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Walking Tour
Random Crimes
Clarence Gillette, of First Avenue, South Moorhead, was arrested by officer Swanson. He was charged with being drunk and bootlegging. He had four pints of homemade whiskey that were found in his possession. In his home were a still for making whiskey. The still he had made himself was out of a cream can to which he attached a copper to be as a condenser. The alcohol he made was from molasses and rye, was as strong as
Read MoreCrime and Bootlegging
Discovery of a whiskey ring in Minnesota with bootleggers and moonshiners and organized crime. Bootleggers were people who sold alcohol in small amounts, either in small bottles in the pockets of their jackets, or maybe in their boots like the name suggest. Moonshiners made illegal hard liquor, which was very dangerous and illegal, as it is today. Clay County was not exempt from the market of Canadian and moonshine w
Read MoreThe Fairmont Creamery Company Building: Moorhead
“Confidence in the future development of the Country and not the immediate requirements promoted the building of the Moorhead plant at its present site.”—J.H. Deems, first Plant Superintendent of the Moorhead Fairmont Creamery, Fairmont’s Magazine, October, 1928 The Fairmont Creamery Company building in Moorhead was the result of humble beginnings in Fairmont, Nebraska which incorporated as a business on
Read MoreRandolph Probstfield
Randolph Michael Probstfield was born in Germany in 1832. When he was 22, he left Germany and traveled to the United States. He worked many odd jobs including a treasurer, clerk, school director, county commissioner, member of the senate, and of course, a farmer. In 1868, Probstfield and his wife, Catherine Goodman Probstfield, established a homestead in Oakport Township. This made Probstfield one of the earliest set
Read MoreThe Architecture of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church One church in Moorhead stands out among all the rest for its unique style and that is St. John the Divine Episcopal Church on 8th Street. Its unique style is known a s “shingle style” and it is the only such building in the area. Built with a cruciform, that is, the shape of a cross, layout, the church features a tower and low dormer windows. It was the work of renowned archite
Read MoreWarren Magnuson-From Moorhead to D.C.
Warren Grant “Maggie” Magnuson had humble beginnings in Moorhead, Minnesota. The date of his birth is sealed in the Clay County Courthouse, but most give it as April 12, 1905. Abandoned shortly thereafter, he was soon adopted by William and Emma Magnuson, who owned a bar in Moorhead. They would later adopt a daughter, Clara. William left the family in 1921 and Emma turned to bootlegging in order to su
Read MoreSolomon Comstock
Solomon Comstock came to Moorhead in 1871. He came from a modest background, born in May 9, 1842, in Maine. His father was in the lumber business and from a young age Comstock knew that was not what he not what he wanted to do with his life. Comstock attended the Maine Wesleyen Academy in Readfield, Maine in his early twenties. It was known for its law degrees. Comstock received practical training in a law office of
Read MoreThe Federal Post Office Building
The Federal Post Office Building in Moorhead, Minnesota, was built in 1915 to serve as both the federal courthouse and the post office. The building architect was Oscar Wenderoth, who was a government architect who designed several federal courthouse buildings across the country during his active years, mostly between the years of 1910-1915. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 during a
Read MoreRobert Asp and the Hjemkomst
Robert Asp was born on February 13, 1923, in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, to Charles Asp, a Swedish immigrant, and Inga Iverson Asp, the daughter of Norwegian immigrants. Asp married Violet Rose Foldoe on June 2, 1946 and they had seven children together, Douglas, Roger, Marjorie, Vicki, Thomas, Deborah, and Gregory. He made his career working as an educator and school guidance counselor. It was when he was servi
Read MoreJohn Bergquist- Early Moorhead Settler
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 t
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