Herzman's Dry Goods
Herzman’s Dry Goods store is the rumored starting place of the Fargo fire of 1893 that destroyed over 90% of the downtown area. According to the story, Mrs. R Herzman was burning cardboard in the back of the store when the fire raged out of control. The flames aided by the thirty mile per hour winds and the predominantly wooden downtown created the perfect environment for disaster to strike. On June 7th, 1893 at approximately three in the afternoon the worst fire in Fargo history erupted[i]. The fire was fueled by the predominantly wooden buildings and boardwalks. It spread from Front Street, or today’s Main Avenue, to the north. In the end the fire caused over three millions dollars in damages as it destroyed City Hall, the business district and most of the homes of Fargo’s 6,000 inhabitants[ii].According to Souvenir of the Fargo Fire, the city was “the commercial, financial and railroad center of North Dakota.” Ironically just six days before the fire department’s annual tournament they were called to Mrs. R. Herzman’s store on Front Street. In less than five minutes after the alarm was sounded the building was completely consumed by the fire. The Fargo fire department, aided by Moorhead’s fire department, managed to prevent the fire from spreading west, saving the United Block and the Davis block. To the east and the north, however, the fire spread quickly and efforts to control it were futile. Owners scrambled to rescue the property they could, calling on the crowd for assistance. Vacant lots became storerooms for wagons piled with goods as every available vehicle was used to assist. The fire quickly consumed everything available and jumped the Northern Pacific tracks to the elevator building and continued on its path of destruction. In just two hours over 200 building were ablaze, extending a mile through the city and two miles through the prairie.Between west Broadway and east Fourth street, running a mile north was a residential area housing working class families that was completely destroyed by the fire. While the cost value of these homes was relatively small compared to other structures that were destroyed, the people who resided in the community had fewer resources to aid them. Warnings of the fire came too late and residents did not have time to save the contents of their homes. Everything was destroyed and a thousand people were homeless[iii].[i] NDSU Archives. "Fire of 1893." Fargo, North Dakota: Its History and Images.[ii] Dalrymple, Amy. "Fire flashback: The largest fires in the Fargo-Moorhead area." Inforum, October 15, 2010.[iii] Souvenir of the Fargo Fire. Fargo, ND: Walker Brothers, 1893.Photo courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Magill's Warehouse
Samuel Magill was born in Pennsylvania in 1832. Throughout his first 50 or so years of life he traveled many places including: New York, Minnesota, Iowa, and finally settling in Fargo, North Dakota. After coming to Fargo in 1881 Magill began a grain business, Barnes and Magill, with a man named G.S. Barnes. In 1884 Samuel Magill started the Magill & Company with his son Henry. This company being one of many that burned in 1893. Magill served in the Civil War, a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and overall a highly praised man by his peers. He later died in Chicago on December 21, 1899. (1)Pieces of twine atop of the warehouse caught light and spread downward engulfing the structure. An onlooker described the sight as, “hell itself could not have presented a more terrible picture.”(2)Sources:Compenium History and Bigraphy of North Dakota. Chicago, G.A.Ogle. 1900. https://archive.org/stream/compendiumhistor00chic#page/1305/mode/1up “Special Fire Edition,” Argus (Fargo, ND), June 7, 1894.Photo courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Red River Valley National Bank
Red River Valley National BankThe bank was the first three story building in Fargo and was lavishly built. It enticed customers with its exotic mahogany and rosewood furnishings, plate glass, and beautiful frescoed ceilings. All of this was destroyed in the 1893 Fargo fire. Image from: Glaser, Louis. Fargo, Dakota. New York: Wittemann Brothers, 1883. Digital Horizons (2006.107.7).North Dakota State University Libraries. "Red River Valley National Bank." Accessed November 15, 2016.
Red River Valley National Bank Offices
The bank was the first three story building in Fargo and was lavishly built. It enticed customers with its exotic mahogany and rosewood furnishings, plate glass, and beautiful frescoed ceilings. All of this was destroyed in the 1893 Fargo fire. Image from: Glaser, Louis. Fargo, Dakota. New York: Wittemann Brothers, 1883. Digital Horizons (2006.107.7).North Dakota State University Libraries. "Red River Valley National Bank." Accessed November 15, 2016.
Fargo Forum
The Fargo Forum was first started in 1891 by Alanson W. Edwards and Colonel H.C. Plumley. The first publication dates Nov. 17, 1891. After Edwards died Plumley took over but struggled on the business side of running the paper leading to financial problems causing the paper to later be sold to J.P Dotson of Crookston in 1912. The paper was then sold again to Norman B. Black, former manager of the Grand Forks Herald, in 1916.(1)After the Fargo Fire the forum moved to the Odd Fellows building, which was constructed after the fire at 521 1st ave N. The Forum publications were located on the first floor of the building as the west end was home to shops such as John T. McCormick’s harness shop and the Fargo Harness Company. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, who constructed the building, held their meetings on the second floor. The building was taken over in the mid-teens by Horace Donaldson and converted into the Hotel Donaldson. (2)Sources:"Fargo Forum." Fargo Forum | Fargo History. Accessed November 29, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/fargo-forum. "Odd Fellows Building." Odd Fellows Building | Fargo History. Accessed November 29, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/odd-fellows-building.Map Courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Merchant's State Bank
This bank was one of many victims of the fire of 1893. The bank was rebuilt on the same site. The bank remained in business at this location until 1921.NDSU Archives. "Merchants National Bank." https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history.Photo: “Stern Building, Fargo, N.D. :: Photo Gallery - Images from the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies (NDSU).” Accessed November 21, 2016. http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/ref/collection/uw/id/8358.
Yoder and Lewis Grocery
Yoder and Lewis Grocery was located in the Stern Building and opened in March of 1893. After only being opened for a couple months then entire building burned. Only three days after the fire Yoder and Lewis were resupplied and selling again off of Ely Street. They stayed on Ely Street until the Stern Building was rebuilt. Sources: The Argus: Fire Anniversary Edition. Page 24. 07 June, 1894.Photo courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Fargo's Opera House
Following the fire of 1893 the house was rebuilt and remained in operation for almost two decades. The Opera House was yet again destroyed by fire in 1912. Due to being besieged by fire a second time the Opera House was not rebuilt.NDSU Archives. "Opera House 1893-1912." https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history.Images by:NDSU Archives. "Opera House 1893-1912." https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history.Ruins of the Fargo Opera House. Fargo: Institute for Regional Studies NDSU, 1912. Digital Horizons (51.171.25).
Fargo's Daily Republican
In the early days of firefighting, there was a romance and thrill involved. Town folk would come out to watch the men at work. It may seem macabre now, but before television, phones, or widespread radio usage, getting the scoop required going to the source! Firemen were seen as heroes, surely, but also as entertainers! (1) The 1889 Firemen’s Tournament included a parade with marching bands and a showing off of skill and equipment, as was expected by Fargoans.In looking at the photo with the tree branch arches, as constructed for the Firemen’s Tournament, you can see the Daily Republican on the left side of the photo. This photo from 1889 shows the building’s ground floor inset and columns as well as Fargo’s raised wooden plank sidewalks, which helped the fire to travel. (2) This building, was not the original Republican. In 1880, the offices burned but the press was salvaged and the paper didn’t even miss a day’s print! (3)The second photo, taken around 1905, shows the building you see today, which was rebuilt in 1893, refaced in 1899 after another fire licked at its doorstep, and refaced again as it went from Wasen Guard Furniture Dealers first, to D.I. Ames Furniture Store around 1905 (as shown). Fargo Plumbing and Heating Company occupied from 1910-1922 followed by two convenience stores, Osco Drug (1965-78), and Metro Drug which closed its doors recently. (4)While it is believed by most that everything was lost in the Great Fire, a few microfilms of the Daily Republican are still available to browse. The films, created from original newspapers, are at State Historical Society of ND in Bismarck. Sources:“Fireman’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY),” 2011. http://educationaltour.fasnyfiremuseum.com/1800b.html. Photo via NDSU Institute for Regional Studies. http://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org. Fargo, the Gateway of the Northeast. H.S. Reed & Company, 1888. https://books.google.com/books/about/Fargo_the_Gateway_of_the_Northeast.html?id=OCYaAAAAYAAJ. “Kilbourne Group Properties.” Kilbourne Group. Accessed November 27, 2016. http://kilbournegroup.com/properties/dakotah-block/. Photos via NDSU Institute for Regional Studies.
Kop Brothers Music House
In 1882 the Keeney Block was constructed. It had the latest technology - built-in fire fighting equipment! The system was simple. Hoses on reels connected to a water works. (1) The Keeney block can bee seen in the photo as the large building, or block, on the left with white painted advertisement on the side.The Kops owned a music store in the Keeney Block according to the 1893 Fargo City Directory, printed only weeks before the blaze. The 1895 directory does not have a listing for Kops Brother's; in fact, none of the de Bruyn Kops family is left in Fargo! For some, the fire was devestating, perhaps a way out of the wild west, or a way further into it? Some records show that Charles Kops, one of the co-owners, went on to Great Falls, MT and ran a very successful piano store there. (2) A 1914 issue of Piano Trade Magazine tells the story of C.J. Kops, successful piano salesman and accomplished player, who toured with and played for Ellen Beach Yaw, a world-famous American concert singer with an impossible range.Sources:1. “Early Fire Department History - City of Fargo.” Accessed November 27, 2016. https://www.cityoffargo.com/CityInfo/Departments/Fire/AboutUs/History/.2. Edgar, F.E. “Angelus.” Piano Trade Magazine. Vol. 11, 1914. www.books.google.com.3. Building photo from NDSU Institute for Regional Studies. http://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/uw/id/1138/rec/34. Fargo City Directory photos from Ancestry.com.
Freeman's China Tea Store
George Freeman, owner of Freeman’s China Hall Tea Store, came to Fargo from Maine, via Boston, Massachusetts. (1) Born in 1848, he married Susan and came across the Ohio River Valley and the upper Midwest to Fargo with three young children.(2) Russell, the eldest, would become a clerk at China Hall Tea Store.Freeman’s, established in 1881, specialized in outfitting hotels and restaurants and had a large showroom after moving into the Keeney block when it was built in 1883. Two floors, 6,500 square feet of space, allowed them to carry “a metropolitan assortment of goods purchased mainly from manufacturers and importers, their collection of household furnishings and plain and hand-painted china being particularly choice.” (3)While all was lost, both George and Russell lived through the fire and their business thrived at 72 Broadway for some time. After China Hall closed, George was a broker; Russell went on to become President of Fargo Food Company, a business that, like George’s, outlasted its founder. George Freeman and Sons Brokerage lasted well into the 20’s following his death in 1922 just as Fargo Food and Equipment Co supplied hotels and bakeries with supplies well into the 40’s following Russell’s passing in 1938.Sources:Ancestry.com census record. Year: 1880; Census Place: Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: 553; Family History Film: 1254553; Page: 134D; Enumeration District: 609; Image: 0356 Ancestry.com. North Dakota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1885, 1915, 1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Fargo, the Gateway of the Northeast. H.S. Reed & Company, 1888. https://books.google.com/books/about/Fargo_the_Gateway_of_the_Northeast.html?id=OCYaAAAAYAAJ. Photos all courtesy of Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Alexander Stern's Clothing Store
While the building housing the clothing store was destroyed by the 1893 fire, the most important aspect of this location to focus on is the prior owner. Alexander Stern, originally from Germany, moved to Fargo in 1881. He was instrumental in the initial building and development of Fargo as well as the rebuilding and repairing of the destroyed downtown following the Fargo fire. Stern owned at least three buildings before the fire in 1893, he started rebuilding a mere two days after the fire destroyed these buildings.The Edwards building, Stern building, and the Donaldson Hotel (the Hodo) are just some of the buildings he constructed. He later became mayor of FargoSources:Fargo Forum (Fargo, ND), August 12, 2007. “Stern, pioneer civic builder, dead, end comes for Fargo banker and merchant at age of 76” Fargo Forum and Daily Republican (4 Jun 1934): 1. Compenium History and Bigraphy of North Dakota. Chicago, G.A.Ogle. 1900. pg 302-303. http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/ndsl-books/id/51433/rv/compoundobject/cpd/52554/rec/8. Photo courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Citizen's National Bank and Thomas Baker Jr. Fire Insurance
The bank managed to withstand the fire the longest out of all the building destroyed by the 1893 fire. The location was home to more than one Fargo business and office. Thomas Baker Jr. Fire Insurance was located in the basement and the United States Court Room was on the second floor. Please take a moment to soak in the irony of the fact that a fire insurance office burned down.Fargo Forum (Fargo, ND), June 7, 1893.Souvenir of the Fargo Fire. Fargo, ND: Walker Brothers, 1893. “Special Fire Edition,” Argus (Fargo, ND), June 7, 1894.
Elliot House Hotel
The Elliot Hotel was owned by Peter Elliot and the location was originally a restaurant in the Stanton House Hotel. In 1887 Peter Elliot became the owner of the building and changed the name to the Elliot House. In 1893 the hotel burned down along with most of downtown Fargo. Following the fire, Mr. Elliot made a makeshift kitchen and dining area from two tents and served food to those effected by the fire. The damages were worth $10,000 more than what his insurance could cover. He could not afford to reopen his business himself, but he collaborated with I. P. Clapp.NDSU Archives. “Elliot Hotel." https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/.Photo:“Elliott Hotel | Fargo History.” Accessed November 21, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/elliott-hotel.
City Hall
Fargo’s first city hall was housed on the corner or Roberts St and NP Ave. It shared the building with the fire department until it burned down in 1893 during the Fargo Fire. The building housed almost all city record causing them to also burn. This contributes to the difficulty to finding information on city hall. A new building was built for the fire department in 1893 and an edition was made to house city hall in 1910.(1)Sources:"City Hall." City Hall | Fargo History. Accessed November 29, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/city-hall.Photo courtesy of: "Fargo, Cass County, ND 1892". Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for North Dakota, Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University, Fargo.
Headquarters Hotel
The hotel primarily served the railroad, which was it was conveniently located near. The hotel first burnt down in September of 1874 due to a kitchen fire and was rebuilt in 60 days by Messrs. Hubbard and Tyler. The hotel was then rebuilt and miraculously survived the 1893 fire which destroyed everything else surrounding the structure. Luck ran out and four years later the hotel burned down in June of 1897. The Headquarters Hotel’s claim to fame was that General Custer was a customer.North Dakota State University Libraries. "Headquarters Hotel." Accessed November 15, 2016.Photo: “Headquarters Hotel, Fargo, Dakota Territory :: State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND).” Accessed November 21, 2016. http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/ref/collection/uw-ndshs/id/1267.
T. E. Yerxa Dry Goods
Goodman & Yerxa Groceries and Dry GoodsTE Yerxa Department StoreThe store was founded in 1875 and was one of the first businesses on the block. The dry goods store was vital to the growth of Fargo, supplying groceries, crockery, textiles, boots, dry goods, and carpets. The name changed in 1882 when Goodman left Fargo. The brothers T. E and W. A. Yerxa ran the business together.[i]W. A. Yerxa was one the first mayors of Fargo and held office from 1883-1885. He also served as the city's Treasurer for a time. In 1890 W. A. Yerxa moved to Mineapolis and his brother T. E Yerxa continued the business in Fargo. Unfortunately, the building the business was located in burned down in 1893.[ii] Following W. A. Yerxa's move to Minneapolis his home was purchased his home and opened it in September 1897 as Sacred Heart Academy.[iii][i]NDSU Archives. “Yerxa Mercantile Store."https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/.[ii]NDSU Archives. “Woodford A. Yerxa."https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/.[iii]Helm, Merry. "Presentation Sisters." Prairie Public Broadcast.
Wimmer's Diamonds
Wimmer’s Diamonds: “Walk a Flight to Buy Right”During the Fargo fire of 1893 the location was home to a bank as well as a barber shop which was located in the basement with the bank offices on the second level. By some stroke of luck this particular block remained untouched by the fire and remains one of the oldest structures in Fargo. The location did not remain the residence of a bank and barber for long, following their departure the site became a high-end ladies clothing store. In the mid-1940s the lot became available and Wimmer’s Jewelry(now named Wimmer’s Diamonds) moved in and has remained under their ownership ever since. Wimmer’s Diamonds has been a source of economic stability in downtown Fargo for almost a century. Amazingly the store and its branch in West Acres Mall has remained a locally owned family business to this day. The Wimmer’s legacy began with Fred Wimmer in 1919 who immigrated from Budapest, Hungary in 1907. Fred Wimmer, whose name was possibly changed from “Wümmer” during the immigration process, was an apprentice to a master jeweler in Hungary. Upon arrival to New York, Fred Wimmer and his wife Gizalla whom he married in the United States, lived in the Bronx. He was employed as a chaser in the bridge work industry according to the Federal Census of 1910. Eventually Wimmer found work at the world famous Tiffany and Company and then moved westward to Minneapolis, Minnesota.Jewelry making was Fred Wimmer’s passion, he was a craftsman who worked with his hands with a meticulous eye for detail. Wimmer was trained in traditional jewelry making techniques, before mass production became the norm. Designs were carefully crafted by hand, burnished into the metal. His training as an artisan influenced his eye for perfection and future professional ventures. A friend of Fred Wimmer’s opened a company called Ostbye and Anderson, which is still in existence today and Wimmer worked there for a while before going to Owatanna, Minnesota, to work for Jostens. While at Jostens, Wimmer became more acquainted with wholesale manufacturing which motivated him to move to Fargo and start his own plant in 1919.Sources:1910; Census Place: Bronx Assembly District 30, New York, New York. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. 1930; Census Place: Bronx Assembly District 30, New York, New York. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Wimmer, Brad. Interview by author. Fargo, ND, November 18, 2016.
deLendrecie's Store and O. J. deLendrecie
deLendrecie's StoreAll that remains of the old DeLendrecie’s store is the name on the side of the building, but it began in 1880 as Chicago Dry Goods House[i]. Onesine Joassin deLendrecie moved to Fargo in 1879 and quickly embarked on beginning a business in 618 Front Street, today’s Main Avenue. An astute businessman DeLendrecie made sure to obtain a full page advertisement in the first issue of the Fargo Forum on November 17th, 1891[ii]. The business was a success. In 1894 deLendrecie bought the lots west of his store, across from the Northern Pacific Depot and built a new two story brick building and advertised it as a “Mammoth Department Store.” The brick structure had the added benefit of being more defensible against fire, which was an attractive quality following the Great Fargo Fire. In 1909 three more floors were added to the building.The store offered a wide variety of goods. In 1881 the store was known not only as a merchant store, but also as the prime place to buy hats as Mr. deLendrecie was an excellent milliner. The store sold dresses, coats, gloves, and all manners of apparel. The store also had a coffee shop, where customers could have lunch and at one point had a tea room[ii]. The land to the south of the building was where the store’s parking lot was located.The store was owned and operated by the deLendrecie family until 1955, when it was bought by a New York firm the Mercantile Stores Co. The firm wisely kept the name of the store, as it was a cornerstone and staple of Fargo. In 1972 the store moved to West Acres, the new mall that was accessible by a gravel road at the time, and became an anchor store to the new complex. There the store remained until 1998. The old building on Main Avenue was remolded and renamed Block 6[iii].[i]NDSU Archives. “Fargo Forum.” Fargo, North Dakota: Its History and Images.[ii]Halgrimson, Andrea. "As I Recall: DeLendrecies building has a rich history." Inforum, July 17, 2004[iii] NDSU Archives. “DeLendrecie’s.” Fargo, North Dakota: Its History and Images.O. J. deLandrecieOnesine 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, Canada, on December 11th, 1845. His family ancestry is from northern France. During the summer of 1879 he moved to Fargo and on his very first day in town he bought the land at 618 Front Street, or today’s Main Avenue. In October he opened his business. [i]The first store was a small, wood building called the Chicago Dry Goods store. His brother, Eugene J. deLendrecie, joined him on his business venture. O. J. deLendrecie along with being an astute business man was also a great milliner, or hat maker. In the 1881 Fargo directory he was advertised as having “a fine and tasty selection of hats.” The store sold a wide variety of goods and the business grew quickly. In 1894 O.J. deLendrecie had the customer demand and the means to expand his business. He purchased the lots west of his first store and built a brick building. The brick structure was conveniently more fire resistant, which was an attractive quality following The Great Fire that occurred just the year before. O.J. deLendrecie advertised his new store as the “Mammoth Department Store.”[ii]In 1914 O.J deLendrecie retired and his brother Eugene deLendrecie, who was vice president of the business took over the store. O.J. deLendrecie moved to California and died ten years later in 1924.[i]Halgrimson, Andrea. "As I Recall: DeLendrecies building has a rich history." Inforum, July 17, 2004[ii]NDSU Archives. “deLendrecie’s" https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/.
Main Ave Fire House
The Main Avenue Firehouse was established in 1910 and was known as Fire Department No. 2. The building remained a firehouse throughout the 1960s [i]. Since then the building has been a home to a wide variety of groups and businesses. From being a Native American Cultural center, boxing center, to soup kitchen, and now a charming coffee house the building has served its community in a wide variety of ways and continues to be a beautiful representation of Fargo history[ii].The fire station was built following the Edward block fire in 1903, when the mayor demanded better fire protection. Northern Pacific offered to bring equipment from Casselton for free following the fire and the first fire engine in Fargo was rented from W. S. Nott Co. in 1903. Fire escaped were installed in the hotels and the opera house. The land for Fire Station No. 2 was purchased for $2,850 and was constructed for $14,900 in 1909.[iii][i]NDSU Archives. “Fire Stations.” Fargo, North Dakota: Its History and Images.[ii] Animating Democracy. "Red Raven Espresso Parlor.”[iii] Johnson, Roy P. "Fargo City Council Meeting Minutes Index, 1875-1910." NDSU Archives.Photo: “Fire Stations | Fargo History.” Accessed November 21, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/fire-stations.
Cass County Courthouse
The first Cass County courthouse was built in 1874 where the current day Northern Pacific railway depot is located. The current Cass County courthouse, at the 3rd Avenue location, opened on July 31, 1906. It was built on the same location as the courthouse before it which burnt down during renovations in 1903. It cost about $141,000 to build, more than double the approximated $50,000. By today’s standards, the building would have cost $3,751,172.2 The courthouse included a jail and sheriff’s living quarters.In 1982 an addition added the north wing of the building.Another addition in 1986 added the south wing.In 2000 ground was broken in south Fargo for a new jail. Upon completion in 2002, the jail at the location was razed.In 2012 the west addition was finished. This 16 million dollar addition was built using some reclaimed materials from the jail and sheriff’s residence that stood where the new section is now. As well, the skywalk connecting the courthouse to the annex building was a welcome addition for employees who’d been crossing busy 10th St to get from one location to the other.The last person ever executed in North Dakota, John Rooney, was hanged in Bismarck Penitentiary on October 17, 1905 for a murder he was convicted of committing in summer 1902. Rooney was housed for some time here in Cass County as two prominent Fargo lawyers had taken his case. At his execution, John thanked his lawyers, Stambaugh and Spalding, for their “noble fight for the life of a penniless man.” (5) Burleigh Spalding, of Stambaugh and Spalding, was a U.S. Congressman from 1899-1901 and again from 1903-1905.Sources:https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/cass-county-courthouse. “The Inflation Calculator.” Accessed October 17, 2016. http://www.westegg.com/inflation/. “Cass County Jail | Fargo History.” Accessed October 17, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/cass-county-jail. “Office Space: Cass County Courthouse Addition.” Fargo Monthly, May 16, 2013. https://www.fargomonthly.com/homeanddesign/office-space-cass-county-courthouse-addition/. “John Rooney ( - 1905) - Find A Grave Memorial.” Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=164993692 Photo: “Cass County Court House, Fargo, N.D. :: Photo Gallery - Images from the NDSU Institute for Regional Studies (NDSU).” Accessed November 21, 2016. http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm/ref/collection/uw/id/4968.
Fargo Central High School
Fargo High School was built in 1882 and accommodated grades one through twelve. The facility cost about $40,000 to build, not accounting for inflation. The structure was comprised of three stories with 21 rooms in total. In 1899 the school had six high school teachers and ten grade school level teachers (1-8). The first graduating class consisted of just five students, but the total graduates from Fargo High School by 1908 was 441. The school offered many class subject including history, languages, physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics. The school, unfortunately, burned down in December 1916. Fortunately is was rebuilt in the same location in 1921. Fargo Central High also burned down in April 1966. Today, Fargo has three public high schools: Fargo North, Fargo South, and Fargo Davies.[1]James F. Buchli was born on June 20, 1945 in New Rockford, ND. Buchli calls Fargo, ND his hometown and he graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1963. He eventually moved away from North Dakota in order to earn a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the prestigious United States Naval Academy in 1967. He then obtained a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering Systems from University of West Florida in 1975.Following his graduation from the Naval Academy and before he earned his master's degree Buchli served a year in Vietnam and returned in 1969. He has a long list of military accomplishments including his participation in Marine Advanced Degree Program and Test Pilot School. He became an astronaut in 1979 and partook in multiple missions with NASA. He later retired from the NASA Astronaut office and took a job as a manager in the Space Station Systems Operations and Requirements with Boeing Defense and Space Group.Sources:“Fargo Central High School | Fargo History.” Accessed October 23, 2016. https://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/fargo-central-high-school. “Astronaut Bio: James F. Buchli.” NASA: Lyndon B Johnson Space Center. Accessed October 24, 2016. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/buchli-jf.html. Photo:http://digitalhorizonsonline.org Photo:NDSU Archive:rs004755 Photo: http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/buchli_james.htm
