1884 with a passenger train each way and several freight trains. The first rail bus, known as the B-l or the "Galloping Goose," made its initial run in the early twenties followed by larger rail buses later on. Sam Rustad was the first caretaker and Al Airth was the first railroad telegraph agent. I. P. Fenne came in 1921, leaving for a time, and returning in 1927. He was an agent in Leonard for 30 years.

The first business in the township was a boarding house established by John Boos in 1881. He boarded the section men who were in the process of building and laying new rails. This boarding house was located one-half mile southwest of Leonard in the SW corner of the SE quarter of Section 28. The first building in the village was a claim shanty erected by Edgerton Watts in 1881. The first business in the village was a general store established by Sam Rustad. A grocery store was established in 1883 with Edgerton Watts as proprietor. The post office was housed here also. Later business enterprises to spring up in the village were the John Boos Hotel, grocery and general store, the Henry Schummer Hotel and the Lei Hardware Store. Jack Shane started the first livery barn; Charlie Schroeder, the first harness shop; Albert Porter, a bicycle and watch repair shop; Michael Toussaint, a restaurant which later became the Seelig Hotel. Three grain elevators were soon constructed in the village. They were known as the D and D Elevator, the NP Elevator and the North Dakota Elevator.

The first Leonard Township meeting was held April 26, 1884. The supervisors were Michael Leonard, James Ross and Amos Searles, chairman; Sam Rustad was elected treasurer with Q. R. Gibson as clerk and W. T. Andrews as assessor. C. W. Cottoen and D. S. Weaver were elected justices of the peace, with George White and Henry Biever as the elected constables. Judges were D. S. Weaver, W. P. Andrews and John Grest.

The townsite was platted in the year of 1885. John Duryea, Jr., was the surveyor who platted the village. With this start, Leonard developed into a modern progressive village, which was incorporated in 1951. Today, the appearance of the city of Leonard has changed. Means of transportation, from oxen to horses, passenger trains to bicycle, automobile to public busses to airplane has helped to make this change.

Improved roads and the building of highways have made travel pleasant and efficient. Leonard is bordered by State Highway No. 18 on the east which was built in 1918 and by State Highway 46 on the south which was built in 1935. Leonard is 17 miles south of 194. No grain elevators remain in Leonard. Trucks and transports are now being used. The stockyards, which were built in 1909, were removed in 1943. The livery barn was removed in 1912. No passenger train stops at Leonard and the depot was moved away. Messages by telegraph were sent from this depot before the telephone was operating. In 1901, the first rural telephone line was started. It was known as the "Leonard Rural Telephone Company." Leonard served as a central office for the surrounding territory until 1947 when the dial system was installed by Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. No hotel remains in Leonard. The cream stations have stopped operating. The last one was operated by O. J. Landsem. No doctor serves Leonard. Dr. Huntley practiced there from 1909-1935. He then moved to Kindred and maintained an office in Leonard for a few years.

With progress comes change. These are only some of the changes which have taken place over the years. Leonard is still looked upon as an ideal place to live and currently houses around 250 residents. From the early settlers to the residents that call Leonard home today, hard work and being a good neighbor are the values that have formed the strong community that Leonard, North Dakota is today.

How Leonard Was Named

The Centennial History Committee searched for information as to how "Leonard got its name." Many different stories were gathered. Quite by accident, a letter was received by the Leonard Post Office. (See letter) The postmistress, Lois Vangsness, notified the committee. They corresponded with Roy Stiles the only living child of Leonard Stiles, (whose name was used in some of the stories). A copy of the biography of Leonard Stiles from the State Historical Society of Pierre, S.D., was received. It stated that Leonard was named in his honor because he circulated the petition to establish a post office. Also received, was the certificate of appointment to Leonard Stiles as the first postmaster in Leonard, December 19,1881 and signed by U.S. Postmaster General, Timothy 0. Howe, (items printed) The land description of the soldiers claim filed by Leonard Stiles is the N.W. Va of Section 32, Leonard Township. On October 14, 1980, the History Committee, Corinne Larson, Alice Dittmer and Anna Powers, drove to Britton, S.D., to meet and talk to Roy Stiles. They received the picture of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Stiles and more information. With this documentation, the committee feels Leonard was named in honor of Leonard Stiles.

April 11, 1980

Dear Postmaster or Mistress:

In case you or anyone else is interested in how Leonard got its name, here are the facts. I am Roy Stiles the 86 year old son of Leonard C. Stiles. I have his appointment certificate signed by Timothy O. Howe, the Postmaster General at that time. I would enjoy hearing from someone in Leonard.

Sincerely,

Roy 0. Stiles