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  Peter Goodman and W.A. Yerxa founded the Goodman & Yerxa Groceries and Dry Goods general store in 1875. Shown in the above 1879 photograph is the Union Block, built in 1878. The Goodman & Yerxa general store was one of the original businesses on the block. The Union Block stood two-stories tall and was built of brick. It had ornate brickwork design adorning the top of the building. Goodman left Fargo i

Fargo’s first significant construction endeavor of a two-story wood-framed building brought the Headquarters Hotel, the city’s first hotel. When NPRC completed construction during the fall of 1872, the hotel housed guests, government offices, and served as the railroad station then managed by W. Hubert Smith. The hotel was located north of the NPRC tracks. Wood frame construction was cheaper than bricks, but not as r

One of the most well-known Bonanza farmers in the area during the late nineteenth century is Oliver Dalrymple. Dalrymple owned his own land and managed large-scale farms in the area. He is known as one of the most successful wheat farm growers of the area. He established the first large-scale farm in the Red River Valley. He helped draw population into Fargo as his farms required laborers. In order to sell the land i

Over a century before the founders of Fargo’s early settlement sowed the seeds of the town’s businesses and commercial districts, the United States Congress adopted the Land Ordinance of 1785. That action on May 20  on May 20th made way to generate federal income via the sale of land in the unmapped territory west of the original states acquired at the 1783 Treaty of Paris following the American Revolution. More impo

Wood frame houses in the rural area are most prominently known to have existed on large-scale bonanza farms. Beginning in 1875, these farms were acquired through railroad bonds One of the most widely known bonanza farmers in the area during the late 1800s was Oliver Dalrymple, who owned his land and also managed other large-scale farms in the area. He is known as one of the most successful wheat farm growers of the a

“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

  Although the Northern Pacific Railroad maintained a heavy industrial, political, and economic handle on Fargo’s early development, governmental entities were necessary for conducting official territorial business. This included the purchase or transfer of land or homestead claims as dictated by the Land Ordinance and Homestead Act as well as the establishment of commercial businesses in Fargo.  The first Cass

Two men, Andrew Henry Moore and George Mann, decided to take a chance in Dakota Territory in 1869. They left from Waupum, Wisconsin, and arrived in the Red River Valley the same year. Upon their arrival, all that stood in what would be known as Fargo was a small city of tents occupied by Northern Pacific Railroad personnel and a few soldiers. Fortunately, Mann had experience in carpentry work and it is assumed that h

As the target for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company’s (NPRC) river crossings became clear, an enterprising business proprietor, W.H. White, secured the contract for the timber for the approaches to the NPRC bridge at Fargo in December of 1871. The timber arrived from the east by May 1872 and was used in building the bridge that spanned the Red River and connected the railroad with the town of Fargo. Large scale s

I n 1893, Fargo was destroyed by a devastating fire. Whatever the origin, Sam Kelley spotted the fire from the waterworks in Island Park. He pulled the alarm to alert the city to the fire. Unfortunately, such communication only indicated that a fire existed and did not provide information specific to its location. Wallace Rice, a volunteer fireman who was working west of Broadway, rushed to clarify the location. The