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Streets
From the city’s conception, Fargo officials have had to struggle with issues dealing with maintaining and funding the city streets. The wet season brought deep ruts in the sticky North Dakota clay making travel tough and some streets inaccessible. Grading the streets of Fargo began in 1875 and paying for it fell to the citizens. Every male between 21 and 60 years old who was able to work paid with one day’s la
Read MoreLadies 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
Read MoreThe Making of Bishop Shanley
Father Shanley was ordained on May 30, 1874, at the age of only 23. Following his ordination, Shanley arrived in St. Paul in July 1874 where he began as an assistant to Father Augustine Ravieux, Bishop Grace, and Father Ireland. In the well developed city of St. Paul, a large Catholic congregation offered Shanley many opportunities to grow in his ministerial skills. Ireland took Shanley under his wing and gave him
Read MoreFargo: Gateway for Presidents and Political Dignitaries
During the early years of Fargo, many political notables made their way through the town, including Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur, and former president, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. In 1883, Grant made a stop in Fargo en route to Montana, where he was to be one of the dignitaries present for the driving of the golden spike to mark the completion of the NP mainline to the West Coast. He offered these
Read MoreNew Jersey Man Ensures a Quick Divorce at the Last Possible Moment
The following story from “Fargo: From Frontier Village to All America City, 1875-2000,” demonstrates the end of an era of lenient divorce laws for Fargo. Many fought to see an end to Fargo’s notoriety as the “divorce capital of the Midwest,” but there was a negative side, too. Fargo lost the revenues from a large number of people who established a three-month temporary residence in Farg
Read MoreIntroduction to the Churches of Fargo
If you were to ask several Fargoans to describe what role religion has in the city today, it is safe to say that you would get a variety of answers. When Fargo was established in 1872, the railroad began to connect the Wild West with the social and economic systems that were prevalent in the East. To determine the religious feelings at the time and the role they played in Fargo, it is important to address several i
Read MoreThe 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
Read MoreAlanson 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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