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Religious

Ladies Aid Societies

In every church history, one theme consistently appears.  Whether it be the Scandinavian Lutherans or the English speaking Presbyterians, each church had the women of the church to thank for being the driving force behind sustaining the church.  For example, in fall of 1873,  women in both Fargo and Moorhead churches organized events to benefit the church in Fargo.  The proceeds of the first oyster supper and art sho
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The YMCA

In Fargo there were three attempts to organize the YMCA. It was finally established in 1886 during a meeting at Mrs. S.G. Roberts’ home. The YMCA boasted an impressive gymnasium and workout facilities, as well as the reading room furnished with a wide variety of materials. This new venue offered young men an opportunity similar to that offered by the fraternal lodges. It took the traditionally feminine moral va
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Alanson W. Edwards

Alanson William Edwards  moved from Illinois to Fargo in 1878 to establish The Republican, a new newspaper. During his early years in Fargo, he managed The Republican, but then sold it and used the proceeds to launch The Argus.  In 1891, after losing The Argus to James J Hill, Edwards launched The Forum.[1]   Although Edwards was not necessarily a reformer, the opinions expressed in both the Argus and The Forum promo
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Thomas Canfield

The story of Fargo’s religious development begins not in Fargo itself, but in the neighboring town of Moorhead, Minnesota. Thomas Hawley Canfield was an ambitious young entrepreneur who initially became involved in railroad development in New England.  Although Canfield’s primary motivations were not religious, his Episcopalian beliefs shaped how he dealt with his promoting efforts for the railroad.[1]  He was a supp
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The First Lutheran Church

Like other religious groups, Lutherans populated the landscape in large numbers, which brought about the need for a communal place of worship.  Members established a church in which they aptly named First Lutheran Church, located in the area of 400 Roberts Street.  The church was built with an open porch and there were several wooden homes built next to this church. As with most of the other early religious structure
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The First Methodist Church, 1874

First, this picture of the First Methodist Church indicates that it was built in a dense growth of older trees.  This would indicate that it was taken close to water and not deep into the prairie.  Therefore, there was no retreat for the early settlers of Fargo if faced with outside threats. Next, the windows are exposed and remarkably made of stained glass.  Not only were the new settlers resilient, but they showed
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First United Methodist

  In 1871, Father James Gurley held the first formal Methodist service in Fargo in Pinkham Hall at the corner of Main Avenue and 5th Street.  However, it was the Rev. John Webb who organized the first Methodist Sunday school and helped to build the first Methodist Episcopal Church.  The land for the church was donated by the Northern Pacific Railway and was 30′ x 50′.  It was completed on July 1, 187
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Gethsemane Cathedral

When Episcopal Bishop William D. Walker was appointed, he chose Fargo as his See City and Gethsemane Church became Gethsemane Cathedral.  In 1893, the church was located on the southeastern corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street South and had 175 members. The Rev. F.B. Nash Jr. was the rector.  The building was the only wooden Episcopal cathedral in the United States.[1]Gethsemane  Heather Brinkman, Digital History
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The Unitarian Church

The Unitarian Church was organized in February of 1890. It was located on the corner of Ninth Street South and Second Avenue. This photo was taken in 1899 and Richmond Fisk, D.D. was the minster at the time.[1]Unitarian Church Heather Brinkman, Digital History 2012 [1] Caron, John. “Fargo, N.D., History Exhibition, Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU.” Fargo, N.D., History  Exhibition, Institute for Regional Studies
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St. Mark’s English Lutheran Church

Rev. W.F. Ulery came to Fargo in 1885 to start a Lutheran church whose services were done in English as all of the services offered in the area where in the people’s native tongues.  He persuaded the Southern Railway Depot to allow him to use their building to teach Sunday School.  During his two years of teaching Sunday school he raised the $2,000 needed to build a church proper on a three lots on the corner o
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