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Firsts

Sidewalks

Sidewalks were one of the important issues at the top of the “to-do” list that the Fargo City Council had to stay on top of. Wet weather and sticky North Dakota clay played an important role in the urgency of addressing this issue. Most sidewalks were six feet wide, but streets like Broadway, Northern Pacific Avenue, as well as other streets with heavy foot traffic were equipped with ten-foot sidewalks.[1] In 1875 th
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Henry and Mary Hector

In 1878, Henry Hector, just 17 years old, arrived in the Fargo-Moorhead area at the request of his brother Martin and started a grocery business.[1] He lost his store to a fire in 1882, but successfully rebuilt and continued his business.  He served as the president of the Continental Hose Company and represented the Second Ward on the city council. Henry married the sister of his brother’s wife, Mary Paulson. Henry
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First Car

The first automobile to roll down the streets of Fargo was the Benz Velo, built by Karl Benz, co-founder of Mercedes Benz; it was the first model to have four wheels. Karl’s wife was so happy with his first three-wheeled model that, unbeknownst to him, she took it on a 120-mile round-trip promotional tour, accompanied by two sons and serving as her own mechanic.[1] The “Benz” appeared in a Fargo-Moorhead parade on Ju
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First National Bank

“It has been remarked that a city’s financial institutions, while they are the foundations on which her commerce must be built, are also mirrors which reflect the state of her trade and industry.” ~1881 [2] The First National Bank of Fargo was formed in 1878. At the time, Fargo was a rapidly growing city, and it required banks that could handle the influx of wealth and money. The First National Bank
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