John Bergquist.
John Gustav Bergquist came to Moorhead, Minnesota from his native Småland, Sweden. Various sources give the dates of his arrival in either 1868, 1869, or 1870, but it is generally believed that his cabin, the first permanent settlement structure in Moorhead, was completed by 1871. Bergquist was one of the first in the area, helping to develop much of the growing town. His many jobs in the area included working on the railroad, farming, and delivering milk. He later purchased a brickyard in 1881 and began a career as a brick maker, using the clay that he found near his cabin by the river. These bricks eventually were used in many of the structures in downtown Moorhead, including the third incarnation of the county courthouse in 1883, which he also donated land for after he divided up his original homestead; the Comstock Hotel, built in 1912; and the former First National Bank block. He moved from his original homestead in the 1880’s when he built a larger wood framed structure in 1885 near his brickyard on the east end of town.
Sources:
(I) “Bergquist Cabin.” Accessed October 22, 2016. http://www.hcscconline.org/the-bergquist-cabin/.
(II) A Century Together: A History of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. Fargo, North Dakota: The Fargo-Moorhead Centennial Cooperation, 1975.
(III) “Clay County Historical Society Newsletter.” Pioneer Cabin Comes Alive. 1993. https://archive.org/stream/JulAug93/Jul-Aug93_djvu.txt.
(IV) United States Department of Interior, National Park Service. “Minnesota Historic Properties Inventory Form- John Bergquist Cabin.” http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=ae1ba9bf-bf3f-43f6-8cf9-2c5d9bf643b9. 1980.
Image Credit:
(I) A Century Together: A History of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. Fargo, North Dakota: The Fargo-Moorhead Centennial Cooperation, 1975. 136.
