Grand Forks County, North Dakota - The whole text, 1900 (part 3 of 4)

1870, he arranged with Thomas Walsh to come to Dakota in the spring and settle upon the site he had chosen at the forks of Red river. This understanding was had in December and Mr. Walsh was to have a half interest in the townsite. Griggs interested others at Henderson in the proposed settlement on or about the same time. The captain with Walsh and Hurd, were to erect a steam snw-mill at the settlement and Walsh was also to assist in establishing a general store there. Accordingly, in the spring of

1871, Thomas Walsh, Burton Haney, James Jenks, and Alexander Blair left Henderson for the Red River Valley. They proceeded by railroad to Benson, Minn., to which place the line from Minneapolis to Breckenridge had recently been extended, thence journeyed afoot to Old Crossing, staging the remainder of the distance to McCauleyville, where the Selkirk was then approaching completion. The outfit for the saw-mill and their supplies was sent along as freight, and was brought to McCauleyville over the same route.

The Selkirk not being ready, the party came down the river by flatboat and were about six days in making the trip down to the forks. The saw-mill machinery and their supplies was taken along at the same time on the flatboat. They arrived at the site of the future city on or about April 15, 1871.

We further learn from Geo. W. Aker these facts relative to Capt. Grigscs' preparation for a cabin and the condition in which the Walsh party found it. The captain had his flatboatmen cut and haul together the logs for one upon his prospective claim. A single round of logs only was laid down that fail for a foundation; then, during the early part of the following month of April, the man that Griggs left there to look after the stored goods, with the help of others, put up a few more logs upon the four first laid down. The shack had neither floor nor roof, and thus the Walsh party, arriving shortly afterwards, found it. Mr. Walsh also states that all else they found upon the original townsite was an Indian tepee and a halfbreed cart, and that the only persons then around the forks that he remembers were Nicholas Huffman, August Loon and a few woodchoppers. Such were the conditions found existing now over twenty-eis;ht years ago where a populous and important city has since grown up. "We set to work" says Mr. Walsh "to clean the snow out of a small shanty, put in a floor and roof on the shanty, also putting in a door and a window. That was the first start of Grand Forks city, about April 15-18, 1871." Thus Thos. Walsh and those who came with him became the first actual settlers upon the original townsite of Grand Forks.

The beginning of the place, was with a few log cabins and shucks. The saw-mill was gotten in operation by the first of August, but could only turn out lumber from such trees as grow along the river, the pine being absent.

Besides those who came directly with Thos. Walsh, there also came that spring or summer, Capt. Alex, (iriggs, John W. Stewart, .loim Fadden, Sr., David Blair, M. E. Hurd, O. E. Nash, James Elton, D.M.Holmes, M. L. McCormack, Joseph Greenwood, O. S. Freeman, D. P. Reeves, Asa Sargeant, and some others. Of Thos. Walsh and those who came with him or afterward and who held to the country during those early years, it may be said of them as of Griggs, Vaughn, Cady, Aker and other early comers, they were of the class of men that founded this state.

The Selkirk

The later stage of steamboat building for the navigation of Red river was inaugurated by the construction of the Selkirk. This later era, as has been remarked, was coeval with the occupation of the country by settlers, hence, until practically terminated in so far as the navigable portionof the whole river is concerned by the building of the present lines of railroad in the valley, it assumed far larger proportions and importance while it did last than the earlier period of the fur trading days that had produced only two boats.

The Selkirk was built at McCauleyville under the firm name of Hill, Griggs & Co., being owned by James J. Hill, Alex. Griggs and C. W. Griggs. Hill was interested in the placing oi a steamer on lie! river as a business venture in connection with the transportation interests of the firm, which he, personally, had exerted himself to develop. The conception of the project was likely his own.

As stated, Howard R. Vaughn, wlio seems to have been Griggs' right hand man for business enterprises, had general charge of matters, particularly after Griggs left for Henderson, but the actual construction of the boat was carried on under the supervision of David P. Reeves, a practical boat builder. David McCauley had built a saw-mill at McCauleyville in 1867, cutting considerable lumber for the government posts from logs floated down Otter Tail river. The greater portion of such pine lumber as was used in the construction of the Selkirk was obta;ined at this mill, notwithstanding the fact that a large amount of pine had been brought down the river by Capt. Griggs and his men as already narrated; but the mill at McCauley ville could not furnish alt the material that was needed at that time. Mr. Vaughn

States that a large number of men worked on the Selkirk, off and on, including some of the fiatboat crews when these men were not otherwise employed, and thinks that fifteen to twenty-five hands were engaged at odd times in its construction. Work on the boat began in the fall and progressed through the winter following, so that by springtime it was ready for launching. The beginning of the construction of the Selkirk was over a year before either the Northern Pacific or St. Paul & Pacific railroads had reached the valley, consequently her boilers, machinery and furnishings had to be teamed from the end of the last named line, then at Willmar, Minn., 112 miles southeast of Breckenridge.

In building steamboats along Red river, a favorable place was selected for the boat yard and the bank of the stream was graded down if necessary. The hull rested level, raised up a little upon blocking. When completed, timbers slanting down to the water were placed beneath the boat and secured in position. Then the blocking was gradually removed by the aid of jack-screws, so as to lower the boat upon the timbers, and the process of launching was merely the sliding of the steamer bodily into the river sidewise.

The Selkirk was launched on or about April 12, 1871, and very soon afterward was steaming down the river on her first trip. Capt. Griggs' inclinations naturally ran toward river navigation, so he was master of the Selkirk. The steamer reached the Grand Forks settlement about the 18th, and here several persons landed who thereafter became identified with its earlier affairs. ("ontinuitig her trip, the Selkirk put into the mouth of the Pembina river amidst a hard wind storm on the 20th, reporting at the custom house as having arrived at Pembina that day. About two days later the steamer reached Winnipeg. Quite different was this first trip of the Selkirk from steamboating on the Ohio or the upper Mississippi where every few miles landings have to be made at either small villages or thriving towns and cities; here, from Fort Abercromhie to Pembina, along a distance of over 350 miles as the river runs, the narrow forest belt following the sinuous windings of the stream was then mainly a solitude, broken only by a few embryo settlements, and, at long intervals, by the log buildings of the Hudson Bay company trading posts, 'i'o the passengers, the Selkirk must have seemed as a herald of civilization.

The International, as has been stated, was owned and operated by the Hudson Bay company, but the Selkirk was built for general traffic, which, it was foreseen, increasing immigration into the country would develop in considerable volume. This steamer became one of the most noted boats on the river, and it played an important part in the settlement arid development of the country.

The First Six Yeaks Of Giund Forks

The settlement at Grand Forks was made in what was then Pembina county of Dakota territory. Sometime after that county had been organized, its commissioners, in the absence of townships, subdivided it into several large voting precincts, some of which are not known to h^ve contained any white inhabitants when they were established. 'I'hese precincts were not all created at any one time. On .luly 3, 1871, the commissioners created the (irand Forks precinct, which comprised the territory within the following boundaries: Commencing at the mouth of Turtle river the line drawn ran up that stream fifteen miles, thence due south to Groose river, ihence down that stream to its mouth, and thence down Red river to the place of beginning. On September 4th the Park river was made the north boundary of this precinct, the crest of the uplands its western boundary, while its southern boundary was made to commence at a point on Red river five miles north <»f the mouth of (Joose river, thence running due west to the crest of the uplands. At the first election held in this precinct, Thos. Walsh, John Fadden andS. C. Cady were appointed judges of election.

Another act of the county commissioners of the same year was to grant to John Fadden a charter for a ferry across Red river at Grand Forks at $21 per annum (or five years. Fadden's house was located nearly opposite the point of land formed by the confluence of the Red and Red Lake river*-, and here the ferry was established so that those who crossed the main stream could be landed or taken on just below the mouth of Red Lake river. The road on tiie Minnesota side that led from the landing up throiigh the timber is still to be seen there, for it is occasionally used by persons who drive down to the river for sand. This locality is now spanned by two bridges, one over either stream.

The location of the first buildings at Grand Forks had an intimate association with the rather broad slope of the river bank. The slope of the land from whftt was the edge of the valley plain along the present river front of the city, thence down to the margin of the stream, mainly consists of moderately descending ground, though there is some tendency toward a variable surface in respect to the minor features of the slope. The river bank, within the Hunts specified, has a breadth varying from about 10 to 20 or 25 rods, and with but little of what may properly be called bottom land. The amount of descent is between 40 and 45 feet, the S'lnall angle of pitch being a little more or less, according to the breadth of the slope. Now the timber along the river is mainly confined to its sloping banks and limited areas of bottom land, generally terminating at the prairie margin on the top of the slope. During the early years of which we are speaking, the broad hill slope here was more or less thickly wooded, as is still the case to a considerable extent along the river bank both above and below the city.

Capt. Griggs and family came in the spring and during the year he built a substantial frame house near the log cabin that had been put up that spring on his claim. The house stood upon the siie now covered by the rear portion of the Syndicate block, is still in existence upon another site, and is the low winged dwt'lling neiir the foot of Kittson avenue, close by the gas-works. While in its original location, the house was the home of Capt. Griggs for many years.

In the summer of 1871 a telegraph line was constructed between the point selected by the Northern L'acific engineers for the railraad crossing of Red river (Moorhead) and Fort Pembina, the line following the stage road. It was put up by the Northwestern Telegraph company, ot Kenosha, Wis., and was owned and operated by them. Sanford C. Cady contracted to furnish and set the poles, which were cut along the river. Geo. B. Winship and AVm. Bndge took a sub-contract for twenty miles of this line betweenTurlle river and Kelly's Point, now called Acton. After the line was completed to Pembina, Cady was assigned the position of line repairer. This was the first telegraph line that was constructed in North Dakota.* It was extended that lall

'Pembina, July 17, 1871. Articleof agreement between Cady of the Grand Forks, Dakota territory, of the first part, and the Northwestern Telegraph Co., Kenosha, Wisconsin, of the second part, for the constructing [of] a line between Fort Pembina, Dakota territory, and a certain point on the Red river where the Northern Pacific Railroad may be located, about fifteen miles south of Georgetown, Minnesota. The party of the first part agrees to furnish [the poles] set them and naii on the brackets for the sum of one dollar per pole: Said poles to be foui inches in diameter at the top 6nd, straight and of sound timber, twenty-; two feet long, and of oak, ash or elm, and to be trimmed smooth. Poles to be set three feet and six inches in the ground and set solid and firm. The same to be constructed along and on the west side of the stage track leading from Pembina to said Railroad crossing and the brackets to be nailed on the west side of the poles. Number of poles set per mile not less than twenty-two, nor more than twenty-five, at the option of the party of the second part. The party of the second part to furnish the brackets it nails and deliver them in quantities along the line of the river as the party of the first part(y) may designate. The party of the second part to pay the party of the first part the sum above named when the whole line is completed. Said line to be completed bv the 30[th] day of September, 1871.

to Winnipeg, a person named McKusey having; the, contract to furnish and set the poles between Pembina and Winnipeg. The first operator at Grand Forks was a Mr. Cran who came that fall.

In the tall, Thomas Walsh and Alex. Griggs established a general store at the settlement as had originally been planned. This building stood on the east side of Third street, a little lo the south of where the track of the Great Northern railroad approaches the street crossing from the bridge, while the saw-mill was in its vicinity, having st(»()d near the top of the river bank about four rods north of the railroad.

There were now two boats running on the river, to wit, the old International, built ten years previously, and the new steamer Selkirk. At this time l*^rog Point, a little below the foot of the Goose rapids, was made the head of navigation for the boats on account of the difficulty experienced in trying to navigate the bowlder sirewn channel above during any low stage of water. To Frog Point tnerchandise was freighted by ox-teams and Red River carts from the nearest railroad points in Minnesota. Bales of furs were shipped from Frog Point as brought up by the boats from places below, and men connected with the fur trade, river men and teamsters-congregated there at times in great array.

An emigration movement had now set in toward Manitoba. Hundreds of emigrants were passing through this country enroute for that province, and most of, the passengers on the boats were of this class. But officers from Canada and England with their families and attendants, and agents connected with the Hudson Bay company, also traveled by the same ' mode of conveyance. The character of the times, which, was the beginning of the transition period between the old epoch of the valley and its coming new one, its mercantile transactio!is and njethods of transportation :ind conveyance, naturally produced itscorrespojiding phase of life, destined to be transient only and never again to he seen repeated here. ? .

Besides the boats there was no regular means of accommodating travel up and down the valley. But it was just at this time that the stage line of Blakely & Carpenter was extended from Breckenridge to Winnipeg, both to carry the mails and accommodate the increasing travel to INFanitoba. Capfr. Blakely contracted with the Dominion government to carry the mail on the stages from Pembina to Winnipeg. 'I'he first stage arrived at Winnipeg September 11, 1871. This extension of the stage route down the valley took place some little time before either of the railroads had reached Red river. The stages ran daily, summer and winter. The trip from Breckenridge to Winnipeg could be made in three days, including night traA^el. Staire stations were established at convenient points along the route in the valley for the care of horses and passengers, as had been done

H dozen yeiirs before in Minnesota when the route was opened through that state. One of these stations was at Goose River, one at Frog Point, one at Grand Forks and another at the crossinsf of Turtle river where Manvel is h)cated. The stage road followed what had formerly been che old Red River trail and later mail route. This came into Grand Forks diaLM)nally tlnough what is now Viets' addition, coming in upon Third street at Kittson avenue and leaving the settlement toward Manvel along the down river continuation of Third street or closely approxmating to this public way.

About the distance of a furlong southeast from tiie residence of Judge Corliss, and at the foot of the river slope, is a piece of partially cleared bottom land that is specially historic ground in so far as (^rand Forks city and county are concerned, for here, near by a large broken topped, but spreading elm tree, stood the cabin ot the first white men who located in this part of the valley, that of Huffman and l.oon, while John W. Stewart's shack, built sometime in 1871, was located a few rods to the north of it. Stewart had a garden here and the cleared space shows some signs of former cultivation.

S. C. Cady reniiiined postmaster of Grand Forks through most of the year 1871, and appointed Stewart deputy. The post-office was located that year in Stewart's log shanty, and was a primitive affair. The amount of mail arriving each week could not have been large. Stewart built and kept the stage station at Grand Forks. Late in the fall he succeeded Cady as postmaster of the settlement and moved the office into the stage station. 'I'his was located on the edge of the prairie about six hundred feet southward from the Corliss mansion, and as the building is still in a. fair state of preservation, it is used as a dwelling house and has, of course, been altered over some from what it was originally. The old horse barn of the station, built of hewn logs and native lumber, stood and in part still stands a few rods north of what was once the station itself, being located at about the top of the sloping bank, or partially upon both forms of the ground there so as to provide the building with an under part, 'i'he reason why the stage station was built nearly a mile south of the settlement was likely owing to the fact that Sievvart chanced to locate there several months before the stages began running. This building was known as Stewart's hotel and was the humble, but not immediate, predecessor of Grand Forks' fine hotels of present times.

The first marriage ceremony that occurred in the community was of that sort that takes place before witnesses, wherein Nick Huffman was married to a half breed woman in the spring of 1871, \V. C. Nash officiating. i\Ir. Nash also read the first burial service here. The first wedding in this county wherein both bride and groom were purely white people was that of S. C. Cady

Mild Sarah J. Fadden, who were married at Grand Forks September 29, 1871. by John E. Harrison, a justice of the peace. Miss Fadden was a daughter of Jolin Fadden. Sr., who came with his family from McLeod county, INlinn. The marriage of I\l. L. McCormack to Miss Jennie Strong, a sister of Mrs, Alex. Grigirs. was the next ceremony ot the kind to occur in the community. There were then no newspapers in all of what is now the state of North Dakota to make mention of social happenings of this kind.

George H. Winship and William Budge are men both of whom have become prominently identified with the later history of the Red liiver Valley and the state. We first find them together at Pembina and in the same year that Grand horks got its first start they are also found located up(<n the soil of this county.

Mr. Winship was born at Saco, Maine, in 1847. In 1851 his parents emigrated to the west and located at I^aCrosse, Wis., the place then being little more than a settlement. Six years later they moved across the river to La Crescent, Minn., which place was started about that time. It was here that Winship learned something about the printer's trade in the office of the local paper, a. fact that determined his future career as a publisher. In 1863 he entered the army as a member of the 2d Minnesota Cavalry and served until the end of the war. In 1867 he came into the country as a mcmberof D.ivy's overland expeditio?i to Idaho which became stranded at Fort Abercrombie. He then put in a year at teaming and in the spring of 1868 went to Fort Garry where he worked on t.h-. Schultz's paper, the iVorvvester - afterward published by Kiel as "The New Nation" - and printed $50,000 of Hudson Bay company money used to pay Riel's soldiers. Winship came to Pembina about the first of May, 1870. Here, about a month later, he first met Wm. Budge. Both were then young men. Winsliipwas stopping at Peter Hayden's, and the two camped there about a month, or until the work of building Fort Pembina began, Nathan Vlyrick and W. C. Nash having the contract for construction. About the first of July, Winship was offered a position in A. VV. Stiles' sutler store at the fort and accordingly entered his employment as clerk.

Wm. Budge is a native of the island of South Ronaldsha, the southernmost of the Orkneys, Scotland, and came across the ocean to this country in the year 1869. He came in by way of Hudson bay and states that the method of travel at that time between York Factory and Fort Garry was by the Hudson Bay company's Mackinaw boats and Indian canoes. He remained in iNlanitoba for awhile, traveled west as far as the Rockies, which in thos<e days was no railroad journey, and soon afterward he came to Pembina.

at the place where the old Red River trail crossed the stream. In that section the trail was deflected considerably to the west of Red river owing to sloughs and the great body of timber about the moutii of 'I'urtle river. Afier putting up the cabin they went back to build one for a person named James Hastings where the village of Drayton is now situated. During a part of that summer, Budge carried the mail between Grand Forks and Pembina for Nick Huffman, who held the sub-contract, using a pony and Red River cart. In the fall when the stages began running, the cabin at the crossing very readily became one of the stations on the route. Budge .'ir)d \Vinship had bridged the stream before this, but when the stage route was opened the company put in a substantial bridge at the crossing. The cart trains had merely used fords where the trails crossed the streams in accordance with the rude methods of transportation then prevalent. In 1873 VVinship sold his interest in the stage station to Budge and Eshelman and in the fall of that year he went to St. Paul to work at his trade as a printer. At a later day Budge, too, left Turtle river, going with a party to the Black Hills in 1876, and after his return to Dakota he took up his residence at Grand Forks.*

The population of Grand Forks in 1871 is said to have t>een about fifty persons, which was nearly all the inhabitants there were then in the present county. There were a few halfbreeds and Canadian Frencli vvoodchoppers about the place that year providing fuel for the boats.

Grand Forks In 1872 And 1873

Grand Forks has ever shown a tendency to extend up and down the river rather than outward from the vicinity of its banks. Whatever extension has been made toward the west, at least beyond Fifth street, has resulted more from the pressure of expansion outward from the original townsite than from any natural tendency to build up the city in that direction. I'he fact seems not to be fortuitous, but rather to be in accordance with some definite law governing the growth of aggregations of people under given conditions. Now while (irand Forks was merely a settlement, and in the years now under consideration, the principle governing this factor of future extension already existed in an embryo stage, for the buildings then put up were either located along the edge of the prairie or partly upon the slope of the river bank, with about a mile stretch between the saw-mill and the stage station, thus conforming to the course oi the travel and traflEic of the time, both on th^ river and the old trail.

Kev. O. H. Flmer was a Presbyterian clergyman who came to Moorhead soon after that place was started. He first came to Grand Forks during the winter following the affairs just related.

Having driven down, he held the first public relig^ious service in the settlement in the house of ('npt. Alex. Grigirs, on Sunday, February 11, 1872. A matter of this kind in respect to places that grow to importance from small beginnings is alwjiys worthv of record as being prophetic of the founding of future churches.

Ill 1872 the stages were making the trip from Moorhead to Winnipeg in about three days. 'Phat'year a fast stage was run for awhile, or during the boating season, making the trip between the points named in twenty-four hours, the object being to divert passenger travel from the river to the stage line. In a good stage of water the boats usually made the trip from Grand Forks to VVinnipeg in thirty-eisht hours.

This same year Alex. Griggs broke six acres of the virgin prairie on liis claim at Gr:ind Forks. A few settlers had located along the river in Grand Forks, VValle and Bentru townships in 1871, hence a little breaking had been done in the county before this, particularly at Eight Mile Point south of Grand Forks. But the amount then done in each case was small.

There are now but few buildings at Grand Forks that belong to the period that is marked off by the first half of the 'seventies; one such is a log house on Cottonwood street; then, on tlie east side of Third street about one hundred feet north of Division avenue, is a small wooden hotel that was built in the summer of 1872 by E. B. Andrus. It bore no name on its front in those days, but was jocosely called the "Hotel de Grab" owing to an alleged scarcity of victuals upon its tables and the consequent necessity (){ grabbing in order to get a fair meal.

As early as the summer of 1872 an effort was made to establish a school in the settlement. As has often happened in western settlements, two rival factions arose, disputing over the location of the proposed schoolhouse. This was carried so far that two small schools were gotten under way for the time being. One of these was conducted in a small framed shack situated near the stage station and was tan2;ht by Miss Blanding; the other school was kept in a small shanty located near where the Great Northern prssenger depot now stands and was taught by Geo. Ames. As usually occurs in such cases, a feeling was engendered in the community that lasted until the principal actors in the matter had left the country; then, with the establishment of public schools the cojitroversy seems to have been so far forgotten that no mention of these early schools occurs in the sketches.

The Selkirk was usually laid up each winter at Grand Forks. This initiated a boat yard here. It was established by Kittson, who was then connected with the tranportation business of the Hudson l^ay company. About this time the few boats on the river passed under his control and so he came to be called Commodore Kittson. I). P. Reeves was placed in charge of the boat yard. This was located upon the river bank a short distance above the point. During the winter of 1873-4, there was built iiere, or rather lengthened, the steamer Dakota, which had j)revioush^ been built at Breckenridge as a ninety feet boat.

During these early years there was considerable flatboating being done on the river despite the presence of steamboats. The business seems to iiave reached its culmination in 1872. Pine lumber could now readily be obtained at Moorhead that had been shipped in by railroad, and scores of flatboats left that place for down river points, many people journeying in this manner with their goods and chattels. 'I'here must have been either high freight charges on the steamers or lack of adequate transportation facilities, causing vexatious delaj^s, to account for this flatboating business which seems to have spruns: up as a temporary expedient to save costs and time. Before the railroads reached different points in the valley pine lumber was apt to have been scarce material in any section of it, and it is related that the famous Joe Rolette, who died at Pembina, INIaj' 16, 1871, was buried in a cotfin made from lumber of a flatboat that opportunely arrived there just at that time. The boats were always taken to pieces for the sale or use of the lumber.

The old policy of the Hudson Bay company was to confine their business to the fur trade, but time, vvith its changing conditions, often causes associations as well as individuals to adapt their course so astoconforui to altered or changing circumstances; hence, Donald O. Smith having .succeeded Hudson Bay governor McTavish, this policy was changed so far as to trade with all of the people. The old post at Georgecown, Miini., had a succession of "factors" as the agents were called, the last one in charge there being Walter J. iS. 'IVaill, for whom Traill county was named. The post consisted of a few buildings constructed of hewn logs, and, at times, there was stored here peltries of enormous value. In 1873 the buildings were sold and the business moved to Grand Forks where the company acquired property interests. Mr. Traill also came to Grand Forks to take charge of the Company's affairs here. They bought out the store and sawmill already located here and proceeded to establish a general store of their own, also a hotel called the Northwestern. Their store was located on the corner of Third street and Kittson avenue where the Union National bank building and Platky's store now stand, while the hotel stood on the corner of Third street and DeMers avenue, or on the sice now occupied by F. \V. Schlaberg's J)rug store.

Frank Viets is a native of Ohio, born in 1839, and served in the civil war. Himself, wife and little daughter came to Georgetown in August, 1870, and opened a hotel in one of the old post buildings. He was obliged to team his furniture and supplies from

St. Cloud and Alexandria. In those times Mr. and Mrs. Viets entertained many distinguished persons who chanced to visit the upper part of the valley. When the business transactions of the post was transferred to Grawd Forks, J\lr. and Mrs. Viets also came and took charge of the Northwestern hotel. Thus Mr. Viets early became identified with the history of the city of his clioice.

In 1873 O. S. Freeman was appointed postmaster of Grand Forks, succeeding John W. Stewart, and he moved the office to the Hudson Bay company's store. The Northwestern hotel being completed and opened, the business of the stage station was likewise transferred to the settlement and to that building during the same year.

Fronting the settlement there was a limited opening of the timber, no great an-ioutit of it then having been cleared from the present city front and through this open space passengers enroute from Ontario to Manitoba, or «ny others, saw from the upper deck of the Selkirk a .^mall and rather incongruous settlement. The population was still small, numbering that year about 160 persons. At this time the place consisted of the Hudson l^ay company's store and hotel, also another hotel built the previous year, Capt. (iriggs' house, the saw-mill, and a small number of cabins and shacks. Then there Was the ferry, boat yard and stage station buildings above the settlement. The place also had a telegraph office. It was merely a frontier settlement, none consisting exclusively of white people existing to the west of itshortof the Missouri river. I'he times were not yet ripe for town building in this part of the Red River Valley.

Fihst Land Entries, Public School And Newspaper

Thus far onward the settlement was on the public lands, consequently there were no transfers of land from party to party excepting in the way of squatter's rights, which do not become matters of record. Persons holding claims around Grand Forks prior to 1874 were squatters, unless such had scripted the land. The land in the county around Grand Forks was surveyed in 1873 and was opened to settlement in January, 1874. The United States Land Office was then located at Pembina. The first entries of land around Gran(i Forks were made in the early part of 3874 by Alex. (Griggs. O. S. Freeman, John Fadden,Sr.", J. to. Eshelman and likely by others.

When the county wasorganized its commissioners remembered the cause of education. The siorthern half of the county was accordingly designated as school district No. 1, and the southern lialf as school district No. 2, This provision was made at their meeting o! March 2, 1875. But before this time definite action to erect a public school building at Grand Forks had been taken. Sometime in the year 1874 .Mrs. Richmond taught a small school in a shack 12 by 18 feet. The several small schools thus far attempted seem to have finally led to public action on the subject looking toward the establishment of a school that would have permanency. In the fall, after navigation had closed, some of the river men, among them Capt. H. E. Maloney and others, called a meeting for the purpose of raising money to erect a public schoolhouse. Capt. ^Ialoney whs one of the committee appointed for til at purpose, and before the meeting closed $500 was secured by subscriptions besides pledges for work. The building was erected during the winter of 1874-5 and cost $472. In the spring, or perhaps before that season began, a school was opened in the new building with twelve or fifteen children in attendance. A young man named William Curie, a Methodist preacher who had been sent to Grand Forks by the Northwest Iowa conference, was j)laced in charge of the school. Its limited number of pupils is an index of the scant population of the place in 1875; yet' it should be said that with settlements of this kind at that period numbers of men were often residents, who, for the time being, had left their families elsewhere.

It was not until about the time we have now reached that the settlement made any pretension of being so much as is generally implie<l in the word village. On April 26, 3875, Alex. Griggs and Etta, his wife, placed on file in the office of the Register of J)eeds, a plat of the village of Grand Forks, comprising ninety or more acres of their claim. The original tovvnsite of Grand Forks was platted by Hector Bruce, a civil engineer, the vvoric having been done some time prior to the date of filing the drafted plat and appended documents. As laid out by the surveyor, the streets were made to parallel the river, which, opposite the business portion of the present city courses toward the northwest, and the avenues were laid out to cross these at right angles. In platting some of the various additions to the original townsite, the trend of the streets and avenues were made to conform more generally to the cardinal points of the compass.

There were but four newspapers in all of North Dakota in 1876, consequently there could have been but few in the whole territory at any time in the previous year and in those years of slow development daily papers in the territory were not to be thought of. It was in 1875 that Geo. H. Walsh founded the Grand Forks Plaindealer, For some time prior to this date he was doing editorial work on a paper in West St. Paul. He came to North Dakota in the year just named as clerk ior the Red River Transportation company. He saw that there was an opportunity to start a newspaper at Grand Forks. He then had his printing materials shipped from St. Paul to Moorhead over the Northern Pacific, excepting a Washington hand-press which he purchased in Fargo. Thence the outfit for the office was brought down to

Grand Forks by steamer.* "The first issue of the Plaiiidealer was OM or about July 2, 1875. I cannot remember the exact date." So states the founder of the paper himself. For nearly four years this paper hud the field all to itself in this part of the valley. On July 8, 1875, the Plaindealer was chosen as the official paper for Traill county instead of a Fargo paper previously used to publish the commissioners' proceedings, for it is presumable either that they had offers of publishing their proceedings made to them or that its first number had just attracted their attention. Mr. Walsh continued to publish the Plaindealer for about two years, after which others in succession took charge of the paper, among whom was 1). IMcDonald.

In 1875 Frank Viets bo\ight of the Hudson bay company their hotel and general merchandise store, and this ended their trading business in the valley on this side of the boundary line. They still retained some real estate property at Grand Forks, but what remained of it three or four years later, was purchased by E. V. Holcomb and John McKelvey. Another event for the village in 1875 was the appointment of Alex. Griggs as postmaster, succeeding O. S. Freeman.

Business on the river was now developing in considerable proportions, and Gra/id Forks became something of a headquarters for river men, but their number here, even in the best days of steamboating on lied river, was never very large, 'i'he steamer Sheyenne was built at the boat yard here about 1874-5, and was desisfued to tow barges. This was the first side wheeled boat to be placed on the river, the others being of the stern wheeled type. The iSheyenne was built under the supervision of Capt. E. V. Holcomb and the river men sp(>ke of her as "Holcomb's pet." 'l\vo more steamers, the Minnesota and Manitoba, were built at INIoorhead in 1875 at the instance of the merchants of Wifinipeg. This was called the Merchants' line. In the same year Commodore Kittson and associates organized the Red River Transportation company, which absorbed most every boat on the river. Before this the firm was Kittson & Hill. That year VV. J. Anderson first came to Grand Forks as an agent of the newly organized company. The steamer Alpha was also built by this conipany at McCauleyville. In September, 1877, a boat called

* From statements made by Geo. H. Walsh. - If the first number was issued on the first Thursday in July of that year the date was July 1, 1875. In 1881 the office of the Plaindealer was burned down with the loss of all of the old files and the later ones down to the date of the fire. Hence the discrepancies of the sketches as to the date of the first issue of the Plaindealer. The loss of the old files of this paper is probably an irreparable one from the standpoint of the county's history. It may be remarked here that the old files of a weekly paper published in any settlement in its early days, finally become of considerable value, provided the place ultimately grows to one of importance, for they reflect the life of any past era in a manner that cannot be expected of courthouse records.

the Pluck WHS transported from Brainerd to IMoorheadon flat cars which was done by cutting the boat in two lengthwise. The next year the Pluck became one of the boats of the Alsip line.

In what is called the old stage coach days of any section of the country where Concord coaches provided the most speedy means of transit prior to the arrival of the railrt)ads, the stage drivers have always constituted a widely known and long remembered class, and indeed, many peculiar characters were developed among them. We presume that manv reminiscences might be collected concerning those who drove on the old Red river stage road, particularly in respect to the run they used to make between Grand Forks and Fembina, but we can only mention their names, as (amiliarly known to the public in the days of their usefulness, including those of a few others connected with the Northwestern Stage & Transportation company.

W^illiam Gidley was general agent for the company; Benjamin Lord, James Van Rensselaer and a person named Sheperd were express messengers; then of the stage drivers there were: Joe Coloskey, John Hayten, Jacob (jrosham (known as Lame Jake), James I'hornton ( Scar Faced Jim), lUibe Harding, Dick Cole, Old Man Cole, Jack Connolly, Pat Kelly, Joe IMorrison, Charlie Locke, Cal Young, Jake Kheinhardt, Frank Windle, Tom Haker, Newt Porter, Jud Winchester and a driver named Harm

Conditions And Surroundings In 1876

In 1876 Grand Forks was about a half dozen years old and was still a small place, probably containing at this time between two and three hundred inhabitants. A few frame houses had' now been built, but the majority of the dwellings were shanties of hewn logs with slant roofs and board shacks of the same form. Pine lumber, however, was bey-inning to be teamed in from Crookston, then the nearest railroad point. Those were years of patient waiting for immigration and development, which did not immediately cotne.

Outward from the village the view must have seemed monotonous, tor no visible bluffs hem in this part of the valley toward the west, and on level plains like the alluvial expanse of prairie that spreads outward from either bank of Red river, the ground view is restricted to three or four miles by reason of the curvature of the earth's surface. To the southwest, however, the higher central land beic of the county is just barely visible, lying low on the horizon. There were then no objects upon the valley plain other than a few low claim shacks to form even artificial landmarks, the more prominent ones of this nature, such as are formed by elevators, church spires or farm houses with their groves of cultivated trees, being absent. The winding timber belts along the two streams alone formed natural landmarks.

In this northern clime the long summer days bring the wild vegetation rapidly to maturity, the summer green changing to a russet hue ere the fullness of autumn comes; then, in those times, after the frosts had come the annual prairie fires swept on their courses, burning over a section of the county here and another there, filling the air with dense clouds of smoke and leaving in their track a waste of inky blackness until this somber hue was removed by winds and rains. A prairie fire, driven before the wind, spreads out fan shaped from the place of beginning, flaming fiercely at the front and burning slowly along the sides. While single fires might travel forward many miles^, or until stopped by some watercourse, they were not apt to spread laterally to any great distance. A slight shower would soon extinguish one. The county as a whole, was annually burned over by matiy such fires, at different intervals, some sections either not being swept over at nil some seasons or burned the next spring.

For the most part, tiie coutity at large, still lay in its primeval condition, as described for 1870; its western part about the Elk Valley and beyond was still frequented by elk and antelope and the bleaching bones of the buffalo lay scattered abundantly over the prairie lands. A few settlers, however, were already located on the headstream of the Goose, but the timbered streams north of this and back to any distance from the valley plain, were still without settlers. By this time the townships of the valley plain had been subdivided, and the lines of all others in the county as now bounded, had probably been run by the close of that year. For six or eight miles around Grand Forks the land had been entered, but probably only a tew of those who had jnade filings on claims were occupying and improving them at this time.

The Black Hills Party And Other Matters

In the summer of 1874, Gen. Custer left Fort Abraham Lincoln with an expedition to explore the Black Hills. The men of his command speedily ascertained that there was gold in that region, a fact that soon became widely known. Although the government prohibited gold seekers from entering the Hills, this region then being a part of the Sioux Indian Keservation, the mandate proved to be useless, for the seizure of the Hills by the miners and others took place the next year and then followed the Sioux war of 1876.

During the two latter years a large immigration into the Hills vvas in progress and a small party was organized at Grand Forks during the winter of of 1875-6. This party consisted of the following named persons: VVm. Budge, D. M. Hohnes, J. S. Kshelman, .las. A. Jenks, Geo. Fadden, Jas. Williams, A. L. INlcKinley, Wm. Myrick, Peter Gerard, Zeb. Hamner, Komeo Whitney, Thomas Hall, Jas. Mulligan and "Farmer Brown." The party used Indian ponies and sleds to transport their supplies to Bisinark, and Red River carts, partially taken apart, were also sledded across the country to use during the remainder of the trip. The party left Grand Forks February 14, 1876. Reaching Bismarck thev joined a party that was made up of men from all over the country. Thev started for the Hills on March 21st, the whole party now numbering about fifty persons. A brush was had on the first of April with a band of hostile Sioux in which a person named Ward was killed - a brother of Oscar Ward ot Bismarck - and two wounded, to wit, a man named Collins from Bismarck and Jas. Williams of Grand Forks. The party reached the Hills about April 20th. The most of the party returned to North iJakota before the close of the year, but Hall, Whitney and Mulligan are still residents of the Black Hills.*

In 1876 Frank Viets purchased the Fadden claim near the confluence of the rivers. Next to the original townsite which ic adjoins on the south, something of historic interest attaches to this piece of land. Originally it was Cady's squatter's claim and his cabin stood on the river bank about east of the city filter plant; Cady states that he sold his right to Asa 8argeant; one or two others then had possession and finally John Fadden, Sr., filed on the land. He deeded it to Mr. Viets, June 24, 1876. It would, perhaps, be difficult to describe in surveyors' phraseology any of these claims that border on the river because they comprised, not so much quarter-sections as aggregations of forties and "lots" or fractions of forties. The same year that I\Ir. Viets acquired this property he built upon it a hotel called the Viets house, known in later years as the Richardson house; next year he erected a flour mill and afterward had platted on the land the first addition to the original townsite.

During these six years the village had its phase of social life, conditioned by the size of the place, the character of the people, their vocations, state of the times and surroundings; in respect to the last named factor, we mean, as influenced by the river traffic and the daily stage line. The life of the place was like other western villages that are not railroad points, but which have settled down into stability and waiting. Although a frontier point, it did not partake of the usual turbulent character of such places and this was due to the law abiding nature of the majority of the residents and the potent moral influences that were wielded by a number of ladies, among whom were Mrs. Viets (who established the first Sunday school of the village in 1873), Mrs. Alex. Griggs, and Mrs. W. C. Nash. The Griggs family had brought to their hospitable home a piano which enlivened many a social gathering held there in those days.

The First Six Years Of Grand Forks 83 Causes Of Slow Development

Though the future was full of promise tliose were years of lagging progress for the village of Grand F'orks. It built up but slowly and no other place had, as yet, been started in the county. In view of this, its founding in 1871 seems to have been almost premature. Nevertheless, the old timers, as we call them now, then located here seem to have possessed an abiding faith in a brighter future for the village, believing that in course of time it would rise to be the metropolis of all that part of the valley lying between Fargo and Winnipeg. In those half dozen years they witnessed the passing for the central part of the valley of the transition interval between its old and new epochs - the dying out of the old and the birth of the new.

There was then no railroad nearer than Crookston, consequently there could be no agricultural development of the county, other tlijin on a limited scale, and its population was comparatively scant at this time. VVithout railroads to transport away the grain there was little inducement for settlers to come in large numbers; moreover, false impressions concerning the country were prevalent in the states that had not been counteracted. A part of this interval comprised the few years of business depression that followed the financial crisis of 1873, during which time there was but little movement of population toward the lied Kiver Valley. VVithout immigration to settle and till the broad prairies to the west of Red river, the village would not be apt to make anythitig more than a fitful and halting progress. The timber belt in the county along the river had largely gone into the hands of specuhitive parties who had covered many of the quarter-sections comprising the best of it witfi halfbreed script, thereby snatching it away from bona tide settlers at a time when they exhibited a strong propensity to take to the timber. On the Minnesota side of the river, half of it within certain limits was covered l)y the old land grant of the iSt. Paul & Pacific railroad.

The business done at this point was then based more upon such immigration as came in those years, upon the river trade, the stage traffic and the declining fur trade than upon any actual development of the surrounding country. With the inclusion of the covering of the timber by land grant and halfbreed script we are impelled to say that it is not by means such as these that settlements anywhere in the western country have ever gotten any early and vigorous start into existence. We can farther see that, as yet, the village had not wholly emerged from the shadow of the old epoch of the valley, this departing stage of its existence seemingly tincturing with its unprogressiveness the beginning of the life of the new epoch. Yet aside from this, looking at existent business conditions as then manifested, it should be said.

that for a place of its size and population, Grand Forks was now beginning to be nomething of a mercantile point, prognosticating a brighter future. '"Good business was done" says D. iM. Holmes "by the Hudson Bay company in 1874 and '75, and by Viets in 1876 owing to there being no competition nearer than Fargo."

Hut better times for this section of the valley were appoaching, forecasting the openijig of a new era. Settlers in yearly increasing numbers were now arriving and entering their claims. In 1877 the first railroad line, of those now centering at Grand Forks, was headed toward this place. 'Ihe same year Frank Viets erected a 50-barrel flour mill on liis real estate property to which customers came from long distances away. This mill is still used, is a wooden structure and stands upon the river slope a little to the north of the city water-works.

The Dawning Of Better Times The Railroad At Fishers Landing

Grand Forks is now quite a railroad center, and it is mainly owing to this status of things that this city has been able to attain its present size and population, the bands of steel radiating north and south, east and west, having been an incentive toward the establishment of manufacturing industries and commercial enterprises. J3efore the railroads came the place never attained to anything more than the size of an ordinary village; after their arrival the county at large began to develop rapidly, and the filling ot the back country with a population whose vocation is directly or indirectly based upon agriculture, soon wrought a magic change. Simultaneously with this immigration, Grand Forks forthwith began to grow, but primarily, all that is now centered here has been rendered possible by agricultiire and by railroad building in the valley, which so rapidly followed. We are here concerned only with the initiation of these matters.

'IMiough a matter already predetermined by geographical situation and physical conditions, the development of a railroad center in this part of the valley in its initial beginning chanced to have an incidental connection with the building of the Canadian Pacific railroad. In the first place, the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad company built over a hundred miles of track down the eastern side of the Red River Valley in 1872-3, and without connection with their line then terminating at Breckenridge. The material was delivered at Glyndon by the Northern Pacific company and from that place, as' a base of operations, the other company built south to I3arnesville and north to a considerable distance beyond Crookston. This place was started in 1873 at the crossing of Red Lake river by this line but for several years it made but little proirress. Tlie fiimncial crisis of 1873 left this "St. Vincent extension" as this long stretch of track down the Minnesota side of the valley was called, nnfinished; it was not connected with the line terminating at Breckenridge until ]877, nor completed to the boimdary line until the close of 1879.

In the meantime work had begun on the (Canadian Pacific railroad. This company proposed, where praclical)le, to construct the line, to some extent, in detached portions, so it was thought thnt it could he built east and west from VVinnipeg, west from I^\)rt William on J^ake Superior, and also in Ontario and in liritish Columbia.. 1\1 r. Whitehead, contractor for the division east from Winnipeg, thought he could have the iron delivered at Moor head, loaded into barges and thence towed by the steamers down the river. About the year 1875 its shipment be^an in that, way and many barge loads were transported down to VVinnipeg. J^ut low water in tlie Goose rapids finally began to delay and hinder the boats. It was not an agreeable experience to the crew of a boat to be laid up tliere of a night with a thunder storm brewing and large quantities of dynamite on the barges in towas a partol the freight. To obviate the delay in getting the boats and barges through the rapids, the Ued Lake river was made the next resort.*

The railroad iron was next delivered at Crootston and a few barge loads were gotten off from that point, probably during high water, for the river was not easy to navigate that far up stream.! Tlie St. Paul & Pacific company Jiaving contracted to deliver to tiie Canadian Pacific road a large amount of bonded iron, it was decided to build a long spur track from Crookston to a point on Red Lake river ten miles west of that place, to which steamers with barges in tow could easily ascend. A sufficient portion of the track of the unfinished St. Vincent line to the north of Crookston to cover this distance was taken up and the rails, and possibly the ties also, unless others were used, were brought down to build this spur. This steamboat point was called Fishers Landing and it was made the river base of operations. Primiirily, this ten mile branch of the St. Vincent extension was merely a mil road contractor's line, but it soon came to be used forordinary railroad traffic in connection witli the steamboating business on lied river. In the boating season the steamers run between Winnipeg and Grand Forks daily, thence up lied Lake river to the railway terminus at Fishers Landing. A stage was also run from the railroad terminus to Grand Forks. During the fall of 1877 the boats were also busy towing railroad iron to Winnipeg and flat cars and a couple of locomotives were likewise taken down the rivers. At that time a hirge number of ties for the Canadian Pacific road were cnt in tlie forest about the mouth of Turtle river and sent down to Winnipeg, the duty on them beine: merely nominal.*

In the latter part of October the river suddenly froze up, by reason of whicli seven steamers were cauirht in the ice at different points on the stream. Later on, a mild spell of weather released the boats and the river was still open in December. The winter of 1877-8 was mild and open with but little snow, probably like some of those experienced here in recent years, more dry than wet, and the gronnd being bare most of the winter, the prairie fires were often running and burning over tracts that had escaped the usual autumn fires.

The First Term Of Court

At this time the regular terms of court for this subdivisicm^ of the Third judicial district were held at Fargo. The commissioners of a county, could, however, under authority of the territorial laws, provide for a term of court in their respective counties outside the designated county seat of any subdivision of a judicial district, if they thought it to be expedient to do so. As yet (-rrand Forks had not been designated by any law of the territorial legislature as one of the county seats at which terms of district court were to be held. Hence it happened that the first term of court at Grand Forks was held by request of the county commissioners.

These gentlemen passed a resolution as follows: "Resolved, that the County Clerk be instructed to request the Hon. A. H. Barnes, .Judge of the Third Judicial District. Dakota Terruory, to hold'a term of court in and for Grand Forks County, D. T., some time during the con)ing summer." This was iu the spring of 1878, and D. ]\r. Holmes was then the county clerk. He accordingly notified Judge Barnes of the resolution passed by the county commissioners, and the judge thereupon fixed April 30, 1878. as the day on which the court would sitatCrand Forks. Court was called at six o'clock on the afteriuxm of that day so as

* D. \V. Luke, of Grand Forks, has related his recollections of the tnking of the tirst locomotive to Manitoba. This account was published hrst m tne Herald and subsequently in the Record Magazine, l)ec. 189/.

"At that time [1877] the railroad stopped at Fisher and all the steamboats, of which there were several on the river, made the trip regularly up the Kea Lake river to Fishers Landing. The boat on which I made the trip from Fisher to Wiimipeg towed a barge on which was loaded the hrst locomotu e that went to Manitoba. Wm. NVhitehead, who had the contract for building considerable of the Canadian Pacific railroad, decided that he could ^\ork to advantage by building from Winnipeg east and so took his locomotive aov,n from Fisher on a barge. As we neared the international boundary ime, >ir Whitehead, who was on board the steamer, went down on the barge and naa his engine tired up, and as we went across the line into the queen s domains, hegave the whistle of the locomotive a succussionot blasts that must nave startled the natives. He said he wanted to hear the first toot of a l9Comoti\ e in Manitoba." (Fishers Landing had its name clianged to Fisher since ^m).)

to fix an adjournment to nine o'clock in the forenoon of May 1st, for the judge iiad not arrived. Judge Barnes was present the next day and the court convened at the hour set in the adjournment. 'J'here was not much business to transact, but the court record shows that a person named L. A. Barrie was admitted to bail; that A.I). Thomas of Fargo was admitted to the Practice of Law in the territory upon presentation of a certificate of admission to the bar of the state of Wisconsin; and that Ann Martin, John McRae and W'm. Budge were admitted to citizenship. Geo, H. Walsli was clerk of court. Tlie court was lield in anew school house tliat had cost $1,500 and which stood about on the site of the present county jail.

The Village Of Grand Forks Organized

Early in the year 1878 tiie village of Grand Forks was organized and the following officers were chosen: (^leorge H. Walsh, president; ilussell W. Cutts, clerk; W. H, Brown, John iNfcRae, Wm. Budge and Frank Viets, trustees. This wjis the bridge over which a passage was made toward city organization three years later.

On June 1, 1878, Frank Viets and Nan his wife, as the record states, placed on file in the office of the llegister of Deeds a plat of the first addition to the original townsite of Grand Forks, together with several accompanying documents, which were duly copied for record. The land comprised in this addition is described as "being o)i part of Lot 1, the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 3, and part of Lot 1, Section 2, Town 151, Range 50." On October 16, there was also placed on file by Walter J. S. T'raill, the next addition to Grand Forks, adjoining that of Mr. Viets on the west and southwest. The platting of Mr. Viets' addition was the work of Hector Bruce and that of Mr. Traill was done by Alex. Oldham.

At this period the luiildings of the village were mainly located inside of Fourth street, the one which is fronted by the court house, and did not extend north below Alpha aveiuio, nor south beyond the ferry, if we exclude the few scattered buildings about the old stage station a half mile above the ferry. In the main, what there then was of the village was located upon and in the vicinity of Third street. The place then showed some tendency toward compactness, rather than arranged in scattered order.

There were now a greater number of settlers arriving at Grand Forks than had been the case previously, and while many made filings on the prairie lands the majority seem to iiave exhibited a strong disposition to locate on the timbered streams, and during this and the following year most of these new comers occupied^ the line of the watercourses to the west and northwest of

Grand Forks, a few of them even pushing tlieir settlements thirty to forty miles beyond this, tlieir nearest base of supplies. The first interior roads of this county, other than the old CMrt trails, were those-tliat tliese settlers struck out with the common farm wagon, leading from their settlements by the most easy routes across the prairies to Grand Forks. By the year 1878 a few of these settlers had began raising a little wheat and this being marketed at (irand Forks a number of barge loads were shipped to Fishers Landing and some up to INIoorhead.

Progress In 1879

We now enter upon a year during which it must have become apparent to the, business men of Grand Forks that the then village was on the eve of marked changes for the better. Even the transition period of which we have spoken had virtually closed, but usually men are not conscious of the birth of a new epoch. What the county had most needed hitherto was immigration and railroads. The first it was now receiving to a marked degree, and the other was now close at hand. The development of its capacities would next rapidly ensue, as a matter of course. The year 1879 msiy be assigMe<l as the one when the agricultural development of the county fairly began, though wheat and oats in small parcels had been raised here for several years previous to tiiis date. In this and the previous year new business houses were started in Grand Forks and general merchandise and agricultural machinery was now being unloaded from the steamers in constantly increasing bulk. The town now had a developing back country to supply.

George B. VVinship spent the later seventies in southeastern INIinnesota. In the spring of 1877 he started a weekly local paper called the Courier at Caledonia, the shire town of Houston county. This place already had a weekly paper that had been established there in the fall of 1865; as times then were some thought the starling of another paper in the village a bold venture, but Mr. Winship was tiie kind of man to succeed in the long run and he continued to issue the Courier for about two years, quietly abiding his time. He was of the opinion that, after Fargo and \Vinnipeg. the next place on Red river destined to grow to importance would be the village located at its forks. In the spring of 1879, considering that the time had arrived to carry into effect a project already planned, he suspended the publication of the Courier and having shipped his printing outfit to Grand Forks, himself and compositor, who came with him, went to work in a hastily built board shanty, and thus Wiis laid the foundation of the present prosperous Herald establishment. The Herald began as a weekly paper, the first number being issued on Thursday, June 26, 1879.

Mo act of the first board of county comiuissoners was needed to fix the coutity seat at (irand Forks. For over nine years it remained the only viUage, wortiiy of beii)g called snch, within the limits of the present county. Always the largest place in this part of the valley, business interests naturally gravitated to it as to a common center. The short tertn of court held the previous year, together with the fact that the territorial legislature had since then designated Grand Forks county a subdivision of the Third judicial district, expedited the building of a courthouse in 1879. The county commissioners awarded the contract for construction to (ileo. H, Walsh on August 16, for $7,800. The building was speedily begun and was completed in January following. The original building has since been enlarged and otherwise improved, fireproof vaults added to insure the safety of the records and the present county jail was also erected in 1883. Judge Barnes held his next term of court in Grand Forks beginning iSept. 18, 1879. A grand jury was sworn and the court continued in session for two or three days.

Between 1877 and 1879 the northern line of the St. P. & P. railroad was built from its halting place at Melrose, on through Sauk Center, Alexandria and Fergus Falls to its connection with the iSt. Vincent extension at Barnesville. For much of the way it followed the general route taken by one of the old cart trails of the long ago. On !\lay 23, 1879, this system took the name of the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad. The St. Vincent line, running down the valley 10 to 20 miles east of Red river, was completed to the boundary line December 2, 1879, being there connected with a branch of the Canadian Pacific.

About fourteen miles of level prairie just north of lied Lake river intervened between what is now East Grand Forks and Fishers Jjanding. The grading of the railroad between these points was done in August and September, 1879, and the company now took the first step toward the extension of the line west of Red river, for the parties who had the contract for the grading, carried this work in October eleven miles west of Grand Forks, or to the site of Ojata. The laying of the track west, or rather northwesterly from I^lshers Landing began about the first of October, and in about three weeks it was completed to the east side of Red river opposite Grand Forks. The first train, probably a construction train, came to the new terminus at three o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, October 22. A temporary station was provided by remodeling over a pre-existing building. A mixed train now began running between Crookston and the east side? daily, ot which Thos. Stahl was conductor and John B. Bunnell engineer. This train brought in material for bridging the river and for use on the west side. 'I'he road now open was then merely regarded as a branch of the St. Vincent extension.

In the meantime, while the river remaioed open that fall, preparations were in progress for bnilding the railroad bridge, the jippiouches and the center pier, which was to support a draw, being constructed at this time, so far as pile driving was concerned. In December, the construction of the bridge itself, which mainly consisted of the draw, was under way, the work being l«cilit!iled by throwing a temporary trestle across the river on the ice to support the permanent structure, but the bridge was not completed so that trains could cross into Grand Forks proper during the year 1879.

There is some significance in I he advent of the locomotive into a town or village previously without railroad communication. Kight years before tliis time the whistle of the locomotive at Hreckenridge and at INIoorhead had sounded the knell of the fur trading epoch in the upper valley; across the river here, a like arrival announced, both to the village of Grand Forks and the county as well, the advent of a new era.

The extension of the^ railroad to the east bank of the river, together with the grading west and the preparations for l3ridging the stieam, exerted a marked influence on the business interests of the town. There was considerable building done that season and like projects were planned. The Herald made a careful estimate at the close of the season of the cost of these improvements, individually, the total amounting to $78,785. Keal estate transfers for Grand Forks amounted that year to $66,436. The railroad was a potent factor, but it would be a mistake to attribute this increased business activity wholly to its influence alone; we should remember the hundreds of new settlers who came that year, many of whom became temporary residents of Grand Forks; moreover, "the country around town was dotted with grain-stacks that fall, the farmers generally stacking their grain until they could have it threshed, and the amount of wheat in sight enabled Griggs A McCormack to contract with Barnes & Tenney of Glyndon, to deliver to them that winter 75,000 bushels. Some mail routes from Grand Forks were also opened that fall. Lastly, it should be noted here, that within the last two or three years the country at large had recovered from the depressing effects of the financial crisis of 1873, and an increasing activity was now manifesting itself in commercial affairs, the influences of which were felt here as elsewhere in the country.

As we have said, sawed lumber was not very abundant in the lower valley before the railroads came. Had there been any cause to have built up the town rapidly prior to the construction of the branch from Crookston, its people would have been hard pressed, for awhile at least, for building material. Even as matters stood, there was a prevalent scarcity of building material for a few weeks during the fall of 1879. As early as 1872, fin- isb lumber, including sash and doors, was teamed down from INIoorhead. For several j'ears tliereatter, even the brick used in building chimneys was imported. Huffman and Loon burned a quantity of brick about the year 1878, but no regular yard was started until 1880. 'I'hat year Bartholomew Brothers started a yard in what is now Bartholomew's addition to the city.

Just as the year was about closing, some twenty of the old settlers of this part of the valley met in a hall at Grand Forks and on December 27, 1879, they organized the "Red River Valley Old Settlers Association." The permanent form of the association was completed February 4, 1880, about 35 persons being present at this second meeting.

At the close of the year Grand Forks had a population of at least four hundred inhabitants, perhaps over five hundred. These are tlie estimates of two prominent citizens well qualified to give a fair estimate of the matter, which, of course, in the absence of a census, cannot be otherwise than somewhat uncertain. The first estimate is by D. McDonald who was appointed postmaster of the village the preceding spring; the second was made by D. INI. Holmes who based his estimate on the tax-list of that year and his knowledge of residents. The railroad reached the east side of the river too late in the season to materially influence the population of Grand Forks in 1879; hence the year closed leaving the place with what is usually the population of an average village.

The Earlier Churches

At this point we may as well speak of the first church societies that were organized in the county, and of the first houses of worship that these societies erected. In the west, itinerants or missionaries have generally preceded the regularly appointed pastors, holding services in private houses, schoolhouses or any suitable building large enough to hold any small assemblage of people. We can mention here only such societies as had effected something in the way of organization before the close of 1879.

The Methodists were the first to attempt the forming of a society at Grand Forks. Prior to 1878, Dakota was attached to the Northwest Iowa conference as regards the polity of this denomination. North Dakota next became part of the Red River district of the Minnesota conference, but was made a mission conference in 1884 and became a separate or full conference in 1886. A building owned by the Hudson Bay company was at first used by this society which was gathered in 1873. Rev. John Webb, who was presiding elder for the district, came that year and began a small church building, but the work lagged for a few years owing to the small number of that denomination then located here and the scant population of the place. In 1874

Wm. Curie was sent to this charge. In the fall of 1876, Rev. J. H. Starkey became presiding elder of the North Dakota district and was instructed by the bishop of his conference to look after the church at (irand Forks. The society was then burdened with a debt of $400; this, with the assistance of the business men. Rev. ritarkey succeeded in clearing up and the church building was speedily completed. With the increasing population the Methodist church at Grand Forks was now placed upon a substantial basis with a constantly increasing membership.

8t. Michaels Catholic ciiurch was begun as a mission by Father Simonet in 1877. In May. 1878, Father Hubert was sent to take his place, but in July, failing health obliged him to resign his work to other hands and he went to Montreal where he died. At that time Dakota territory was a part of the diocese of Bishop Sf^idenbush, who resided at St. Cloud, Minn. Father Simonet was of French ('anadian birth", but Father Hubert was a Frenchman from the old country. Both weie elderly men, and merely looked after the spiritual wants of the few Catholics and religious haltbreeds in this part of the valley. The founding of a church they left to other hands when it should be needed. Father Hubert, however, gathered the nucleus of a society at Grand Forks. The statement often published that they worshiped for awJiile in the schoolhouse is disclaimed on authority, and they, certainly, are best informed concerning the early affairs of their church here. Father L'hiver next came to Grand Forks. He was located at Yankton when assigned to his new charge by Bishop Seidenbush, and he arrived on Sept. 5, 1878. In October his society built under his charge a small framed church and modest parsonage. These were located on the corner of Sixth street and DeMers avenue, the ground occupied being the generous gift of Ciipt. Griggs. The parish of Father ].'hiver then included all the country from Crookston and Grand Forks north to the boundary line.

The Presbyterians began their church at Grand Forks as a mission. On September 1, 1878, Rev. F. W.Iddings arrived in this field as a missionary for the Hoard of Home Missions of this denomijiation. At first, services were held in the INI. K. church building, but on Sunday, .April 6, 1879, the Presbyterian church of Grand Forks was organized, Rev. O. H. Elmer and C. B.Stevens being present, having came down from Moorhead to assist Ifev. Iddings in organizing the church, which began with twentyfive members. Rev. Iddings was the first pastor. A church was begun that spring but was not used until the spring of 1880.

Tlie first Episc<tpal service here was held at the steamboat landing and on the deck of the steamer International one Sunday forenoon in the fall of 1871. Between that time and the organization of an Episcopal church at Grand Forks was a long in- terval. St. Paul's parish was organized in tlie fall of 1879, Rev. W. P. Law being minister in charge. Services were lield in the lialls and '\u the iMethodist church until 1881 when a fine brick structure was erected at the corner of Fifth street and Alpha avenue.

VV'e regard the date on which any place has been connected with the outer world by bunds of iron or steel as of more importance relative to local history, than that on which the first regular train arrives after the completed or constructed part of the line of road has been opened to traffic, because the arrival of the so called first train has usually been preceded a number of times by the incoming and departing of the construction trains. In track-laying these trains bring to the front the rails, ties and bridging muterials, and follow up the workmen rod by rod, sometimes a furlong or more at at a iwove and thus onward mile after mile.

Tiie workmen were still busy completing the railroad bridge at Grand Forks in December, 1879. For the time being the weather had become pretty cold. The day on which the railroad working gang laid the rails across the bridge from the Minnesota to the J^akota side of Red river and into Grand Forks proper, is an important one for a city which owes so much of its later progress and prosperity to converging railroads, but the exact date is not now known so far as any readily obtainable records testify, nor does the memory of many different persons of whom the inquiry has been made furnish either this or the date of the first crossing by a train or a locomotive. Not even John B. Bunnell, the veteran engineer of the Great Northern, who held the throttle on the occasion of the first crossing of the bridge by a locomotive, could give any exact information as to the date of the occurrence from memory while living.*

* John B. Bunnell, who resided at Crookston, wrote to the author of this work in the latter part of April, 1898: "I am rather late in answering your letter, but I have been trying to tind out from some the old timers something about the date of the first crossing of the bridge by a train at Grand Forks. I cannot recall the exact date myself. All that I can remember is that we made the first crossing soon after New Year's day." ( Engineer Bunnell died at Crookston, Minn., Sunday, July 2, 1899.)

The track of the Northern Pacific railroad was laid across the bridge at Moorhead and Fargo on January 1, 1872, though it is said that no trains crossed until June The third crossing to the North Dakota side seems to be known with exact historical accuracy. M. H. Morrill of Wahpeton, writes: "The St. P. M. & M. track crossed the river here into Dakota July 26, 1880; at 11.30 o'clock of that day engine No. 37 crossed the Bois des Sioux bridge, and was thus the first locomotive ever in this [Richland] county."

and a few other sources of information. That winter is claimed by some persons to have been a very severe one, and probably was such as to the first half of it. There were two or three storms in December which interrupted train service to the east side of the river to a considerable extent. On one of those mornings the spirit thermometers are said to have indicated a temperature of 58 degrees below zero. In the meantime the depot in Grand Forks was being built and this was completed about January 25, 1880. The bridge was ready for the track several days prior to the middle of that month. The rails were laid across it to the Dakota side on a day between January 8th and 13th, and the track was continued out to the depot at this time. On Tuesday, ihe 13th, the bridge was tested. A train of eight flat cars, loaded with rock and iron was pushed across the bridge by a locomotive, and although the engine itself did not cross, the foremost car reached to Third street. A civil engineer meanwhile was noting with his theodolite the small amount of deflection in the bridge under the weight of the loaded cars. This done, the train drew back to the other side. If any trains came over soon after this, there is no record of it in the contemporary issues of the Herald. The inference is that the regular train from Crookston, with passenger cars attached, did not cross the bridge in January.

Arrangements were now made by the citizens to celebrate the advent of the railroad as soon as regular trains began running in, but the outcome of affairs chanced to be such that the matter was indefinitely postponed; nor was any such celebration ever held as had at first been planned. During January the deep snow was being blown about a great deal and it was hard to keep the road open between Crookston and Grand Forks. In the week following January 15tli all efiort to do so ceased, and thence onward until past the middle of INIarch the branch lay under a snow blockade. J^right weather, however, ensued, and although no effort was made to open the road, the workmen did considerable work in the yards, using materials that they pushed over from the east side upon light truck cars. About the end of January they completed putting in a turntable about twenty-five rods beyond the depot. Side tracks were probably laid or completed about the same time.

There was considerable disappointment in not having the direct train service that had been anticipated, but as the town had never, as yet, experienced this convenience, the people generally took matters philosophically. Such protests as were raised seem to have had reference to the non-delivery of the eastern mail and not to give expression to any disappointment felt over the lack of an anticipated train service. The inconvenience caused by delays in getting the mail was particularly felt. Postmaster McDonald finally had the mail and express matter brought over from Crookston by team; in the meantime Newton Porter got out a placard grimly advertising for ox-teams to transport freight in opposition to the 8t. P. INI. & INI . railroad.* The papers had started to publish for Grand Forks a railroad time-table and as they did not discontinue the advertisement, the incongruity of the matter must have been the cause of many agrimjoke. 'I'he stages were still running between Fargo and Grand Forks, sind the attention of the people was engrossed during the blockade by their social affairs, and by severai meetings of the Old Settlers. Then came the spring of 1880 with much snow on the ground still to be melted away.

About the middle of Rlarch snowplows were put to work on the branch and having cleared the road to the river the trains began running into Grand Forks regularly on the 18th of that month. t The Herald of March 25th merely says: "Trains are now running on time." The only demonstration on the arrival of the first regular train seems to have been made by FJngineer Bunnell. He had acquired the ability to imitate with the whistle of his locomotive a cock's crowing, and played it in that manner when, for the first time, his engine turned wheels upon North Dakota ground. J

James Walker, familiarly known as "Deacon" Walker, had been appointed station agent on the other side of the river. About the time that the trains began running into Grand Forks, the business of the station and "the deacon" himself were transferred to this side, and so Walker became the first station agent at Grand Forks. 'I'he location of the building that was both the original depot and freighthouse was then virtually outside of the town. The site was nearly opposite the present depot, but the old building was moved some little distance west when the new one was erected in 1892, was lengthened out considerably, and, in fact, since its first abandonment for station purposes in 1882 to give place to a second depot that was located a few rods north of the roundhouse, it has been used for a freighthouse.

I Recollection of M. W. Spaulding, of Larimore. Some, however, state that a locomotive and cars came over once or twice, probably to deliver road materials, between the date of the testing of the bridge and the beginning of the snow blockade. This accords with Bunnell's statement, p. 93.

The Timber Settlements The Log Cabin Men

\\\ i^F^^ll^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ pioneer period of this county, the ))/ llll^vi way o'f the innnigrant was down Red river, jit lirst from McCauley ville by steamer, stage or flatboat, and a little later from Moorhead and Fargo by the same means of conveyance. After 1877, many came in by way of Crookston and Fishers Landing, or by railroad to the latter point, tliet)ce by stage, steamer or other means of conveyance to Grand Forks. Many others teamed throngh from distant points. In those days Grand Forks was the common gateway into the county.

As has alrea<ly been reniarked, speculators covered some of the timber along lied river with script. INI uch of the timber between Grand Forks and the mouth of Turtle river was taken in that way. Fortunately for the county these non-resident persons did not attempt to extend their operations up the courses of the smaller streams, hence it is upon these tributaries of lied river, probably without exception, that we find the location of the pioneer settlers of the inland townships of Traill, Grand Forks and Walsh counties.

The timber settlers found the greater portion of the prairie land in the county vacant and as open to the mere taking by any one class of men as by another, yet, being the first comers into the country back from Red river, and having a pretty free choice of location, they preferred making their homes on the streams and amidst the trees that cover their sloping banks and stretches of bottom land. They squatted or filed upon quarter-sections on which there was some show of timber, though their claims often included a considerable acreage of the adjoining prairie land. Claims wholly of prairie land were really more valuable in the long run and in after ^^ears many of these men realized that they had made a mistake in their choice of a location; others, perhaps, remained satisfied.

All through the western country the pioneer settlers have usually preferred land comprising both prairie and timber; hence, in a region where the amount of timber w;is limited, the claims containing any would naturally be the first occupied. In the case of the lied River Valley, many of the pioneer class were emigrants from the wooded sections of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, consequently they preferred the shelter that is secured in the timber from the cold winds, and lumber not then being readily obtainable, the log cabins they erected cost but little; again, they wished to be sure of having plenty of fuel close at hand during the prospectively cold winters of this northern latitude, and still another reason that influenced some of them was that, having heard that the water of the prairie districts was apt to be alkaline, tiiey preferred to establish their homes near the runnina: streams.

At this early period there was an abundance of fallen timber, well seasoned in every wooded tract, which made good fuel and was useful for other purposes. In the western part of the county these timber settlements were made in advance of the government survey, and by the close of the year 1880, every quartersection within its present limits on which there was any show of timber had its resident claimant occupying a small log cabin, whether such townships had then been subdivided or not. Thus these earlier settlers of the interior parts of this county followed up the Goose, Turtle and Forest rivers, building their log cabins ill the shelter of the groves along these streams in preference to locating upon the open prairie.

The Government Survey

Before speaking specially of any of the interior settlements of the county it will be well to say something concerning the government survey of its townships. The survey of the public lands in the North Dakota side of the valley was begun in 1867. Jn that year a few townships were laid out and subdivided in the present county of Pembina and range lines for others were run in the valley. Between 1870 and 1876 the surveying of the North Dakota side of the valley becanie more general. This work was an extension of the surveys of Minnesota into this part of Dakota territory, though this does not imply that those in the Minnesota side of the valley had been fully completed.

In merely running township lines it was customary in those days for surveyors to take contracts in blocks of townships which they called "checks." A check comprised 28 townships, or a series contained in seven ranges and four towns having correction paralles for their north and south boundaries. 'I'he township lines as then run were duly marked each half mile by stakes enclosed ill pyrainit)ical inouuds about 2h feet hiojh and three or four feet square at the base. Similar mounds of earth and turf were placed at the corners of sections and quarter-sections when the townships were subdivded, the stakes being marked so as to indicate the town, range and quarter-sections. Usually it was not the custom to lay out and subdivide any series of townships in one and the same year, since this work generally involved separate contracts, nevertheless it was sometimes done. But several years - one to four - were apt to elapse between the laying out of the townships and their subdivision.

In 1870 and '71 a number of townships were laid out in this county by Moses K. .'^rujstrong, comprising those near the river. Those in the central and western parts of the county were laid out later, G. N. Propper having contracts in 1873. By the fall of 1876 it is liUely that all of the townships in the county as now bounded, had been laid out. Jud LalMoure and Wm. Ward had contracts for the subdivision of six townships in 1873, and these included the section around Grand Forks. About the same time other surveyors subdivided the townships to the north of Grand Forks. Surveyors were at work subdividing the central townships in 1876.

The last two ranges of townships in the county (55 and 56) comprising most ot the Elk Valley and the part of the hill country within its limits, were subdivided during the summer and fall of 1880. Major G. G. Heardsley had the contract which also included Strabane township in range 54. Major Beardsley's expedition was made up of three parties and it left Kargo in June. Two of these parties worked outside the limits of this county, one, if not both, in the Sheyenne country. The party that came to this county was in charge of James E. Dyke, a young man who ran the subdivision lines. Tiiis party consisted of ten men, well provided with catnp supplies, three tents, two ox-teams, a saddle horse, pony and cart. The teatns were used for transportation in moving camp from one township to another; the saddle horse was for a messenger and the pony and cart was in daily use delivering the mound stakes. It took from five days to h week to subdivide a township. Dyke's party worked from south to north in the ranges mentioned, surveying these townships in alternate order. The survey of tliis county as now bounded was thus completed, having been in progress at different intervals, through a period of ten years.