Category
Business
O. J. deLandrecie
O. J. deLandrecie Onesine Joassin deLandrecie, whose name spelt “deLendrecie’s” still shines on the 600 block of Fargo’s Main Avenue. When the name change occurred is unclear, but in later documents Onesine Joassin’s last name changed the spelling to an “e” rather than an “a.” O.J. deLendrecie was the original owner of the deLendrecie’s department store, which was once a cornerstone of Fargo. He was born in Quebec, C
Read MoreProstitution in Fargo: An Overview
Prostitution is known as the world’s oldest profession. It should be no surprise then, that it was one of the earliest to arrive in Fargo, following the railroad into the city in its earliest years. Rather than provide a thorough analysis of prostitution in Fargo or focus on one particular figure, what follows is a brief outline of the rise and fall of prostitution in Fargo in the late 1800s and early 1900s,
Read More“An Ordinance Relating to Lighting”
On April 26, 1901 the Supreme Court of the state of North Dakota, in the case of Robert against Fargo Gas & Electric Co and the city of Fargo, ruled that the contract between the city of Fargo and Fargo Gas & Electric Co was void. This ruling was made by the Supreme Court for reasons that the city charter states that the city cannot make a contract for more than a year.[1] The contract between Fargo Gas &a
Read MoreKeeney & Devitts Deed
Deed to property purchased by Alexander, Aaron, and Max Stern. This is one of the buildings destroyed by the 1893 fire. Keeney and Devitts Addition Deed 1891 -Chad Halvorson, Digital History 2012
Read MoreCharles and Matilda Roberts
Charles A. Roberts was a man who burned with the spirit of adventure. His family owned a meat market in Minneapolis, but butchering was not enough to satisfy Roberts. According to his obituary in the Fargo Forum, “Few men have crowded into one short lifetime more wide-flung activities, more romantic adventure, and more constructive effort than his venturesome pioneer spirit impelled him to undertake.” [1] Roberts was
Read MoreRoberts and Haggart Families
The Roberts and Haggart families were twined together through marriage and business, and both clans featured prominently in the early history of Fargo. Brooks, Maine-native Samuel G. Roberts arrived in Cass County, North Dakota in January of 1872, making him one of the earliest settlers in the area. He had fought bravely in the Civil War in the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteers and the Ninth US Veteran Volunteers,
Read MoreThe Biography of Alexander Stern
Alexander Stern (June 7, 1857-1934) Alex Stern was born on June 7, 1857 in Giessen, Germany. He immigrated to the United states in 1871. Mr. Stern arrived in Fargo in 1882 and opened the city’s first clothing store. He is the first know Jewish person to land in Fargo. On July 5, 1885 he married Bertha. They had three sons: William, Samuel, and Edward. Mr. Stern was a very influential man during the foundin
Read MoreLena Bertha Kopelman
Lena Bertha Kopelman April 29, 1869 – December 3, 1947 “My mother… [was] a wig maker and maker of hair switches and other hair goods. [She] taught us all how to weave human hair and we became fairly adept at it, but we could never make our fingers fly like our mother did… Kopelman’s Beauty Shop was one of the very first beauty shops in Fargo… Rose, Dorothy and I helped to make the shop
Read MoreJasper B. Chapin
A very important figure in Fargo’s history is Mr. Jasper J. Chapin, who some call the “Father of Fargo”. Chapin was born in a New York, where he worked on a farm in his town after he finished schooling. In 1852 he left New York and headed out west to strike it rich in a mining town in California. He stayed in California for two and a half years, then moved back to New York. Unable to handle the quiet life of the fa
Read MoreAlexander Stern and the Rebuilding of Fargo
In 2007, the Fargo Forum asked a five person panel of local historians to name the five most influential individuals in the history of Fargo-Moorhead. At the top of the list was Alexander Stern.[1]Originally from Germany, Stern moved to Fargo in 1881, and started his career in Fargo as a local retailer by opening a clothing store. In 1885, he moved this clothing store to the corner of Broadway and N. P. Avenue. He wa
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