Enderlin 1966 Jubilee - Enderlin Historical Society

18 91 -1 96 6
Dedication
To the numberless men and women
whose steps have echoed down the streets of
E
n d er lin
;
who ran its
stores,
taught its
children, who plowed the fields around it and
manned the trains that served it, we dedicate
this book. Rich or poor, renoun or unheralded,
tragic or comic; each one was a thread in the
distinctively patterned tapestry that tells our
community story.
Foreward
‘M e m o r ie s
are
e v e r y o n e ’s
second
chance
h a p p in e s s ’
for
— Queen Mother Elizabeth
The following pages attempt to tell the story of EN D ER L IN
community surrounding it.
and the
This is not a history, for the word “history” implies
a depth of research beyond our time and means.
We hope that we have caught
some of the feeling of what life was like, recaptured memories, and preserved
some of the things our children and grandchildren may want to know.
Ransom County and the lands along the Sheyenne and Maple rivers
are rich in history.
The pre-settlement history is well documented and available
for those who care to go deeper into the subject.
Some day, archeologists and
scholars will tap the rich resources of Indian Mounds and relics still known to
exist and write a fuller story.
When we reach
the time
of events is more difficult.
of first
settlement,
the
accurate
retracing
Few of the pioneers committed to paper what they
saw and did, and few of their children listened carefully; adding to our difficulty
is the fact that newspaper files are available of the Enderlin papers only since
1910.
We have pieced together the story from memories, early atlases, township
and county records when available.
histories differ.
we ask forgiveness.
We
information;
express
to
Memories are fallible and sometimes written
If not every statement can be documented or a date is incorrect
the
There was simply not enough time to search every source.
our
gratitude
Senior
to
Citizens
the
many
committee
people
and
who
the
helped
American
Auxiliary members who helped gather fam ily histories; to those who
gather
Legion
delved
into fam ily history to those who furnished pictures; and to those who helped
in any way to put our book together.
We
particularly
wish to
thank
Mr.
Frank
Vyzralek,
Jr.,
who
made
available information about the Soo Line railroad from material he is gathering
for a doctoral thesis on North Dakota railroads.
The map in the front of the book shows the location of many of the
historic spots of the area— Indian villages and battle grounds, early settlements,
townsites and post offices now vanished.
Time and progress have obliterated
all traces of some, and where they stood are only fields of grain, but the map
may serve as an aid to your imagination as you try to visualize the past.
The Anniversary Committee
Th ese pictu res of E nderlin’s business district around the turn of the cen tury show
tw o scenes along R a ilw ay Street. A b o v e is a v iew o f the corn er o f R a ilw a y S treet and Third
A v e n u e . In th e foreground is B illy F o w ler’s L iv e ry Barn. Just beyond w as L u k e r’s G rocery,
C allah an ’s H otel and R ustad’s H ardw are. B e lo w is a v iew lookin g d ow n R a ilw ay Street
from the corn er of T h ird A v e n u e . A v e r y m odem b rick building housed the ban k on
the com er. H arper’s Store w as located n e x t to the bank, and the tall fram e building
dow n the street is th e Sanness Store.
Fourth A v en u e looked lik e this w hen the ab ove pictu re w as taken about 1899. T h e
Engles operated a h ardw are and d ru g store, pictu red in the foreground. Just behind the
E n gle business establishm ents w as a business ow ned b y W alt Loom is. B elow is a scene
show ing the B u rgess Hotel on the site now occupied b y th e Lindem an n building. To the
le ft is the hom e of H alvor “ Skedool” Olson, so called because he hauled passengers to the
N orthern P a cific depot at S heldon and w aited for no one. “ S k ed ool” w as his rendition
of “ schedule.” F arth e r to the le ft are P otter’s P rin t Shop and P ie h ’s B u tch e r Shop.
Threshing on the Dagm an farm , with a Case steam engine. L e ft to R igh t: Leonard Peterson, Adolph
Skram stad, Axel D agm an, Clyde T rip lett, John Jaco bs, unkown.
Replacing horse power, this Case 1 1 0 , manufactured about 1 9 0 7 , was the largest steam er they built.
Seated on it are Mr. and Mrs. F ran k Oehlke and daughter Anita.
■
L egend
The map on the preceding page notes locations whose place in history
deserves documentation, lest they be lost to the memory of man in North Dakota.
Asterisks are used to indicate the relative importance of these historical
points in Ransom County: five asterisks designating places of greatest interest
to a wider public, while one asterisk signifies that the place possesses only a
limited, specific association to the whole history, or is perhaps only of interest
locally.
To indicate to the casual tourist how relatively accessible each place
may be in this year of the Jubilee, 1966, and how much he may expect to view
upon arrival there, they have been graded A, B, C, and D. A t a spot marked D
he might expect to find sparse camera subject, and perhaps after considerable
difficulty in getting there.
The parallel big bends of the Maple and Sheyenne rivers constitute the
basic monuments of this Cheyenne Country which is Ransom County. That part
north of the Sheyenne was ceded to the United States government Oct. 2, 1863
by the Chippewa Indians, the treaty being ratified May 5, 1864. South of the
Sheyenne, including e.g., Fargo, Abercrombie, Milnor, Oakes, being Sioux
territory at the moment of transfer (Cfr. Journal of Robert Campbell, 1832-1833;
North Dakota Historical Quarterly, Vol 1, No. 1, p. 45) was cleared of Indian
title at a later date.
1.
Old “C hienne” (Cheyenne, Shian, Shayon, Shien) V IL L A G E SITE. ***** (A),
is also called Biesterfield site, N W 1/4 Sec. 28, Scoville Township 134 N,
54W. Two ditches flanking a village site or saucer-like depressions in the
present day pasture land mark the spot where a whole people was
displaced by other Indians.
The Cheyennes, after a disastrous battle
against attackers who had guns, fled westward. It seems the battle was
fought five miles southeast of this site, perhaps within sight of Horseshoe
Hill. To be safe from their enemies, the Cheyennes fled clear across
the Missouri rive in what is now South Dakota, though small groups of
the remnants of the nation lingered several years in the area of Long
Lake, not far from Napoleon, North Dakota.
F ifty years later, Old Menard and other fur traders among the
Mandans on the Missouri, noted that the Cheyennes they contacted
sometimes wore leather clothes of Spanish design, and had horses with
Spanish bridles. No one has demonstrated that the indirect trade with
the Spaniards, and possession of horses before the Sioux mastered riding,
offset the advantage the latter had gained by acquiring fire-arms from
the French and English. But this people of Algonquin stock did survive
near extinction, to fight again, as allies however of the Sioux, against
General Custer a century later after the Sioux themselves crossed the
Missouri.
It was 1740, according to the Journal of Alexander Henry Jr. (Coues
Edition, 1897, p. 144) when the Cheyenne nation was massacred and driven
from their main village, located here. See also No. 6.
2.
IN Y A N B O S E N D A T A ***** (A) or a “standing rock,” set up as a monument
in the practice of Indian religion. The expedition under J. N. Nicollet,
accompanied by young Lieut. J. C. Freemont of California fame, viewed
and recorded this rock when the Indians they met in the area still
regarded this hill-top mound, with this stone set upright on it, as a place for
religious meeting and ceremony, in 1839.
Their War Department Map
of the Hydrographical Basin of the Upper Mississippi River, 1843 notes two
such natural obelisks, the other being shown upstream from Red Wing,
Minnesota, on the Cannon River. Standing Rock monument is not to be
confused with post office Standing Rock, Ransom County, nor Standing
Rock Reservation North Dakota.
The stone is the original.
Col. Dana Wright, researching accounts by
an N. P. railroad construction crew, and verbal information from local
land owners, linked up a firm, continuous account for the rock from the
day of Nicollet until it was cemented down as it is today. The North Dakota
Historical Society’s marker there characterizes it
as “one of the
sightly and historic spots in North Dakota.”
The National
recently constructed an access road from N. D. Highway 46.
most
Guard
A s a mound, it falls into the small mound category archeologically,
in a mound region extending at least fifty miles both up and down stream.
Some were reported by Prof. E. Todd, Catalogue of Prehistoric Works
East of the Rocky Mountains, by Cyrus Thomas.
See North Dakota
Historical Society. Recently local newspaper carried accounts of occasional
incidents when skeletons have been unearthed on surrounding hilltops.
A mile west, the “L IT T L E Y E L L O W S T O N E ” valley of the Sheyenne
sports a tourist park, spring, highway cut that yielded mosasaur fingers
in 1963 and the beginning of a pleasant river road.
3.
F O R T R A N S O M site: **** (A) seat of a fortified military reserve in the post
C ivil War days. The Fort existed to protect workers on railroads yet to
be projected, and also to transact Indian payments within a fifty mile
radius.
One can see distinctly the dry moat or ditch, a line of (root?)
cellars or dugouts once under buildings, a parade ground centered on a
reconstructed flagpole authentically located; and a reconstructed log
munitions house which adjoins the moated square.
The Fort was garrisoned by one Company, official strength being
set at 83, plus 15 Indian scouts, with an allowance of fifty horses, and
one civilian post trader. Commanders could permit civilians in and near
the Fort the use of timber, wood, hay and grazing, after the needs of the
military had been assured.
Bvt. Major Grossman kept a cow for his
fam ily’s use. A child was born to the Grossman’s 1868, seemingly the
first baby of European stock in the County. Lisbon had been founded
when 100 square miles of military reserve was opened to homesteading.
General Terry, one of the principals of the later Custer affair, and a
great soldier, had picked the site, though it had been noted by preceding
expeditions.
Across the ravine one can see the Fort’s R IF L E PIT, with its
stone-masonary in good condition, and iron and wood parts of the
original apparatus for raising and lowering the target.
Man-made borings, more than an inch in diameter and eleven inches
deep, in several granite boulders on the hither side of the ravine, are
subject to various interpretations. See also No’s. 4 and 5.
4. W R ITIN G R O C K : -***(B) a page of stone writing six feet wide, which no one
has been able to read. It can be found in the vicinity of the rifle pit on
the east side of Bear Den Hillock. Other rocks between Matoti and Fort
Ransom show only glacial striations.
5. M A T O T I: -***(C), or Bear Den Hillock, mentioned on Nicollet’s map of 1843,
noted by many expeditions, is the height of land culminating in an Indian
mound, that constitutes one flank of the ravine below Fort Ransom site,
and is a continental divide. The creek in the ravine flows to Hudson Bay
via the Sheyenne and Red rivers; while Bear (Den Hillock) Creek draining
west from it, flows to the G ulf of Mexico via the James, Missouri,
Mississippi rivers.
Frank M yrick claimed to have traded here as early as 1857. Sully
followed up Bear Creek to cross into the Sheyenne watershed near here,
1865. Indians and Metis are known to have hunted and camped with
reference to this landmark, as late even as the 1880’s.
C. A N C IE N T site:-***(B). A refuse heap, an artificial ditch enclosing several
acres on top of a drift-soil bluff facing bends in the Maple river, on land
farmed by Mathew and Roger Shea, is under study; its location SE ¼
Sec. 11, Township Highland 137 N, 54 W. Cass County.
7. W A TSO N C R O S S IN G ***(A) of the Maple River. SE¼ , Sec. 26 Township
Walburg 138 N 53 W, Cass County. M ay have been used by migrating
Selkirkers, 1823.
Probably sometimes the fur brigades of Joe Rolette
and Norman Kittson used it in the 1840’s.
W ell known figures like
Governor Ramsey, 1851, Governor I. Stevens in 1853, Fisk and Expeditions
in 1862 and 1863, and Sibley on return in 1863 threw in bundles ofbrush
to cross over the river at this spot; as w ell as general traffic on the way
from Fort Abercrombie to Fort Totten in the early seventies. Completion
of the railroad to Jamestown ended the usefulness of Watson Crossing.
A s a way station it folded, while the post office continued longer.
The
historical marker is located near the Lutheran Church.
8.
C A M P H A Y E S on S IB L E Y T R A IL, JU L Y 4, 1863 **** (C) Somewhat following
an old Indian trail from Brown’s Valley, Minnesota, to Tewaukon Lake
(N.D.) to the Sheyenne River, sometimes called the Assinniboine Trail,
the famous Sibley Expedition sent out by General Pope at Milwaukee
to chastise and check the Sioux because of the Minnesota Massacre,
was composed of 3,300 men, 225 vehicles, 2,200 horses and mules, and
several hundred beef cattle, made quite a trail and needed considerable
space to encamp. A fter crossing the Sheyenne on July 4th, General Henry
H. Sibley spread out such a camp on the SE½ Sec. 36, Township B ig
Ben 134 N, 55 W.
The first celebration of the Fourth of July occurred there. The army
raised a flag pole and saluted the States and Territories with 39 shots
of their artillery. It remained encamped here for a week. People still
locate evidences of the trench-works.
M any soldiers visited Okiedan Buttes, a group of artificial earth works
or mounds, on the bluffs forming the south bank of the Sheyenne nearly
opposite Camp Hayes, speculating as to their origin, as is done today.
Indian tradition speaks of one of the incidental fights between Indians,
a clash of some Arikara against some Sisseton Sioux, as having occurred
near these elaborate mounds some time previously. Soldiers and officers
also visited the Cheyenne Village site downstream (Cfr. No. 1)
S.
C A M P W H ARTON on S IB L E Y T R A IL ** (D) July 11-12, 1963; E ½ 's of Sec’s.
18 and 19, plus corner of Sec. 20, Twp. 135 N, 56 W. (Tuller).
10.
C A M P W EISN ER on S IB L E Y T R A IL ; July 13-14, 1963** (D) about
Twp. 137 N, 57 W, (Thordenskjold, Barnes County).
Sec. 28,
11.
P I G E O N P O IN T *** (D), a way-station. David Faribault, a young man of
the Metis, serving as one of the fifteen Indian scouts attached to Fort
Ransom, was sent out in 1867 to establish a way-station at the lowest
crossing point on the big bend of the Sheyenne. He settled on a spot
in Section 19, Township 135 N. 53 W. (Owego). It remained until Fort
Ransom itself was abandoned in 1872.
12.
O W EGO S E T T L E M E N T **** (A) had meanwhile been founded— 1870.
It
shortly came to be a collection of 12 log cabins constituting a settlement
in North Dakota quite a distance beyond the end of the rails, though in
hopes of anticipating their advent. But the
rails selected Fargo instead
of Fort Abercrombie as the place to cross the Red River; and a branch line
founded Sheldon in 1879, and business moved to it. The frontier town of
Owego disappeared gradually; its place is marked by a park, and early
frame schoolhouse, and vestiges: Section 16, Township 135 N. 53 W.
(Owego). The virile spirit of its settlers and their descendants influenced
the history of entire northeast Ransom County.
13.
SH EN FOR D (SHINFORD) * (C) Water was only shin deep at this ford on
the Fort Abercrombie-Fort Ransom wagon trail.
14.
V E N L O * (A) developed later on this trail, and died later; the last building
burning 1964.
15.
B O N N E R S V IL LE * (D) another place of business, or town-hopeful that
became a memory. Indian campsite along river, between it and P ig e o n
Point, is well known locally.
16.
JE N K S V IL L E * (D)
17.
B IN G H A M PTO N — K IB B E Y (LU CCA ) * (B) Binghampton plotted in 1884
because Dinah K ibbey would not sell her part of townsite to railroad.
18.
P E T E R SO N P O S T O F F IC E * (D) Post office for the area before the town
of A lice was established.
19.
P L Y M O U T H * (B) Section 11, Township 135 North 57 West (Springer) a
townsite platted and built upon, on the strength of Griswold’s flour mill.
The ditch of the flume or mill race scraped out by horsedrawn scrapers,
can still be located in the underbrush. The rated 14 feet of waterfall
developed 40 horsepower in twin turbines at 300 revolutions per minute; it
represented a capital investment of perhaps $25,000.00. By comparison,
corresponding figures for the Walker M ill upstream across the line in
Barnes County were listed as: 10 feet, 30 hp. one turbine engine, 160
revolutions; $8,000.00 capital investment in Census of 1885.
Griswold’s mine-site, in the widely publicized Ransom County gold
rush of 1883, was located in SW 1/4, Section 10 of the same township.
20.
M ON U M EN T T O P R O JE C T R A IL R O A D S ** (A) M any railroads were
planned, right of way obtained, and grading started, but never finished
in the boom days of North Dakota, such as the Dakota & Great Southern
(Cfr. Soo Line Story in History of Enderlin, 1966). The railroad grade
near Elliott can be seen only as far as the juncture with the Northern
Pacific line. Originally it extended only into the next field north.
M
ANY
TH O U SA N D S of years ago, the great Mid-continent of
America was covered with a
deep sheet of glacial ice. As
the glacial period came to an
end, basins in the land, ground
out by the ice mass, were filled with its melting waters.
One such basin formed the ancient Lake Agassiz, which today is known as the
Red River Valley. Its successive levels are visible as we drive eastward along
Highway 46.
The overflow from this lake formed the stream known as the Sheyenne.
Draining into it were other ancient waterways as far north as the Turtle
Mountains.
It was a rushing torrent five miles wide, and it carried silt
and debris which finally built up what is known as the Sheyenne Delta. . .
the area we fam iliarly call the Sandhills.
As the level of the lake dropped, the Sheyenne, which had flowed south,
gradually changed course, and, at the edge of the delta, made what is known
as the Big Bend, as it turned, dropping north and east to drain into Lake
Agassiz and the channel that became the Red River.
It has been recorded that when the Spaniards came to the interior of
the Continent, they were told by the Indians that it was possible to travel by
canoe from the G u lf of Mexico to Hudsons Bay, with only a short portage. This
was something that they felt might be important, for they envisioned a line
of forts to keep the English from encroaching on the gold of their southern
empire.
It seems possible that here, where the divide occurs between the rivers
draining into the northward flowing Red River and the southward bound
Missouri River, is the portage to which they referred. In Northland Township,
Bear Den Creek running into the James River and thence to the Missouri R iver,
is only four miles from the northbound Sheyenne.
The beautiful valley of the Sheyenne got its name from the Indian
tribe who made it their home and whose largest village was located near its
Big Bend, in Scoville Township. Through it passed military expeditions, trains
of teamsters supplying the military posts of the eastern Dakotas, surveying
and prospecting expeditions. Their course can still be traced by maps, records
and a few remains of camp fortifications. They welcomed its cool beauty and
noted the evidences of former Indian life along the stream. Its many springs
furnished good water and the sloping banks and firm gravel bottom made it
easy to ford.
The Maple River, winding through southern Cass County and dipping
briefly into Ransom County at Enderlin, was also known to these travelers, for
its water was fresh and sweet, in contrast to the brackish water of lakes and
streams further west.
The story of these expeditions must wait for a tim e, for a word about
the people whose story antedates the white man’s coming. Contrary to popular
conception, the history of the Indian on these plains is not a continuous one,
but goes back only a relatively short two hundred years before the coming of
the white man.
Scholars do not agree entirely on the subject of earlier Indian
civilizations. There are evidences in Ohio, Tennessee and other eastern states
of an early people known as the Mound Builders, who had a civilization of
relative sophistication.
They ranged north, up the Mississippi and Missouri
and there are scholars who believe that sometime in the past an agricultural
civilization existed in eastern North Dakota, before the American Indian tribes
became nomadic.
1
In 1885, a Minneapolis man came to Ransom County and in company
with W. F. George and E. C. Lucas of Lisbon, North Dakota, dug into the
center of an Indian Mound near Standing Rock.
Three layers of skeletons
were found.
The upper two were Indian skeletons, buried with the usual
trinkets and utensils, but the lowest layer contained skeletons of a people with
thicker, shorter bones and well developed skulls usually associated with a
fairly high degree of civilization.
A skeleton was assembled and loaned to the Lisbon School, but its
value was not recognized and it was gradually picked to pieces and lost,
leaving only the story as a clue for future investigation.
Generally speaking, all the tribes of the interior of the country were
of the Siouian family, who were generally fine physical specimens. Though
customs varied with their environment, the building of mounds for burial and
ceremonial purposes was common among them. They
made utensils of wood
and bone, and many tribes cultivated vegetables and made pottery.Cannibalism
was practiced by some
as part of ceremonial rites.
An interesting story in this connection is told by Mr. Paul Roe of
Enderlin. In 1917, he built a house on land next highest in elevation to Standing
Rock. In excavating the basement, he found thirty-four skeletons, among them
was one whose bones had been evenly broken and then assembled and laid out
as a body normally would be. Dr. Labbitt examined the bones and said that
they were the bones of an Indian woman. They were of the opinion from the
way the bones had been broken, and reassembled, that the body had been eaten
as part of a ceremonial rite of some kind. Mr. Roe reports, incidentally, that
he carefully reburied all of the disinterred skeletons.
A s the white man came to the Southern and Eastern coasts of America,
the Indians were gradually pushed ahead of the wave of settlements.
Tribes
encroached on lands that had been traditionally claimed by others. Old Indian
legend tells that the Mandans came from the sea. We know that they came
to North Dakota up the Missouri River, for remains of earlier villages have
been found below their home at the mouth of the Heart River where the first
explorers found them.
The Hidotsas are believed to have lived near Graham’s Island at Devils
Lake and joined the Mandan Indians when driven west by the Sioux. The
Arikaras also came up the Missouri and were allies of the Mandans.
A t the time that Verendrye, the first white man known to have visited
North Dakota, came to these plains in 1738, Northern Minnesota and North
Dakota were peopled by the Chippewa’s. They were of Algonquin stock and
had separated from the main body of Algonquins when they reached Mackinaw
on their migration from the east.
They were at peace with the Sioux, but
when they obtained arms from the French fur traders they were able to drive
the Sioux and the Fox from the wild rice fields of eastern Wisconsin and
Minnesota and push them across the Mississippi into southern Minnesota.
The Red River Valley and the eastern part of North Dakota were not
favorite territory for the Indians.
They considered it poor hunting and
fishing ground, except for the Turtle Mountains, the south side of Devils Lake
and the “bend” areas of the Maple and Sheyenne Rivers, A t the time of
settlement, only 5000 Indians inhabited the entire area of eastern Minnesota
and North Dakota.
A s the Sioux or Dakotas, as they were also known, were driven out
toward the prairies, their life came to center on the buffalo for food, clothing,
and utensils. The buffalo entered into their mythology. A demand for buffalo
2
robes and coats developed and they found them more profitable and available
than the smaller animals.
The various Sioux tribes used to make hunting
expeditions to the Missouri to trade or extort goods from the fur traders, who
ranged up its muddy waters.
The Sheyennes, Shay-en-no-jo or Sha-e-ye-no, as they were variously
called by the early explorers were also of Algonquin stock. They had migrated
westward earlier than the Sioux and C h ip p e w a and led a relatively settled
existence along the river to which they gave their name.
Near the Big Bend in Scoville Township, is the remains of their chief
village. Time and farm ing operations have obliterated much of it, but early
explorers and settlers found extensive earthen fortifications. Within them
were the saucer shaped sites of homes, which were built of earth over wooden
frames in the manner of the Mandan Indians.
On the Roger Shea farm in Section II, Highland Township, there are
remains of another Indian village. Archaeologists say that there is no evidence
that the Sheyenne ever lived farther North than the village on the Sheyenne,
but this village site has a rectangular ditch akin with that on the old Sheyenne
site and refuse heaps have produced fragments of pottery, which would indicate
that it precedes the invasion of the Sioux, who were not known to be pottery
makers.
Since the two rivers are so close in this area, it would not be
surprising if at one time the Sheyennes had a settlement on the Maple.
The Sheyennes had had little contact with the White man and in the
early 1700’s; the Sioux, with their superior weapons, started to push into their
territory.
The last battle between the Sioux and the Sheyennes was fought
at Horseshoe Hill,
a small windblown sandhill on the western boundary of
Sandoun and Rosemade Townships. Defeated, the Sheyennes moved westward
where for a time their path was blocked by the Sutaio tribe. They eventually
became allies and the tribes merged, drifting into South Dakota and
on
westward.
L ong before there was any thought of settlement, the voyageurs.
employees, and agents of fur companies, ranged through all of the Dakotas
except the Black Hills, trading with the various tribes.
In 1823, a company
known as the Columbia Fur Traders operated along the Wild R ice River from
Lake Traverse and we can assume that they also traded along the Sheyenne
River.
In 1812. the Hudson Bay Company established its first post at Grand
Forks. The Red River Carts, hauling supplies and furs from Pembina to St.
Paul was established in 1842 and regular posts established along the Red River
including one at Georgetown, whose traders ranged along the tributaries of the
Red River.
The first man to map the area which became Ransom County was
Jean Nicollet, a French educated geographer, employed by the United States
Bureau of Topographical Engineers. He mapped more accurately than anyone
previous much of Minnesota and Wisconsin and was the first to relay to the
East a favorable impression of the Red River Valley.
In 1839, coming up the Missouri on a steamboat of the American Fur
Company, his party marched eastward to a trading post known as Oakwood.
on the James River, then northeastward to the Sheyenne near where Valley
C ity is located, north to Devils Lake and into western Grand Forks County
Nicollet did not intend to map on this expedition lands already charted so he
swung southward, intending to map Coteau de Prairie, or “Hills of the
Prairies.” where the Indians were believed to obtain the red pipestone used
in their peace pipes.
3
He reached Ransom County and camped near the site of Fort Ransom,
noting on his map the Standing Rock, Okiedou Buttes, and other landmarks,
reaching the Big Bend of the Sheyenne about the middle of August,
The next recorded visitor was Captain V. E. Sumner, who in 1845
marched north to Devils Lake to parley with the Indian tribes and impress
them with the power of the government. His troops crossed Ransom County,
camping at Big Bend of the Sheyenne.
By 1853, after discovery of gold in California, Americans were becoming
empire-minded. The period of railroad expansion had arrived and proponents
of a Northern and Southern route to the Pacific Coast were seeking federal
help for the high cost of such a tremendous project. Because the question had
become a heated political issue it was decided to have each of several possible
routes surveyed by competent engineers.
In 1853. Isaac Stevens, a former army engineer who had been appointed
Governor of Washington, started from St. Paul to survey a northern route.
Traveling in covered wagons, his party included engineers, a geologist, and an
artist. The party crossed Minnesota and North Dakota fairly fast, for he was
anxious to locate passes in the mountains. He spent several days in the Big
Bend area of Ransom County and expressed concern about the “tremendous”
cost of bridging the Sheyenne.
He was apparently scared to death of our North Dakota rivers since
his proposed route would cross the state without crossing any major waterway.
Roughly, his plan proposed to cross the Red River a little south of Wahpeton.
skirt the Big Bend of the Sheyenne, run north between the James and the
Sheyenne Rivers and swing west into Montana.
This somewhat ridiculous route may be better understood if you
remember that he was to be the Governor of Washington and that he had no
experience in building railroads. What he was interested in was spending a
bare minimum to cross the plains, leaving adequate money for crossing the
Rockies and building a first class line in the state of Washington.
Apparently his recommendations were widely accepted, for when Fort
Ransom was built, it was located in such a position that it would protect future
crews on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
When construction began, it was
abandoned and moved to Fort Seward at Jamestown, where the troops were
in better position to protect the crews.
Fort Ransom was one of a series of military posts built for
of the frontier from the Indians and for protection of emigrant
West. It was established June 18, 1867. by Companies G and H,
under Captain George Crossman and named for General Thomas
the protection
trains to the
18th Infantry,
Ransom.
Its Post Office was at Fort Abercrombie, established in 1858, and the
nearest town was M cCauleyville 65 miles to the east. There were quarters for
200 men, built of logs, accomodations for seven officers, three store houses,
two hospitals, quarters for six laundresses, a blacksmith shop, two root cellars,
and an ice house.
Regular supply trains for this and other forts made their way from
Fort Snelling at St. Paul. Pulled by teams of two to eight oxen, their drivers
were known as “Bullwhackers,” from the long rawhide whips with which they
urged onward the slow moving beasts.
A day’s journey apart were found storm shelters or camps.
One of
these, known as Pigeon Point was in the southwest quarter of Section 19, Owego
Township and was kept by Dave Faribault, son of John Baptiste Faribault, one
4
of the early Frenchmen in Minnesota, and his beautiful and educated half-breed
wife, Nancy.
Another camp was at Brunton’s Ford in Bale Township and is said to
have covered twenty acres, with stockades for the protection of livestock. This
was presided over by a half-breed Indian known as “B lack Tiger.” This route
was the dry season trail, used in winter and when the water was low. In the
Spring it was necessary to detour around the B ig Bend, rejoining the trail near
Pigeon Point. Another such station on the F ort Totten trail was located in
Watson Township on the Maple River and was known as the Walburg Station.
With the discovery of gold in Montana and Idaho more emigrants were
venturing west and in 1862 Captain James Fisk was authorized to get up an
expedition and conduct an escort for an emigrant train from Saint Paul as an
experiment in overland travel by the Northern Route. The weather was good
and most of the members of the party were used to frontier life.
In 1863
Congress appropriated $10,000 for protection of an overland train from Fort
Abercrombie.
This expedition also made the trip successfully, but a third
expedition in 1864 ran into Indian trouble after leaving Fort Rice on the Missouri
River.
Near Marmarth, North Dakota, on the Little Missouri, after several
days of siege, the troops from Fort Rice arrived with orders to send them back.
While it is romantic to think that the Northern Route of the Oregon Trail
traversed Ransom County and some trains did pass through, it was never a
major route of overland travel.
In the year 1862, the Sioux Indians, angered because the government
had not made payments and fulfilled promises made in the Treaty of Traverse
deSioux, arose in a massacre that brought terror to the frontier.
Bands of
rebellious Sioux struck various Minnesota communities. The few settlers along
the Red River fled to Fort Abercrombie, which was under siege for a month
until relieved by troops from Fort Snelling.
In consequence, in 1863 General Sibley was sent with an expedition of
3400 men to secure the frontier. Bands of Sioux had gathered around Devils Lake
and they were given to understand that unless they surrendered and returned
to the reservation they would be shown no mercy.
W hatever the military achievements of Sibley’s expedition (and there
is evidence that they were negligible) it adds an interesting note to the history
of our area.
Colonel Sibley started from Fort Snelling with a party of troops, supply
wagons and teamsters whose number is said to have been 3400. Reporters with
the expedition recorded that when the head of the expedition had traveled six
miles, the rear guard had not started. They entered North Dakota at the upper
end of B ig Stone Lake in June. By July 4th they had entered Ransom County.
They made camp near the Scoville Ford, naming the spot Camp Hayes. Here
was held, one hundred and three years ago, the first July 4th celebration
in North Dakota. A tall Liberty Pole of white ash was erected, and toasts and
patriotic addresses were made.
On July 5th they moved to Camp Whorton, near Brunton’s Ford in
Section 30, Fuller Township where they spent eight days waiting for supply
trains to arrive. They swung northwestward, camping one night near Storhoff’s
slough and crossing the Sheyenne River just below Valley City.
Eighteen Sixty-three was a dry year . . . great cracks crossed the
dry prairie. Grasshoppers were so numerous that soldiers would have to guard
their tents to keep them from being eaten. The south wind burned and blistered
as if it came from a stove. In a typical Dakota weather change, on the 11th of
July there was frost on the ground. Neither Sibley nor the newspaper men, who
5
accompanied the expedition, had anything good to say about North Dakota.
“Dakota is good for nothing, is nothing, means nothing. . . at least to the White
man,” wrote one newsman.
Weather improved during the latter part of the summer— rain fe ll and
the prairie became more hospitable. On the return trip they marched from
Lake Jessie, crossing the Maple River at the Watson Crossing near St. John’s
Lutheran Church.
Private Henry Hogadorn, who kept a diary of the trip,
wrote that from the Maple River to Fort Abercrombie was the most beautiful
country he had ever seen, with abundant grass and large groves of timber
every three or four miles.
Another group of soldiers, under Captain Wadsworth, was sent to meet
General Sulley in 1864. The weather was much better and they crossed this
area in June.
Among them was a young soldier named Henry Ihme, who
returned later to homestead in Watson Township, telling his children that the
huge flocks of ducks, geese and other birds, the abundance of grass and the
sweet smelling prairie flowers made it seem like a paradise. Other men, too,
who first marched across the prairies with these troops returned to claim land
in Raritan and Pontiac Townships.
The 1862 rebellion was the last stand of the Sioux Indians in Minnesota
and the eastern Dakotas. A fter the Northern Pacific Railroad pushed across the
state to Mandan in 1872, only an occasional band of Indians, wandering between
reservations, disturbed the settlers.
While they sometimes were bold and
insolent, frightening the lonely families into giving them food and feed for
their horses, or taking it without a by-your-leave, for practical purposes, this was
the W H ITE M A N ’S CO U N TR Y .
In 1861 a territorial government was established for the Dakotas with
the capital at Yankton. Though there were only
a handful of people in the
territory, that first legislature passed one hundred and sixteen laws and twenty
memorials to Congress.
A long struggle began for the creation of a new territory or state from
the Northern half, which many wanted to call Pembina. The legislature formed
four large counties along the eastern border of the state, with most of Ransom
County in what was known as Sheyenne.
These county lines were juggled
several times before they took their present day boundaries.
Little interest was shown in the area until
the coming
of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, which played a major role in the settlem ent of the state, and
contributed to the growth of the northern part of the Territory so that b y the
time statehood was achieved, North Dakota had outstripped South Dakota in
population and development.
A t the time that Fargo was only a few shanties along the Red River,
Ransom County had its first settlement. This was also the first North Dakota
townsite scheme, conceived by a free-wheeling promoter named Lafayette Hadley.
Presumably relying on the Stevens survey for the coming railroad, he
persuaded a group of neighbors from southern Minnesota to come with him to
the spot where he expected the railroad to cross the Sheyenne. The company
included Orange Hadley, K elly Bowden, S. R. Day, Samuel Horton, Louis
Thiergart and Helmuth Schultz and they settled at what proved to be Section 16
of Owego Township when it was officially surveyed. It was named the Owego
Colony for Hadley’s former home in New York.
Although this was land open for homesteading, Mr. Hadley plotted the
land for five miles around and set a price of $15 to be paid to him for the
privilege of settling in his townsite. Twelve buildings were erected; hauling
the lumber from M cCauleyville, 65 miles to the east, by ox team. A cottage
and office were erected for Mr. Hadley, and he was able to persuade the settlers
6
to donate the hauling of lumber for his home. Mr. Hadley had himself named
postmaster of the third post office in the state and mail was delivered by
freighters on the Fort Abercrombie to Fort Ransom Trail. Pete Bonner, the
F. W. Baguhn fam ily and John M cCusker joined the Colony in 1871.
During the summer of 1872, the men worked on the railroad being
built from St. Cloud, Minn., and many started breaking claims along the river.
An Indian scare drove them away at one time, but most of them returned.
In 1873, as soon as warm weather returned, the settlers scattered; some
to work on claims, some taking their families to where they found work on
the railroad. Then word came that Fort Abercrombie was to be moved and
the post office discontinued. The hoped-for railroad had passed them by, and
tired of living alone on the townsite, the Hadleys moved to M cCauleyville and
started a restaurant. By fall the colony was deserted and the buildings were
later burned by Indians, but some of the colonists remained to claim land when
the official survey of the county was made.
The survey began in 1870, and various parties under contract to the
U. S. Surveyor General sub-divided the county in successive years. They noted
on their surveys the settlers they found. Joseph Knutson on the S.W. 1/4 of
Section 21, Scoville Township and Phidlem Letonneau in the N.E. 1/4 of Section
20, Shenford Township, had arrived in 1870 and built good houses and barns.
Letonneau raised the first grain in the county.
In September of 1872, the surveyors found E. Whitcomb, Peter Bonner,
Philo Kendall and Emma Bowden with claims in the area. When the official
survey was approved, Ludwig Theirgart was the first to receive a patent in
Fargo Land District, September 30, 1875.
A fter the departure of the Hadleys, the settlers petitioned for a direct
mail route from Fargo. F. W. Baguhn was carrier, making the trip once a week
with two Indian ponies.
During the summer, he carried a shotgun and so abundant was the
game that he made more selling it to a Moorhead hotel than his $400 carrier’s
salary. The other stations were Barrie, Power, Kindred and Horace.
In 1875 the Baguhns moved to Fargo and another carrier took the route.
Three new post offices were established above Owego: Bonnersville, Shenford
and Scoville.
In 1879, the Baguhns came back to Owego and bought their
long-time home farm from the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad to North Dakota was the
key that unlocked the door for extensive settlement and in order to understand
how our area was settled, a little of its history must be included.
The Northern Pacific was granted a charter in 1864 to build a road from
Lake Superior to Puget Sound. By way of federal assistance in so costly an
enterprise, they were granted all of the odd numbered sections for forty miles
on either side of the right-of-way. . . 25,600 acres for every mile constructed.
Construction costs were in excess of what had been anticipated. Mr.
James Fiske, the New York banker who undertook to sell their bonds, labored
mightily, but the directors built so far and fast and recklessly that he was unable
to sell bonds fast enough to cover the bills. A s a result, the road went into
receivership in 1873 and the resulting panic shook the economy of the country.
Mr. James Power, Land-agent for the Northern Pacific, and later
president of North Dakota State University, was convinced of the possibilities
of North Dakota and played a leading role in efforts to rescue the railroad
from its difficulties.
Reports on North Dakota by military expeditions and
early travelers had done little to interest people in the area and a selling job
had to be done.
The newly broken lands of the Red R iver V alley had produced some
7
remarkable yields of wheat. Mr. Power induced George Cass and Benjamin
Cheney, directors of the road to start the first of the large scale operations that
became know as the “bonanza” farms.
A s word of the spectacular crops reached the East, speculators were
able to buy the nearly worthless bonds, exchange them for land and start their
own operations.
The Northern Pacific Railroad sold land on a cash, time or
bond exchange basis, and to make the exchange attractive, offered to exchange
P a u l Roe o f E nderlin discovered the rem ains o f 34 Indian skeletons w h en he m ade
the e xcavatio n fo r a basem ent b uilt on land n ear Standing R ock in Ransom Coun ty. T he
bones seem ed to h a v e been e ve n ly broken and reassem bled. T h e opinion w as ven tu red th at
the body had been eaten as part of a cerem onial rite. Roe ca re fu lly reburied the skeletons.
bonds for land at $1.10 on the dollar. Some bond holders, anxious to recoup
losses, took advantage of this to start similar farms.
Bonanza farms alone would not provide traffic enough for the railroad
to operate successfully and the alternate sections of free land were in
competition to sale of railroad lands. Mr. Power was wise enough to see that
settlers meant revenue, regardless, and was a prime mover in the gigantic
advertising campaign carried on by the Northern Pacific Railroad to bring
settlers to the area.
In 1880, the Northern Pacific Railroad sent an exhibition train to the
East, laden with North Dakota products. By 1883 there were 124 general land
agents in Norway, Sweden, Germany, etc., and 831 local land agents in the
British Isles.
A t the same time, Jim Hill was using every effort to induce settlers to
follow his Great Northern line. Steamship companies promoted the profitable
traffic from Europe. The stage was set for the Great Dakota Boom.
From 1879-1886, people poured into the area. By the time statehood
8
came, in 1889, all of the free land in Cass County had been claimed and only
7500 acres remained in Barnes County and 16,000 in Ransom County.
They were a venturesome crew on the
early prairies . . . teachers,
merchants, mechanics, sailors, etc.
Many of the
first were the restless or
adventurous from the settled East, or Scots, Irish, and English, who had
emigrated earlier to Canada.
Some were men who had first seen the country with Sibley or Civil
War Veterans coming to claim their government land. T hey even included a
fur-trader, Peter Goodman, who had been associated with Probstfield at the
Hudson’s Bay Post at Georgetown. Reputedly the first settler in Cass County,
when the Fargo area was settled, he and his brothers took land in the Sheldon
area and played a role in that town’s history. Another associate of Probstfield,
Adam Stein, was an early settler in Pontiac Township.
M any were ill-equipped by experience or inclination for farming. Joe
Bayliss, the first settler in Clifton Township, used to recall that he and his
neighbor, each with a horse, wanted to use them
as a team to go to Tower
C ity for supplies. They had no double harness and no idea of how to hitch
the two together so they hitched them to the wagon and, seated side by side,
each drove his own half of the team.
W illiam F raed rich standing in fron t o f th e sod house w h ich
in N orth D akota. E ld erly gentlem an is his uncle.
w as his first home
Not all of these first settlers remained. M any found life too difficult,
bad weather in the eighties discouraged many, and they returned home or
drifted west looking for greener pastures, but they made their mark on the
state, for they brought with them the pattern of government they had known
in the East.
They organized local and county governments and for a time
9
monopolized them, for the Scandinavians,
overcome the language barrier.
Austrians,
and
Germans
had
to
This they did rapidly, for most had a good basic education in their
native countries. Far from home, they had no choice but to stay and struggle
through and today their descendants make up the largest ethnic groups in the
community.
Norwegian settlement in the United States came in three great waves.
The first settled in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Southern Minnesota.
The
second in the region of Minnesota and the Red River Valley, the third stopped
briefly at earlier settlements and then, with the sons and daughters of these
earlier immigrants, moved into North Dakota. “Preston” township and “Fillmore”
church are names brought from earlier settlements along the Minnesota-Iowa
border.
Most of the German settlers in this community came directly from
Germany, in the wake of depressed conditions following the Franco-Prussian
War. A n early German settlement in the Casselton-Chaffee area was a magnet
that drew many relatives and friends to Cass County. From there they gradually
filled the townships to the West.
Like the early timber settlers, they first claimed lands along the rivers,
for fuel, shelter, and water; then ventured to the open prairie. Some bought
railroad land or “relinquishments” of earlier settlers, but most were looking
for tree claims or homesteads and the pattern of early settlement was a
checkerboard with the settlers’ shanties on the even-numbered sections and
the odd numbered railroad sections unbroken.
There were no bonanza farms in the immediate area with the exception
of the Watson farms in Watson and Highland Townships and M ajor Buttz’
operations at Buttzville, but the proximity of these and the Dalrymple,
Amenia-Sharon and other Cass County farms provided work as a source of
cash for many of the early settlers to make their own start.
The area around Enderlin was all settled at approximately the same
time; starting in about 1878 in Walburg, 1879 in Highland and in the northwestern
edge of Pontiac, about 1880 in Liberty, Moore and Clifton.
The greatest problem of the pioneers was transportation. Supplies had
to be hauled many miles from the railroad.
Grain to be
sold,
lumber with
which to build, meant several day trips to Fargo, Casselton or Tower City, often
with slow moving oxen.
To solve this problem, small country stores, flour
mills and post offices were set up and freight lines established that have
vanished today, but which recall the problems of pioneer life.
A tiny cemetery near Harold Reynold’s farm recalls the early day
settlement known as “Jenksville. ” Set up by a railroad promoter named Wilcox,
who apparently guessed wrong about where Sheldon would be established,
he had a store, post office, and a stage route running twice a week to Tower
C ity for mail and supplies.
Northeast of the Glennis Hamre farm, an old log cabin still stands
that was the Maple post office and store operated by Anton Mostel. Several
locations near the Watson-Walburg boundary mark the sites of the much
traveled Watson post office. The Dennis M ueller farm ju st west of Alice was
the location of the Peterson post office, then operated by the Wadesons, which
received mail carried from Lucca by John Conlon.
One of the interesting stories of the early settlements is that of the
vanished town of Binghamton.
It owed its original name, Kibby, and its
existence to George Ellsbury, father of Tower City, who envisioned a railroad
running from Tower C ity to the south. The story of the Milbank, K ibby and
Tower C ity Railroad is a long and sad one. The nearest it came to reality was
10
the grading of several miles of roadbed by the farmers
route through Barnes, Cass and Ransom Counties.
along its proposed
However, in anticipation of its coming, the townsite of Kibby was
established by Eli Northrup, an associate, and Mrs. Dinah Kibby, Ellsbury’s
sister.
He set her up with a small way station for the freighters hauling
freight from Tower C ity to Lisbon and secured her an appointment as postmaster
of Kibby.
In 1884 the Milbank, K ibby and Tower C ity was absorbed by the Dakota
and Great Southern and Mrs. Kibby apparently not being willing to share
the townsite, the company platted a townsite across the road and named it
Binghamton. The traces of its existence are still in evidence across the road
and slightly to the north of the Wadeson farm about seven miles north of
Highway 46 on the Cass-Barnes County line.
A thriving settlement sprang up. The Rev. James Vance and his family
had taken claims in the area and he operated a store.
A lumber yard, a
blacksmith shop owned by Fremont Ellsbury, Mrs. Beale’s Warehouse, where
teams hauling from Tower C ity now stopped, the Jennings general store, and
several homes were built.
The town boasted wooden sidewalks, a creamery
owned by Mr. Northrup, and an imposing school, also promoted by the persuasive
gentleman. It was reported that he even sold cemetery lots to Eastern investors.
A large hotel was erected, but before it was finished the Soo Line
came through in 1891. The Minnesota Land and Trust Company which operated
as a townsite company for the Soo Line, plotted the town of Lucca about a
mile south of its present location. Despairing of the Dakota and Great Southern’s
future, the townspeople moved their buildings to Lucca.
Once again the community flourished. A report in the Sheldon Progress
in October, 1891, said that there were 117 inhabitants before the railroad
reached the new town. However, in 1900, the Marian branch of the Northern
Pacific Railroad located its crossing a mile north and once again the townspeople
picked up and moved en masse to the present location, making Lucca probably
the only town in the state with three names and four locations.
Some of the buildings of old Binghamton still exist in other locations.
The hotel kitchen was moved to Lucca where it became a restaurant, then to
a farm and finally to Enderlin, where it is now the home of Fred Johnson.
In Ransom County another townsite of the Milbank, K ibby and Tower
C ity Railroad was platted, known as Wisner. It was promoted by a New York
banker of that name, who built a small water-power
.red flour mill about five
d
e
miles east of Fort Ransom. A general store and post office known as Plymouth
existed there, but the mill was sold when the railroad did not materialize, and
and moved to Enderlin where it was operated by the Munt family, parents
of Mrs. Bodo Lindemann, until it burned down. Mr. Munt built a mill near
his home just below the hill on Cleveland street.
It is time now to look away from the railroads that did not arrive
and toward those that did. The coming of the Northern Pacific branch line
to Sheldon and Lisbon in 1882 did much to ease the difficulties of transportation,
and changed the focus of the area from North to the South.
tech n ica lly,
the line was built by a separate company, the Fargo and Southwestern. Nothing
had been said about feeder lines in the original charter. The Northern Pacific
Railroad and many other railroads took to the practice of organizing subsidiary
companies for this purpose.
The story of Sheldon is typical of frontier development. The line was
surveyed in 1880, passing about five miles north of the present location. When
construction began the plans were changed to take advantage of the Sheyenne
River traffic. Goodman and Greene moved out from Fargo in 1881 and started
11
a store about three or four miles east, where they anticipated the line would go.
D. B. Wilcox, one of the promoters of the line, secured the location of the
townsite and bought the section where the town is now located for $3200. He
had more hope than money, and since he could not pay for it, he let it go to
E. E. Sheldon for $3,8 4 0 . . . a profit of $680 for three weeks’ ownership.
Sheldon platted the town; deeded half to the railroad for locating there,
sold a few lots and in 1882, sold what was left for $8,000.
The first train reached Sheldon, November 4, 1882.
The Northern
Pacific Elevator Company had a place ready to take grain before the tracks
reached Sheldon and nearly 300,000 bushels of grain were sold that fall and
winter.
“G et in line before breakfast and get unloaded after supper,” was
the saying.
The great need of the country was capital and Eastern capital
immediately moved into Sheldon. The risks of a new country prompted high
interest rates and those willing to take the risks could profit handsomely.
A number of the early settlers of the Sheldon area came from Michigan
including Jim Banks, N. B. Hannum, Fred Underwood, who figured later in the
development of Enderlin, the
Greenes and Ed Pierce, who was aleading figure
in the growth of Sheldon. An early resident relates that “it was the Jim
Banks and N. B. Hannum
relatives from Michigan whohad the money.
Ed
Pierce invested it to their advantage.”
Within three years the town had elevators, stores, a school, two churches,
and the Sheldon Opera House. Mrs. C. G. Bangert, whose husband started his
career in Sheldon says, “It was odd that you could come to a town of 300,
no lights, and not much of a street: but with no feeling of settling on an
isolated place on the prairie.
Sheldon was the greatest little town in
the
west. .
. more sterling silver and oriental rugs, even a grand
piano inthe
Hoff home.”
T y p ic a l first prairie home. T h e above photo, taken abou t 1905, show s th e farm
hom e o f M r. and Mrs. G u st Foss and son Edwin. T h e farm stead w as located about fou r
and a h a lf m iles w est o f Enderlin.
12
They were able to draw on the trade of the rapidly filling community,
grateful for a closer market. The first settlers to come into Maple River Township,
later re-named Liberty because of a similar township in Cass County, were
Ever Gullickson, Peter Shelver and Erik Gunderson. Gullickson filed on Section
4, overlooking the present site of Enderlin. The following Spring his mother
filed on the remaining land in Section 4. Meis Olson, whose daughter Eleanor
also filed on land which became part of the Enderlin townsite, the John
Dagman family, the Christianson, Solem, Kranz and Austad families all took
claims in 1881, to be followed in 1882 by Faucetts, Martin Kaspari, the Wolds,
Hansons and Stevensons.
To the west, Moore Township was being opened up as well.
Torre
Syverson filed the first claim in 1880, followed the same year by Peder Solheim.
In 1881 Ed Storli, R. Wallin, the Moore family, C. Henderson, John Peterson,
P. Henderson, Brent Hoover, P. O. Vie, E. Rognaldson and the Galbreaths
arrived, to be followed shortly by Kabers, Kelleys, Christophersons, Groths,
Nords, Husemoens, Lunds, Thompsons, and many others.
To the north, in Raritan Township, in addition to the Binghamton
settlement, early pioneers included: Galbreaths, Charles Hackett, Peter Liddle,
the Stowells, Baarstads, Jensons, Skramstads, Gillunds, Millers, Strands, Conlons,
Obitzes, Manns, Robertsons, Nordlands, Walters and Dragers, among others.
The first settler in Highland Township was Shea Healy in 1878. In 1879
and the early 80’s, the people who made up the Jenksville settlement arrived:
Patrick Pierce, Robert Anderson, the Casgroves, Pattersons, Morrises, Cowans,
Mclntoshes, Bricks, Bauerschmidts, Boyles, Fraedrichs, Boehms, Westphals, Ihmes,
and the Oehlkes.
O ver in Pontiac Township, as nearly as can be determined from available
records, the first settlement was on the north and west of the township, James
Scott came about 1879 as did J. G. Dole and Eli Vertrees. In 1880-1881 the
M cKays, Lundahls, the Vance fam ily, Peter Smith, Aaron Phillip, Herb Root
and Mike Matsehenbocker arrived.
The years 1882-1887 saw the bulk of the
settlement with the coming of the Bleeses, Petrichs, Lindemanns, Krafts, Utkes,
Trapps, Millers, Andersons, Marschkes, Martins, Oeders, Pollocks, Fraedrichs,
Golzs, and Conlons. Much of the Northern Pacific land was owned by the
Smith family, New York state bankers and Northern Pacific stockholders.
C. A. M alette came out as their agent, homesteaded a quarter and acquired
considerable land in the township for himself.
The years following early settlement ware difficult ones There were
a series of severe winters, the most notable being the winter of 1887-88. The
winter came early and unusually heavy snow accumulated. Late in the spring,
on a fine warm day, a sudden blizzard filled the sky with powdery snow. The
thermometer fell from 74 above to 25 below zero, in 24 hours. Farmers died
in the fields and children on the w ay home from school. The toll of this one
storm in Dakota was 235 people.
The summers were hot and dry. Farm records kept by Henry Trapp
show a yield of 8 bushels of wheat per acre in 1889, 10 bushels of oats, 8 bushels
of barley. For 1890, the crop was even poorer; wheat ran 4 bushels; oats, 5;
barley, 5; and flax 114 bushels an acre.
Depressed prices added to their
difficulties. Rex Lindemann recalls that one winter their entire cash assets,
seven pennies, laid on the window sill all winter. They got along as best they
could on what they had in the way of home grown produce.
Committees were formed about the state to get seed for North Dakota
farmers. The columns of the Fargo Argus were filled with charges that the
Minneapolis bankers and grain dealers were trying to profiteer on the distress
13
of the farmers, with high prices for seed and excessive interest on seed loans.
Township boards used the credit of the township to secure seed. The records
of the Trinity church show that the pastor obtained a carload of seed for the
relief of the people of his parish, from contacts in the East.
Those who were able to borrow money paid a high price for credit.
Tw elve per cent was the common interest rate. Mrs. Carl Lindemann used to
tell that when you borrowed $100 from the Sheldon bank, twenty dollars was
taken out as a discount, or service charge, though you paid interest of 12%
on the entire sum.
Then you went across the street to Grange’s Furniture
Store and the banker picked out a chair or other item which you bought him
to show your gratitude for the loan.
Attem pts of the legislature to improve the rules of the game met with
much protest from financial interests. When a bill was introduced to extend
the time of redemption after foreclosure to two years, agents of eastern
mortgage companies predicted a “tornado” of foreclosures and threatened that
no one would loan money in North Dakota if the bill passed.
The long awaited and bitterly contested day of statehood in 1889
produced little excitement, Hiram Drache notes in his book, “Bonanza.” The
people of North Dakota were too preoccupied with drought, foreclosures and
depressed farm prices to care.
The years which saw the coming of the Soo Line Railroad and the birth
of Enderlin marked a turning point and once again eastern papers proclaimed
the riches to be made on North Dakota farms. “A North Dakota farm may be
compared to a gold mine,” wrote a New York Times correspondent who visited
the area.
Real estate companies holding large amounts of North Dakota land
began an advertising campaign in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and southern Minnesota
where land prices were higher. The Soo Line Railroad ran immigrant trains
with those who bought land having their fare refunded.
Special rates were
available for immigrant cars for shipping machinery and livestock. The result
was the final wave of immigration to the state, this time from the earlier settled
areas of the Midwest.
The Ransom County Immigration Association headed
by Edward Pierce boasted of bringing 200 farmers to the area in a single year.
Perhaps the most notable feature of pioneer days in North Dakota was
that they were so brief. A combination of circumstances; the invention of the
reaper, and other improved farm machinery coming at the time that large
amounts of free or relatively cheap land were available meant that North
Dakota farms would be larger and mechanized earlier than previously settled
areas. Settlers who broke sod with oxen were in a few short years threshing
w ith traction steam engines. By 1900, those who had survived the rigors of the
early years were well enough established to start building the ten and fifteen
room houses; which, while often necessary for their substantial families, were
also their equivalent of the sports car and color television as a status symbol.
Early in 1890, the Sheldon Progress was reporting
railroad.
In August, 1890, surveying crews arrived.
They
about the location of the road, but it was apparent that it
Sheldon and the editor wondered that they should by-pass so
rumors of a new
were tight-lipped
would be west of
important a town.
In March, 1891, the Progress reported that Edward Pierce was starting
a new town 13 miles north on the new railroad and was offering the company
big inducements to build a depot and sidetracks on the town site. . . the editor
predicted much success for the new venture.
June, 1891, saw construction started on the Anselm bridge and Sheldon
14
W illiam F raed rich ’s b irth d ay party. T h e Sheyenne R iv e r fu rn ish ed both fu n and food! L e ft to rig h t: unknow n, unknow n, A lb e rt Fraedrich, Julius
F raed rich, A u gu st F raed rich, John A lb e rt Fraedrich, unknow n, unknow n, W illiam F raed rich, un kn ow n and, holding the spear, the tra ve lin g photographer.
business places were doing a booming business with the throngs of strangers
coming to work on the railroad.
An interesting sidelight on the practice of the grain trade is found in the
files of the Sheldon Progress for that F all of 1891.
A n active partnership
between the railroads and the grain trade existed and most railroads had a
complimentary elevator company. One of the chief grievances of the farmers
was the grading and pricing of the “line” elevators.
The September 8th issue tells of efforts of the Northern Pacific Elevator
Com pany to freeze out the locally owned Southwestern Company by jum ping
the price of wheat considerably over the market.
The September 15th issue tells of the efforts of the Southwestern
Com pany to establish an elevator on the new railroad.
A fter failing to get
any answer from company officials they set up a scale and platform on the siding
near Anselm and started buying grain. A s soon as the elevator company following
the railroad completed its elevator, section crews were ordered to tear out
the scales, which were a few inches onto the railroad property. The Southwestern
moved the scales back onto their own land, but the crews then tore out the
portion of the siding leading to them. The editor reports that as soon as this
was done the price of wheat at the line elevators dropped three cents.
B y mid-September, cars of new lumber were arriving daily at the new
townsite. Farmers with teams found a source of revenue in helping grade the
road bed. The going wage was a dollar a day for a man and a dollar and
a quarter for a team. Crews predicted that passenger trains would be running
in two weeks and Sheldon merchants were making plans to open branches on
the new railroad.
Enderlin owes its location, in a spot where few of the pioneers ever
expected to see anything but ducks and geese, to two things; the sheltered location
in the Maple River valley and the abundance of water in even the driest years.
The rapid growth and size it attained it owes to the fact that it was,
from the first, designated as a division point, for few other towns established
when the road passed through already settled territory ever grew beyond an
elevator, post office, and a few stores and houses. The townsite was purchased
by Edward Pierce, acting as attorney for the Minnesota Land and Trust Company
from Eleanor Olson, Ranei Gullickson, and Johanna Pierce, and the official plot
of the town filed October 7, 1891.
It might be well to note here that while for brevity we have always
referred to the Soo Line, its official title was the Minneapolis, St. Paul and
Sault St. Marie. Only in 1961, after the merger and reorganization, did it bow
to the inevitable and became officially known as the Soo Line Railroad.
The source of the town name has been a matter of much debate. The
myth that it derived from “end of the line” has been exploded, for V alley City
was the end of the line in 1891. O fficial Soo Line word is that it was named by
Mr. F. D. Underwood, then General M anager, for a name he had seen in an
English book.
Considerable building started in the F all of 1891.
Patrick Pierce
erected the first house and moved his fam ily to the townsite, that house is now
occupied by the Lewis Anderson family.
Some years later, when Railway
Street was extended, records of the city show that money was appropriated to
pay him for moving his barn which was blocking the path of progress. Several
houses and a small depot were put up by the railroad. Nels Akre put up a
small shack to house the post office. The first elevator, managed by C. D. Hodges,
was in operation as was the Arnold and Sawyer Lum ber Yard.
The real rush of settlement started in the Spring of 1892.
By
16
mid summer the Sheldon editor, on an expedition to view the new town,
reported that fifty buildings had been completed.
Golberg & Benson M eat
Market, Goodman & Sanness General Store, Rustad’s Hardware, Ole V ie’s Soo
Line Clothing Store, a restaurant operated by Nels Peterson and his sister,
Mrs. Erick Johnson, Larson and Suter Farm Machinery were in operation.
The Hilton Hotel, two more elevators, a four stall round house and several
more homes were being built. Haney and Madden were building a barbershop,
Thompson’s Hardware and Gus Dahm’s M eat M arket were almost completed.
C. C. Chamberlain had taken over the management of the Arnold and Sawyer
Lum ber Yard, and W. J. Fowler had started the first livery stable on the
corner where the Red Owl now stands.
The first drug store was operated by B. Egeberg, a native of Denmark,
whose avocation was politics and whose party was Socialist.
He published
a small Danish language paper and was so outspoken in his views that he was
in frequent difficulties. Before too long he gave up and went back to Denmark,
but he is credited with bringing the town its first doctor, Dr. Richardson.
The new Enderlin State Bank had a building completed on the corner
of Third and Railway.
This building was moved when the brick structure
which now houses the Gamble Store was built.
It was later a post office,
a photography studio, and now houses the Pierce Implement Company.
The
bank was organized by Edward Pierce of Sheldon, its president. The cashier
was S. T. Wolfe and the board of directors were John Smith, A. O. Runice,
James Banks and Patrick Pierce. Capital was $5,000.00.
The John Hanson home was nearly completed, on the corner where the
Pure O il Station now stands. Back of it Mr. Hanson was building the town’s
first feed mill.
It’s heavy millstones were operated at first by a horse,
blinded and hitched to a pole, which he pulled around and around. This was
also the means of operating the first elevator.
That summer saw Enderlin’s first Fourth of July celebration.
The
Lundahl family, two miles west of town on the farm now owned by Arthur
Ritter, had taken a tree claim and in the decade since planting, the trees had
grown to where they seemed, to eyes accustomed to the bare prairie, like a
veritable forest. T hey invited the entire community to a picnic in their grove.
Led by the band under “Professor”
honorary, since Mr. Mathieson operated a
and buggies, each decorated with bunting,
the farm where from a large pole the
bountiful picnic lunch, speeches, music and
Mathieson (the title was apparently
lunch counter) a train of wagons
made its way across the prairie to
Stars and Stripes was flying.
A
games was the program of the day.
When the Sheldon Progress reported this affair, they also took occasion
to boast of the superiority of the celebration Sheldon had enjoyed, as compared
to that of Lisbon.
It is difficult to chart accurately the growth of the town in those
early years. Businesses failed or changed hands frequently, for they were often
started with more hope than capital.
Buildings were moved from place to
place very casually and the frame buildings heated by stoves were frequent
fire casualties.
Among the businesses established in the first few years of
Enderlin’s history were the first harness shop, owned by Walt Loomis, Burtness
General Store, H off and Shirley Drug Store, Blish Fruit and Candy Store, Emil
Forguet’s Pool Hall, Ratchje’s Hardware, Austad General Store, Callahan’s
Hotel, and Crockett’s boarding house. The Engle brothers, sons of a pioneer
doctor in the Binghamton area, had all taken claims west of Enderlin. Soon
after the town was established they sold their farms and opened businesses
in Enderlin. C. M. Engle’s Hardware, W. G. Engle’s Furniture and Mortuary,
17
O n e of the first offices o f the T h e Enderlin Independent in E nderlin. Editor Charles P otter is pictu red in the foreground. T h e w om an, left, and
th e L inotyp e operator, in th e backgro un d , are unknow n. P otter w a s associated w ith T h e Independent in various capacities from 1897 u n til 1922.
and C. E. Engle Drug Store.
had an early hat shop.
Their sisters taught school and Miss A rabella
J. C. Harper, long time Enderlin merchant, established his store here
in 1897 and James Walsh opened his first meat market in that year as well.
Dr. O laf Sherping built the first hospital, which was combined with
his residence on the site of the present Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot.
Other early doctors were Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Kron. Dentists were apparently
not deemed as necessary by our forebearers, for the first dentist, Dr. E. F.
Peterson, did not arrive until 1903. Dr. G. H. Nelson arrived in 1906 and served
the town until his death in 1947.
The rush of building required carpenters and while many people turned
their hand to the work, the
early professional builders included a man named
Crandall, Julius Klingbeil, and a gentleman known as “Lord ’arry” Mattson,
for his highly imaginative description of his early life and antecedents. The
last of his construction in Enderlin was the Labbitt building.
Volume 1 of the Enderlin Journal appeared December 30, 1892.
Published by Charles Allen, a brother-in-law of W alter Loomis, he published
the paper until 1896, when he moved to Hope, North Dakota. C.
H.
Potter,had
in the meantime, established
the Ransom County Independent. For a few
years in the early 1900’s, Mr. Potter operated a laundry and the paper was
published by T. H. Longley.
A third paper, the Enderlin Headlight, was established about 1907 by
K night and Kvello. Mr. K vello acted as editor until 1910, when the Headlight
and the Ransom County Independent merged to become The Enderlin
Independent, Mr. K vello continuing as editor for a time and later being replaced
by Mr. Potter.
Less publicized establishments of the early days were the “blind pigs.”
Strong efforts of Temperance groups had resulted in North Dakota coming
into the Union as a dry state and many were the stratagems used to supply
the thirsty. A n early Enderlin watering spot was presided over by one Albert
Hendrickson, who had made some money in the gold fields.
He put up a
building on the location of the Kraem er Implement lot, but apparently sin was
not too profitable, for he moved on; the building was taken for debts he owed
and moved to the site of the Citizens State Bank, where it became a barber
shop.
Enderlin was in its early days something of a wide-open town. A s a
division point, large crews of men headquartered here.
There were many
“boomers,” itinerant railroad men who worked when they needed money and
then moved on to another town or another line. Many of the first crews did
not bring their fam ilies or were young, unmarried and looking for excitement.
One of the more notorious entertainment centers was the Stabler
Brothers Bowling A lley and Pool Hall, located where the C ity Bakery now
stands. The basement housed the bowling alley, the first floor the pool hall
and lunch room. . . in the rear, a game was usually available with various
professionals now and again in residence to take the measure of the unwary.
On the second floor, according to report, accomodating ladies were sometimes
available when they were able to evade the sharp eyes of the law.
Its railroad heritage has always made Enderlin a little different from
most small towns. The frequent moves required of railroad fam ilies has meant
a greater turnover of population, with less of a tendency to become ingrown
and tradition bound. The population of the town has always been more varied
and cosmopolitan than that of most small towns.
Perhaps the most colorful figures of the early years were the Greek
19
workers employed in the yards and on the road crews.
Mostly young men,
they differed from other immigrants in that few brought their families with
them and apparently they planned to make a stake and go back home. Unable
to speak English, they relied on the foreman to handle their business affairs,
which sometimes led to bloodshed, if they suspected him of misappropriation.
Many of them lived in shacks near the roundhouse and in the spring,
at the time of the Greek Orthodox Easter, a couple of cars were shunted into
the siding, the traditional Greek foods and wines were prepared and a several day
feast and celebration took place.
By 1897 Enderlin was too big a town to remain under the tutelage
of the Liberty township board and a village government was set up.
The
A v ie w of R ailw ay S treet in 1902 show ing the B urgess Hotel on the present site
of the Lindem ann building. T h e structure pictured here housed a barber shop and G ru y e ’s
C afe in addition to the hotel. From le ft to right, the persons standing along the w alk are
B ill Burgess, Sam G olberg, B ill Reed, A l K ab er, tw o unknow n boys, and C arl Darelius.
first board of trustees consisted of P. L. Hodges, Henry Rustad and Dr. Olaf
Sherping. C. H. Potter was clerk; P. P. Burtness, the treasurer; P. H. Callahan,
assessor; W. J. Loomis, marshall; and Frank Blish, justice of the peace.
The village government had all manner of affairs to consider during
that first year. . . fire hazards, the care of the sick and indigent, licensing
of pool halls and bowling alleys ($2.50 per table each month and $5.00 per alley
each month).
License for “non-intoxicating” malt beverages (beer?) was set
at $60 a year.
The city funds were spent with great caution.
A plat of the city,
which the clerk had been told to obtain, arrived in a tin case for which a
separate bill of 25 cents was submitted. When bills were presented, that for
the case was laid over until the next meeting. A t the next meeting it was
tabled indefinitely.
About six months later it was finally allowed, the clerk
apparently having paid it out of his own pocket to avoid further correspondence.
He was reimbursed with a warrant for 25 cents drawn on the contingency fund.
June 27, 1898, 64 electors petitioned for the organization of a separate
school board. A t the election July 12, Fred Underwood, C. C. Chamberlain,
20
W. G. Engle, Mrs. O. Sherping and Mrs. J. D. Thomas were
elected
to the
first board.
Apparently it was felt that a village organization was not fitting for
such a thriving community; Fred Underwood, a man of many ideas, and with
a passion for doing things the way they should be done, is credited with
circulating petitions for a city government. A ugust 30, 1898, the village
trustees met and turned over their authority to the new city council.
Dr. Olaf Sherping was the first mayor. Councilmen were W. J. Fowler,
C. C. Chamberlain, W. J. Engle, P. P. Burtness, P. L. Hodge and Isaac Luker.
C. H. Potter was appointed clerk and P. H. Callahan, chief of police.
One of their first matters of business was the building of the new
jail at a cost of $289.00 for the building and $50 for the lot. It was located on
the rear of the present Kraemer Motors storage lot, facing Third Ave.
A prime concern of the first city council was fire protection and at a
meeting on July 3, 1899, a motion was made that all available tanks be placed
on principal streets and filled with water for fire protection during the July
4th celebration. Later that year bonds for $4,000 were issued to buy a hand
engine, a chemical engine, 800 feet of hose, hooks and ladders at a cost of
$1,380. The balance would be used for wells and hydrants, and an artesian
well to be dug near where the city hall now stands with three water tanks
provided.
The equipment was horse drawn and was at first stored in a
livery stable and later in an old empty frame bank building on Third Avenue.
Apparently an organization was started in 1903, for a fire chief,
assistant, a secretary and treasurer of the Fire Department which were made
appointive offices.
In 1904 a committee was named to reorganize the fire
department. The present fire department was organized in 1905, with C. A.
K vello as chief. C. M. Engle assistant, T. J. Meisenberg secretary. Tom Pierce
was treasurer and Herman Shirley fifth member of the board. A fire hall was
built in 1906 at the site of the present city hall and in 1907 a hook and ladder
truck was purchased.
In addition to its duties as protector of property, the Fire Department
was in those days a M en’s Club and social center. Membership was a cherished
activity.
Equipment was primitive and the most that could be done was to
save adjoining structures a good
deal of the time. The most frequently used
piece of equipment was an axe
with which to chop holes into the walls or
roofs to get water to the location of the fire. There was a tendency on the
part of some zealous souls to get carried away in the excitement of the moment.
A t one time when a building burned next to the telephone office, Dr. Strong
is reported to have decided to “save” the telephone switchboard and chopped
through all the cables, throwing the city out of telephone service for some
weeks.
The cart carrying hoses was drawn by hand and at one time races
between fire companies were much in vogue. Periodically “new blood” was
brought into the department. . . young men who were supposed to have the
speed and endurance to make
time with the fire
hose cart.
Enthusiasm
dwindled for this type of competition when the Department appropriated
$100 to send a hose team to the State Convention at Carrington. The group
started celebrating prem aturely and never got farther than V alley City.
Other matters considered by the first city
council included raising
the salary of the Chief of Police to $10 a month and instructing him to see
that all slot machine playing for money was stopped at once, approval of $56
to finish paying for instruments for the Enderlin Cornet Band, a motion to
purchase four gasoline vapor lamps and a report that for $700, 10 acres of
21
A B U N C H O F T H E B O Y S — W hen A n d y F au cett w as m arried, he le ft his tru n k to be
shipped. H is frien d s decorated it w ith rope, w ild su n flow ers and old shoes. L e f t to righ t,
unknow n, F rem o nt Hanson, H erm an S h irley, B ill S h aw , D raym an W iper, "D u tch " N e rw iek
and E ditor K v e llo .
A B U N C H O F T H E G IR L S — (One w as a m illin er! ) B a ck row , le ft to right, unknow n,
E dith B a y liss K aechler. F ron t row , M ary C ard W old and M am ie H elsing.
land could be obtained for a cemetery and 1 1/2 acres across the Maple River
for a city dump.
Enderlin was now officially a city. Still, each morning the crowing roosters
aroused each other from one end of town to the other. Cows were led to pasture
each day and returned at night for milking.
In the dusk, children played
Run, Sheep Run in the many open areas of the town. The creek below the
hill still ran freely and ponds of water dotted the open spaces between houses
on the outskirts (Sixth Avenue! ) making a happy home for the numberless
frogs whose music filled the evening air.
The rhythmic “whoosh” of the roundhouse exhaust was an ever present
sound to the town, and the wail of the numerous trains "whistling in.”
Hal
22
Boyle says, “The raucous hoot of the diesel horn holds none of the magic of
the old steam engine’s cry, wailing across the prairies, echoing in the hills,
sending little shivers up the spine of all who heard it. ” To numerous Enderlin
families, the various whistles meant even more. They told when Daddy would
be home and when the housewife should start getting supper on the table.
They knew what train it was and if it was late or not— Enderlin ran on
railroad time.
Enderlin still kept growing. New names were added to the businesses of
the town: Luker’s Store, G ruye’s Cafe and Candy Store, Sather’s Harness
Shop, The Idle Hour Theater, Hoffman’s M eat Market. A second bank known
as the First National Bank was organized in 1902. In 1907 it was to be absorbed
by the Enderlin State Bank.
The Soo Line Railroad was adding facilities
with a stockyard and additions to the roundhouse. A new brick school house
was built in 1905. The time for urban improvement was at hand, and a few
dates and figures may be interesting.
1 9 0 2 . . . a franchise was granted the Noxem Brothers to establish the
first telephone exchange.
1 9 0 5 . . . bids were accepted for a waterworks system to replace the
surface and artesian wells about the town.
1 9 0 6 . . . a franchise was granted to M. A. Abbott to construct and
M r. and Mrs. F red O ehlke are p ictu red above in one o f the first cars in E nderlin— a
1912 Ford. T he sporty lookin g con vertible boasted m an y attractiv e “ u p -to-d ate” features.
maintain a light plant in the city.
The first plant was near the stockyards
and utilized the boiler of the flour mill which had burned down shortly before.
1 9 0 7 . . . property owners were required to replace wooden sidewalks
with cement construction.
1 9 0 7 . . . a new bank was organized by Harold Thorson of St. Paul
and known as the Citizens State Bank. Harold Thorson was president; John
23
Thorson, cashier; W. W. Shaw, W allace Galbreath, John Gruye, Emil Bruhn,
Eberhart Faucett, and Frank Foster, members of the board.
1 9 0 9 . . . Edward Pierce donated five blocks of land for Enderlin’s
first park.
1 9 1 1 . . . the Soo Line constructed the “Beanery.”
With Gene Reed
as manager, it became known up and down the line for excellence of its food
and was for many years the town’s favorite eating spot.
1 9 1 1 . . . The Clio Club, organized in 1909, decided to forego a spring
banquet and use the money to buy books— this was the beginning of the City
Library, which they ran for 50 years until it became a Municipal Library in 1963.
1 9 1 2 . . . construction was begun on a city sewer system.
1 9 1 2 . . . Enderlin was chosen as the first small town in North Dakota
to have city mail delivery, a pilot project.
The automobile began to make its appearance and a few brave souls
were trying them out, on what the Sheldon Progress boasted were “the best
dirt roads in the country.” The W right Brothers Squadron put on an airplane
show at Wahpeton and many citizens attended it.
The 20th Century Dance Club entertained at a pink and white dance
with all the women gowned in pink and white, and with the men wearing
“Helen” pink ties.
M ay 4, 1911. the first bridge party was held in Enderlin at the Eli
Powers home. The day of the pioneer was over.
The late ’90’s and the first decades of the Twentieth Century were
a time of frustration among the farmers, who felt that they were being exploited
by the moneyed interests. This discontent was to culminate in North Dakota
in the Non-Partisan League, the only successful farm er’s political movement,
and in a fascinating, if stormy, era of state politics. The League’s forerunner
was the Farm er’s Alliance, which had a wide membership in the Enderlin
area. The first indication of their political power was in the election of 1906,
when thousands deserted the traditional Republican ticket to elect John Burke,
North Dakota’s first Democratic governor.
Many believed that the farmers’ salvation was in owning their own
business institutions and here as elsewhere there were several such ventures.
While they had not yet accepted the cooperative concept, these businesses
were owned by farm er stockholders.
The Farm er’s Elevator was organized
in 1905; by 1907 they were out of debt and paying stockholders a dividend
of 100 per cent. The Farm er’s Elevator was to be the only such local venture
to survive the years.
Reorganized in 1949 as a cooperative, it still does
business at the same stand.
The Moore and Liberty Telephone Company was reputedly organized
because Eberhart Faucett became annoyed at the poor service on his line and,
jum ping into his buggy, started organizing among his neighbors. In 1906, they
bought out the local telephone company and operated as a farmer-owned
company for many years, until controlling interest was purchased by Gordon
Brown in the late ’30’s.
The Farmers Store operated from 1917 until 1925, when it was purchased
toy Chris and M. J. Pederson, and through all the years they operated it, it
was still the “Farmers Store” to many people. Even The Enderlin Independent
was affected by this movement, being purchased by the Non-Partisan League
in 1919, to complete a line of farm er papers in every county of the state.
Edited by a gentleman named M cGillvery, the waning fortunes of the League
24
at that time forced its sale to the late J. M. “Inky” Hanson, longtime Enderlin
newspaper man, after about two years of operation.
A t the same time, and perhaps because they hoped to assuage the
farmers discontent, there were other voices raised in advice and assistance
. . . some good and some bad, some self-seeking, and some disinterested. The
North Dakota Bankers Association formed a “$100 an Acre Club, ” to tout the
benefits of diversion.
Railroads hired agricultural agents to promote farm
improvements and Saun Sanders, a local teacher, was to became the Soo Line’s
first agricultural agent. “The cow, the sow, and the hen will bring us back
again,” said a slogan used by those who sought to convince farmers that their
problems could be solved by ceasing their dependence on wheat as a chief
crop.
The first corn contest was held in Ransom County in 1906 at the
instigation of County Superintendent Hutchinson, and two local boys, Phillip
and AIf Larson, captured first and second places.
Mechanization
of farms
was
proceeding
rapidly,
even
at
this
early
date. M any of the improved machines were the result of tinkering by inventive
farmers and small town blacksmiths, some of whom sold their rights for a
pittance to machinery companies.
The first bundle carrier for a binder was invented and used on a farm
near Enderlin by H. S. Chapm an, step-father of Fred Underwood, in 1883.
The McCormack Harvester dealer in Sheldon reported the device to the
company and several of their machinists inspected it.
The next year the
company brought out a carrier embodying the same principles. Whether Mr.
Chapman was paid for this we do not know, but Ed Storli, an early Moore
resident is said to have sold his rights to the roller twine tension device used
on ail twine binders for a quart of whiskey.
The crude forerunners of modern machines were often devised years
ahead of acceptance. In 1909, the Marschke Brothers built a mounted plow, called
the Marschke Auto Plow.
This later became the Hackney Auto Plow, and
while the idea was sound, its application was not entirely successful; since
the plow was mounted underneath the machine and it tended to bury the
entire device when it hit a wet spot.
Not too many were sold.
Conceived before its time, also,
was a combine for harvesting standing
grain, built and tested locally by C. M. Engle. Powered by a gasoline engine
on the machine and pulled by a Bull tractor, it was
too small for practical
use and the combine as we know it had to
await the day for more powerful
engines.
Some machines successfully marketed included the Hoiland Wild Oat
Separator, invented by a Nome area man. He also devised a radiator cap used
by Hudson and Cadillac.
Henry W ilberg of Nome devised a trailing packer
and a packer drill still manufactured.
A most successful local operation was the Lowe M anufacturing
Company which produced small tools, the chief of which was a superior nipper,
widely used in shoeing horses, but which had innumerable other uses.
For
some years they did a nation-wide business and many farmers still cherish
a locally made nipper as an indispensable tool.
Local merchants were not standing still during this time of rural
ferment and a Commercial Club was an early organization.
It is enough to
bring tears to the eyes of any Chamber of Commerce member to find that one
of the first problems of their predecessors was to get a uniform closing hour
for all retail establishments, with Mr. Harper, a man who usually went his
own way, refusing to close before 10 p. m. every night.
Then, as now, the
25
theme was “Trade in Enderlin,” and the mail order catalogue was viewed as
the chief threat to local prosperity.
The automotive age was bringing changes in the business scene. The
livery barn was on the way out and the garage and fillin g station were
appearing.
The first automobile, a Knox air cooled, was owned by Dr.
Garrish and the first auto sold locally was an E.M.F., sold by Rex Lindemann,
dean of Enderlin business men, in 1909.
The bewildering variety of cars
made in the early years is illustrated by the makes of cars he has sold:
Overland, Pullman, Stephans, Roosevelt, Cutting, Mitchell, Oldsmobile, Buick,
Studebaker, Willys Knight, Pymouth and Dodge.
H. F. Larson sold the first Ford in Enderlin. Fjoslien and Burtness
had the first gas pumps, while Youngkin’s Standard Oil was the first to deliver
fuel in bulk.
T h e end of the horse and b u ggy era found E n derlin ’s streets lin ed w ith H upm obiles,
O verlan d s and m an y other e a rly m odel autom obiles. T h e a b o v e photo show s a lone hitching
post (about h alf w a y dow n the street) standin g guard o v er this a rra y o f e arly cars parked
along F o u rth A venu e.
In these busy years prior to World War I, the people of the Mid-west
considered themselves far removed from the problems of Europe, particularly
those who had come to America to escape those same problems. They tried
to ignore the ominous developments abroad, but both British and German
propaganda mills were laboring m ightily to influence American opinion. Oddly
enough, the Germans found a surprising amount of support, for Americans had
still an emotional distrust of England.
When Germ any’s persistant refusal
to respect the neutrality of our shipping fin ally brought us into the war,
however, we went to war with a patriotic fervor never seen before or since.
Communities like Enderlin with large groups of foreign-born citizens,
particularly those of German or Austrian descent, were particularly vulnerable
to the type of irrational ardor which saw sauerkraut become “Liberty Cabbage, ”
26
and rumors persisted that Enderlin harbored disloyal citizens.
A report
published in the Fargo News Courier that a Loyalty meeting had been disrupted
by pro-German elements was indignantly denied by the local editor, who
published in the next issue the retraction by the Fargo editor along with the
results of his investigation.
1. The reason the band did not appear was that there had not been
a local band for some time and they could not find enough instruments. . .
besides this, the leader had car trouble in the country and could not get back
in time.
2. The mix-up in song books was not the work of pro-Germans, but
the result of sending a small boy to the school and his mistake in getting the
wrong ones.
3. The scheduled soloist was not disloyal; she had only
voice rooting for the home team in an afternoon ball game.
lost her
4. Secretary Grey of the Commercial Club denied that he had made
any remarks which could be construed to mean that he thought this was an
organized effort.
An Enderlin Loyal Legion was formed; “Four Minute M en” gave
patriotic speeches between theater acts. A huge L oyalty meeting in January
1918 was attended by 500 people who heard an assortment of local speakers,
including Paul Hanson, who declared, “We should not allow any community
that is not Americanized to exist.
We do not want to have in our midst
communities where the people’s diet is lutefisk or sauerkraut.
L e t’s
Americanize them!”
War bonds were purchased, sweaters knit, bandages rolled and no disloyal
saboteur blew up the round house, but there was a loss in the warm and easy
acceptance of each other which took some years to dispel.
The year 1918 found the entire country in the grip of the influenza
epidemic. With typical vigor, an emergency hospital was set up in the hotel,
through the cooperation of Mr. Lasley and Superintendent Baxter. Dr. Labbitt
donated his services to the Red Cross and with local nurses tended the sick.
Enderlin had 400 cases and 10 deaths, a rate far lower than in many areas.
A problem that caused considerable excitement during these war years
was the Independent Workers of the World, one of the first radical labor
groups, made up of some of the transient workers on whom the farmers
depended during shocking and threshing time. Their slogan was “A full day’s
pay for a full day’s work,” and to gain their demands they would sometimes
strike in the middle of the day when the farmers were desperately trying
to get the crop off the fields. Though they were never more than a minor problem
here, Henry Boileau recalls a memorable trip from Glenwood, Minnesota, to
Enderlin.
The freight train of 35 cars stopped at the water tank at Hankinson
and he crawled back on the tank. When he got back on the engine a man
was holding a gun on Joe Hinton, the engineer, while another man with a
gun checked the cars, A ny transient found without his I.W.W. card had to
buy one or be put off the train. Their mission completed, they jumped off
and sent the train on its way.
The Roaring Twenties were marked, on a smaller scale, by the same
absurdities that illuminated the national scene. . . the short skirt and shorter
“bob,” the Charleston, the bootlegger, bell bottomed pants, the miniature
golf craze and the resurgence of the Ku K lux Klan.
Enderlin had its own local Klan, the motivation apparently being a
fear that the Pope was about to take over the country.
Like most such
27
anonymous groups, they also felt competent to guard the community morals
as well, and one or two crosses were burned to warn local sinners to repent.
When none of their fears were realized, the organization dwindled and eventually
disbanded. It is reported that with great practicality the leftover robes were
used to make pillow cases.
The Twenties saw continued growth and improvement in the community.
The Kiwanis Club was organized in June, 1924, with Dr. G. H. Nelson as the
first president and that fall they inaugurated the first Corn Show, which
Enthusiastic crow ds lined E nderlin’s streets and h ap p ily participated in the first
ann ual C o m Sh ow , held in Enderlin in 1924. A rd ath S ch neid er and h e r trained ponies,
show n above, w ere a featured a ct of the show . M en in the center o f the pictu re are A rt
Ford and H en ry K raft.
continues to this day with wider sponsorship and a new name— Enderlin's
Harvest Holidays.
A t the urging of C. G. Bangert, the businessmen of Enderlin petitioned
for resurfacing of five blocks of downtown area. A new C ity Hall was built
and a new Masonic Temple added to the appearance of Railway Street.
The Otter Tail Power Company purchased the local light plant from
the Midwest Power Company, at the same time they purchased the plants at
Casselton, Oakes and Lisbon, and built a high line from Oakes to Jamestown,
tying Enderlin into their distribution system. In 1928 they built the new brick
building which houses the local offices.
In spite of the appearance of prosperity, clouds were gathering on
the North Dakota horizon, and even before the market crash of 1929, the state
was seeing signs of economic trouble.
The deflationary policies of the
government, following the war, had hit hard at farm income. Many farmers
had purchased land and machinery on credit during the flush war years and
falling prices made these loans insecure.
A s the central banks called for
more collateral, country banks began to find themselves in trouble.
28
The impact of these conditions was felt on the Soo Line Railroad in
reduced traffic and revenue. The last train men to be hired for several years
started work in 1927. In 1931 they were cut off the board and not reinstated
until 1937, while the first general hiring of new men did not begin again
until 1941.
These were the conditions that ushered in the
“Dirty Thirties,” when
dust storms turned day to night and a
day’s threshing was all the cropon a
section of land. The light soil areas of Ransom County were hard hit. Red
Cross and County funds were used to help the most indigent.
In 1932, a Red
Cross worker estimated that for $2.47 a fam ily of four could be fed for a month
if no luxuries like canned peaches were included in the diet.
The county
paid 75 per cent of the costs of relief and by December, 1932, its financial
situation was critical.
As has always been true, Enderlin rolled up its collective sleeves
and pitched in. Local efforts provided 50 Christmas baskets for
the needy.
Community benefits were held to raise funds for local relief.
A ll th at rem ained o f th e E nderlin school a fte r a fire gutted the in terior late Satu rd ay
night, M arch 4, 1933, w as the som ber shell pictured above. School w as conducted in variou s
buildings about tow n w h ile a n ew structure w as being erected.
March 4, 1933. was a memorable day in Enderlin. Franklin D. Roosevelt
was inaugurated, the banks closed and the school house burned down. Enderlin
was more fortunate than many towns for in a few days the banks were opened,
making this one of the rare towns that never had a bank failure. What factors
have produced this happy state of affairs it is difficult to say.
Probably a
combination of factors— adequate capital, the railroad pay roll and conservative
banking practices— are responsible for the fact t h a t , in the most difficult days,
neither the Peoples and Enderlin State Bank nor the Citizens State Bank had
a run on deposits.
School was held about town in every available place and the board
29
immediately started to rebuild. C. W.A. assistance was used and it furnished
employment for many men who sorely needed it, for by this
time men with
25 years of rights on the railroad were out of work.
A C. W.A. project to provide jobs for unemployed women, or whose
husbands were unable to work, was begun.
They repaired clothing for the
needy at a wage of 30 cents an hour for a 30-hour week. The supervisor,
Mrs.
Susan Vance, received $11 a week.
By May of 1934 the lack of feed was so acute that, despite feed loans,
the government had purchased every fifth cow in the county. Those of the
best breeding were given to farmers on relief to maintain foundation herds,
the usable ones were canned for use in relief programs and the balance made
into fertilizer. Seed loans helped to get a crop in, only to see it blow out
in another notably poor year.
In 1935, a flush of hope was felt, for the crops looked better. Hopes
were dashed when Ceres wheat, the predominant variety, proved vulnerable
to stem rust and what promised to be a bountiful crop was light and shriveled.
With 1936, Nature wound up for the final blow when the thermometer
P arad e M arshall of E n derlin ’s G olden Ju b ilee in
th e parade both days o f the tw o-d ay celebration. The
pass a g iv e n point, w as said to h a v e been one o f th e
th e state at th at tim e, other than one in one o f North
30
1941 w as F red Underwood. He led
parade, w h ich took 45 m inutes to
most pretentious ever presented in
D akota’s larger cities.
hit 117 degrees on July 4th. People slept on lawns and porches, robins and
meadow larks dropped from the heat and farmers suffered heavy losses of
young turkeys and chickens.
“Bake” Arndt, the local baker and cafe owner
tried out the old cliche about frying eggs on the sidewalk and found it only
too true.
The rest of the Thirties could offer no surprises.
We had survived
the worst and the following years were marked by improved crops and slow
but perceptible economic recovery.
In 1941 Enderlin celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary with a festive
two-day celebration. . . parades, a pageant, ball games, carnival.
O f the
approximately 200 people who worked on that celebration’s committees, 42 are
still in the community and 15 are working actively on committees for the
Diamond Jubilee.
The coming of World War II found the country in a very different
mood than in World War I. Someone has called the soldiers of World War I
“the dead panned and disillusioned defenders of Democracy,” who, without the
patriotic fervor that marked the last war, did the job that had to be done as
bravely as any generation before them.
The impact on Enderlin was immediate, for Conway Christianson and
Howard Carey were at Pearl Harbor, Allen Sly on Bataan and a number of
local boys were called up immediately with the National Guard Company
stationed at Lisbon— a part of the notable 164th Infantry, who relieved the
Marines on Guadalcanal and held the thin line in the Pacific while the country
assembled reinforcements.
Jobs were no longer a problem; the need was now for more workers.
Townspeople were recruited to assist in the harvest after their working day
ended in town.
Torolf Johansen’s Soo Line roundhouse crew of 32 men
shocked 2600 acres for 30 farmers during the 1943 harvest, for the all-time
record in the county.
L ife on the home front went on as usual, except for the nuisance of
stamps for shoes, stamps for sugar, meat, butter and other short-of-supply items.
People learned to roll their own cigarettes from Bull Durham or bought
cigarette-making machines to produce more professional products.
Before
the war was over, however, the draft calls had extended to where scarcely a
fam ily in the community was without personal involvement in the war.
It was during this time that Enderlin inaugurated another “first” by
electing Agnes Geelan as mayor— the first women to hold such an office in
North Dakota. Elected with her was the first women police magistrate, Ethel
Monroe, who was followed by other women, Minnie M aley and Helen Schmidt.
With the full backing of the all-male City Council, a series of
improvements were begun.
A street improvement program resurfaced most
of the city streets, and a street maintainor, a sweeper, and a tarvia spreader
purchased to maintain them. With another woman— Joyce Lang of The
Independent— furnishing good press coverage, a municipal softening and rust
removal plant was installed and paid for out of revenue and a new and
better franchise worked out with the Otter Tail Power Company, which resulted
in a standby plant for the town and improved street lighting.
Approval of
feminine efforts was evident when, after eight years, Mrs. Geelan was not a
candidate, and the men chose Doris Smith, another woman as candidate for
the job, while Ransom County sent Agnes Geelan to Bismarck as the first
woman member of the State Senate.
The story of Enderlin since the end of World War II is the story of
efforts to adjust to a new kind of world.
The impact of the Agricultural
revolution has been great on most small towns of the Middle West. Larger
31
and more efficient machinery demanded larger acreages to purchase and use
it efficiently.
The cost-price squeeze has slowly but surely eliminated the
small farm.
In Pontiac Township alone, 12 farms have disappeared since
1950. If this is average for the Enderlin trade area, it means that more than
50 farm families are no longer purchasing food, clothing, and the even more
costly items of farm production such as machinery, seed and fertilizer from
local businesses.
Enderlin has had to adjust as well to the revolution in transportation
Diesel engines, larger and longer trains, meant elimination of the large
roundhouse crew. A gradual reduction in passenger service culminated, despite
all local efforts, in the removal of the last
passenger train in 1964.
Aware that only those
towns that
are willing to fight for
it deser
survival, the Enderlin community has written an excellent record of effort
and cooperation in community development. It is difficult to mark an exact
date but the organization of the Chamber of Commerce in 1954 was begun with
this need in mind.
Cooperation of the Chamber, the Kiwanis Club, local
business men, citizens, and city government resulted in a number of major
improvements: a swimming pool, a golf course, a lagoon sewer system, further
improvement in street lighting, an eight-lane bowling alley built by a group
of local business men, and a successful drive to secure a new Post Office.
In 1960 the city and the Kiwanis Club sponsored Enderlin’s entry into
the Community Betterment Program. Dr. A. M. Olson headed the committee
for the first entry and Enderlin placed third in communities of its size, winning
a cash award. Succeeding chairmen have been Mrs. A. L. Tschida and Wayne
Wilson, current chairman.
This opened the door to many new developments.
The strength of
the program in Enderlin has been the total involvement of the community,
and it is impossible to attempt to name all of the people who have given time
and effort to Community Improvement.
A n important development that resulted from this program was the
formation of the Enderlin Industrial Development Corporation to promote
industry, business and agriculture. First officers were V. F. Hegeholz, president;
C. G. Bjerke, vice president; Wayne Wilson, secretary; and Darryl Geeslin,
treasurer.
First directors were George Miller, Carl Bjerke, M att Kraemer,
Francis Archbold, Virgil Hegeholz, Adolph Tschida and A llan Olson.
A s a result of their efforts, land was purchased for a possible new
residential development.
This was annexed by the city, sewer and water
installed, three new homes have been built and a corporation of local people
have put up the Hillcrest Manor Retirement Home.
The Development Corporation purchased sunflower seed for use by
local farmers for a new cash crop.
Through considerable effort a birdseed
plant was established at Anselm, to furnish a better market for sunflowers
and millet. A by-product of the sunflower project has been the development
of B ill’s Sunflower Seed Candies, now sold widely by the local bakery.
Booster Enterprises, started by two local women, Bunny Tschida and
Pearl Bjerke, developed a North Dakota Prairie Rose Badge.
A Welcome Club established as part of the Community Betterment
program by local women, now welcomes newcomers to the town.
The drive
to establish a Municipal Library was also a part of the community improvement
story.
A Junior Chamber of Commerce, established in 1963, now adds the
efforts of the young people of the community to these various activities. First
officers were Norman Anderson, president; Clarence Anderson, first vice
32
president; John Brackin, second vice president; John Thorson, secretary; and
Duane Geske, treasurer.
The past year has seen the addition of two new businesses— B Plastics,
which manufactures a number of plastic items, and the Enderlin Tim ber Company
which processes local timber for sale in a number of states.
Both brought
additional payrolls to the town.
The concerted effort put forth by the people of Enderlin and the
cooperation of civic groups, city government and Soo Line personnel has had
the desired result. The town has gained, rather than lost, population in the
last
decade.
The Enderlin story now pauses; it does not end. The next chapters
will be written by others.
In skimming briefly through the years we are
aware of how many stories are untold, how many names unrecalled. No book
within our means could recount all the tales, comic and tragic, or bring to
memory in their unique personalities, all the characters who have played a
role in this community’s growth. We trust that the reader will fill the gaps
with
his own
memories.
T w o early d ay v iew s o f E nderlin and th e M aple R iv er valley, north o f E nderlin.
T h e photo ab ove show s an u n kn ow n cou ple lounging alon g the M aple R iv e r w h ile youngsters
en jo y a sw im on th e fa r side. T h e pictu re below show s the M aple R iv e r v alle y im m ediately
north of H igh w ay 48.
33
From yellowed records, faded photographs and keen minded “old-timers”
comes the fascinating story of the “iron horse” and its impact upon, and
contribution to, Enderlin and the surrounding territory.
The Soo Line was born at a time when the growing city of Minneapolis
was locked in bitter rivalry with St. Paul. A ll of the rail outlets to the east
were controlled from Chicago or farther east, all to the west from St. Paul.
The newly modernized m illing industry was over-expanded and needed access
to the wheat fields of the rapidly settling west.
A group of Minneapolis millers, bankers and merchants met in
Minneapolis in 1883 and decided to build an independent outlet to eastern
Canada by way of Sault Ste. Marie, with a feeder line into Dakota. Construction
was begun in 1884, by nominally separate companies, as was common practice
at that time.
The Minneapolis and Pacific was the name chosen f or the
subsidiary which built the line into Dakota and in April of 1886 construction
westward was started, reaching Boynton in Dickey County that year,
while
the other companies completed construction to the Sault.
As
was the usual case, construction costs exceeded
estimates and
they were
forced to float a bond issue of fourteen million dollars.
When
this still proved inadequate, they appealed to the Canadian Pacific for help.
In 1888 the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic, the Minneapolis and
Pacific and the Aberdeen, Bismarck and Northwestern formed a
single
corporation known as the Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Sault Ste.Marie. A new
bond issue was floated for twenty-one million
to pay off the old loan and
complete the line to Portal, N. D., where it connected with the Canadian Pacific
Railway, with the CPR guaranteeing the interest.
The Canadian Pacific was delighted to help, for they needed a short
route from Puget Sound to Minneapolis to meet the fierce competition from
Jim Hill’s Great Northern and the Northern Pacific. In return for their help,
they got controlling interest in the new road, which they retain to this day,
and an iron-clad traffic agreement, routing all east-bound traffic through the
Sault. Enderlin became a division point on the new road and grew rapidly,
keeping pace with business on this lusty brawling
iron
highway.
Old timers who recall the
construction of the road tell of pitched
battles between crews of opposing
railroads where tracks crossed. Because
the first road to reach the crossing
had right-of-way and
the second was then
forced to maintain the crossing,
building crews were augmented
with all
available manpower, and pioneer railroad men recall the battle
of “Fort
Hankinson,” between the Soo and the Northern Pacific at that town, and the
even more violent conflict at Minot.
The line reached Enderlin in the fall of 1891 and the first roundhouse
facilities constructed consisted of a four-stall engine house, sand house, fueling
station for wood and coal and the “cinder pit,” where fires were cleaned
out as the engines came in. In 1897 four stalls were added, four more in 1903
and twelve in 1907.
Eventually, facilities included a locomotive
overhaul
shop and car repair shop where entire engines were torn down and overhauled
from boiler to whistle. B y World War I, more than 200 men were employed
in the Enderlin shops and 30 or more crews worked on the freights and three
regular passenger runs out of Enderlin.
Enderlin water was so hard that the road built a water tank at
Anselm into which water was pumped from the river and engines filled there
arriving and leaving Enderlin until a large treating plant was built in 1913.
The Soo Line would recommend to all enginemen coming to work out of Enderlin
that they take a “student trip” or ride with another engineer to learn how
to handle Enderlin water which foamed so badly in the engines that boiler
34
O ne of the last steam locom otives to be retired from Soo Line service w as Engine
No. 2425, a sw itch engine used in the E nderlin yards. Engine 2425 now leads a leisu rely
existence on d isplay in B a x te r p a rk in Enderlin. T h e locom otive w as giv en to the city fo r
d isplay purposes.
A m on g th e first Soo L in e locom otives to be used in this area w as Engine No. 2,
piloted b y Engineer D an W illard, pictured in the w indow . W illard later becam e president
of the B altim ore and O hio R ailroad. O thers on the pictu re are unidentified.
35
Th e above photo shows a group of E nderlin enginem en w h o w ork ed out of E nderlin in 1905. In the front is T . (Tassw ell) Sm ith; second row , left
to right, M ort H utchinson. E. W . K y le , B ill Cole; back row, A n d y Sundall, C ly d e H untzicker, John Bolstad and A n d y Craw ford.
CO
36
compound had to be added with the water to keep it under control. It was
said that you weren’t an engineer until you had worked out of Enderlin.
Tom Baribeau, who started his Soo Line career as callboy in 1902,
recalls the roundhouse crew of that time: Charley Robarge and a helper in
the boiler house, Foreman Jack Taylor, Pete Sundby and a helper as machinists:
Ed Welsh and Andy Anderson, boilermakers; Charley Robarge (in addition to
his other duties) B ill Lindemann and a man named Kane, boiler washers; and two
T h e w re ck of 1906, said to be the w orst to occu r in the Enderlin vicin ity, le ft eigh t
dead and in ju red 35. T h e passenger car pictu red at the le ft in the above photo w as n early
sliced in h alf in th e m ishap.
engine wipers.
A t the peak of a c tiv ity in later years, the facilities could
handle four or five engines at a time.
A fter the coming of the diesel, the
roundhouse crew dwindled, the water tank, coal shed and treating plant all
disappeared.
Those who watched the steam locomotive go— men, management and
the public— did so with regret.
Breathing fire, belching smoke, and hissing
steam, it was a picture that thrilled young and old. The diesel electric, though
more efficient, w ill never possess the appeal of the old steam locomotive.
A t first, locomotives were small and so were the cars they hauled,
but the creed of the men who operated the railroad was power— to move
tonnage faster, better and cheaper.
This creed created progress, from the
little diamond-stacked “Rhode Island” wood burners on the first trains to the
huge “4000’s,” on to the highly-efficient power unit of today, the Diesel-electric.
The first diesel locomotive which came through Enderlin consisted of two
units of 1500 horsepower each. Present Soo fast freights are powered by the
latest units, of 2500 horsepower each.
Up to the time that the 16-hour-of-service law went into effect in 1916,
for engine service and train service employees, they could be held on duty
for any length of time, between any terminals, and were frequently away
from home for weeks, especially during the winters. “Old timers” recall the
37
1910 wages for a month’s work on the way freight between Harvey or Glenwood
was $60 for conductors or engineers, and they would put in 16 hours going
between these points. Passenger crews going to Portal were required to make
10 trips per month, for which the pay was about $58 per month and they paid
their own expenses.
Regular engineers were assigned their own engines
and took great pride in keeping them looking their best. Cabooses were “home
away from home” for the train crews.
The era of the “Boomers” or drifting railroad workers of all crafts,
especially brakemen, switchmen, operators and dispatchers was from 1906 to
1915, with the heaviest turnover coming in 1906-07-08-09.
These men were
frequently “artists” in their trade; would work long enough to get enough
money together to move one, when they would leave for another railroad or
part of the country, or until they were fired and had to leave for a rule’s
violation.
In the early 1900’s, during the severe winters, it was not uncommon
for trains to become snowbound and be out of reach for two or three days.
M any times, they would have to help themselves by getting provisions from
farmhouses along the line until help could get to them.
Snowplow trains
carried 40 to 50 shovellers, usually sectionmen or local employees who could
be hired and would open the line after the shovellers had dug out the engine
and plow for another run at the drifts after they had tried to “ buck through” it.
This resulted in a song sung to the tune of "Wait ’til the Sun Shines N elly, ”
by traveling salesmen, or sample peddlers, during the especially severe winter
of 1905-1906.
“Wait ’til the Soo Line’s open, and the trains go rushing by,
“We will be happy, chappy, you and I. Up and down the line we’ll wander,
“Peddlers, you and I. Wait ’til the Soo Line’s open, bye and bye. ”
In the present, powerful, radio-equipped plows and engines keep the
lines clear of snow so there w ill be no interruption of service.
The original depot at Enderlin, located very near the present one, was
destroyed by fire in early 1905. Construction of the present depot was completed
in July of that same year. The need for a good eating house, close to the
depot, to handle the increasing volume of passengers, saw the “Beanery”
come into being in August 1911. The Lasley Company took over the running
of it for the Soo Line and Gene Reed, who was then working at the hotel,
became its first manager. The establishment was later to sold to Mr. Reed
who in turn ran a high class cafe for the railroad trade and townspeople
alike for many years until his retirement. A t that time, the beanery reverted
back to the Soo Line and Addison M iller Company handled it for them until
declining passenger business made it impractical to keep it in operation
and the building was put to other uses.
The Lasley Company issued books
of scrip, or coupons, in $5 size, which could be obtained by signing up for
them to be deducted from your next check. A favorite practice of “Boomers”
or those who needed cash was to sell their “Bean Books” to tide them over
until the next pay day.
Railroading was an exciting way of life, but also a dangerous one.
There were few safety rules or devices and the early papers record frequent
injuries to men working on the division. The most notable wreck which occurred
on the division took place just outside of Enderlin on a stormy, foggy night,
Decem ber 23, 1906. Engineer Ginther and Fireman Collier failed to see the
flagm an in the gloom and the passenger train plowed into the switch engine
just outside of the yards. Eight people were killed and 35 injured. The hotel
and bank were turned into emergency wards to care for the injured.
38
Among its other facilities, Enderlin had a large stock yard and in
the peak years used to unload 150 cars of cattle here on Saturday for feed
and rest. In 1936, when there was no water in the Sheyenne river except for
potholes, the Soo Line ran solid trains of stock and was often unable to get
feed and water for them. Government inspectors gave stock away to anyone
who would take them so they would not have to be shot because they were
too weak to ship further.
The railroad unions played a large role in the life of the community,
with eight organizations active at one period.
The first to be organized in
Enderlin was Division 671 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, organized
in February, 1905.
Other groups were the Order of Railway Conductors,
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen (later
merged with the engineers) the Machinists, Boilermakers, Carmen, Maintenance
of Way, and it may be possible that in the early days there were other craft
unions. With the removal of the shops, many of these are no longer active
locally.
In spite of the large number
of labor organizations, Enderlin has
had only one strike of any great duration. This occurred in 1922, when all
of the roundhouse crews went out for higher wages. Since the strikers could
not touch men on railroad property, the men hired to replace the strikers
were safe as long as they were in the shops or on the right of way. Some
stayed in the roundhouse and had their fam ilies bring food to them.
One
man had his wife escort him to the tracks and he walked to work down the
tracks.
A t night she met him again and escorted him home.
Rocks were
thrown through windows of homes and some families kept loaded guns at
hand at night. The strike lasted for four months and none of the leaders
were ever re-hired. An aftermath of bitterness took several years to dispell.
In addition to their role as
representatives of the workers , the
Brotherhoods played a social role in the early days.
Their annual balls
were complete in ever detail of decoration and formal wear was required.
For
the most important affairs Malchow’s orchestra was imported from Minneapolis.
The division superintendent was a man of great importance in the
early days of railroading, and the greatest visible evidence locally was Car 51.
Originally built for the president of the road, it was used by the superintendent
for his travels, for entertaining visiting officials and dignitaries, and for his
personal entertaining. Complete with fine linen, china and glassware, and a
private chef, the cuisine was exceptional. George Yoshi, a Japanese chef, who
worked for Superintendent Baxter, was often hired by local women when he
was in town, to cater parties for them.
A fter Mr. Baxter’s death, George
Jankowski acted as chef for the next five men who held the position: Corbett,
Mann, Sparks, Branley and Cross.
The coming of the motor rail car, with
greater mobility, spelled the end of the plush era and Car 51 was retired in
April, 1939.
During the years following World War I, a great number of passenger
trains, including extras, or tourist trains, ran through Enderlin. The passengers
got off to eat during the crew change and a good share of the local populace
made it a practice to meet the specials and get a glimpse of the great and
near-great who passed through, including the K in g of Siam, the Duke and
Duchess of Windsor and Bing Crosby.
Am ong the long time Soo Line employees still living in Enderlin are
Tom Baribeau, “Sm iley” Congdon, Fred Deike, “Frenchy” Baribeau, Otto Reick,
Earl Olmstead, Fred Maley, A l Fuller, Henry Boileau, Louis Larson and B illy
Metro.
39
The present official personnel includes Superintendent J. A. Welton,
Trainmaster Walt Knutson, Chief Dispatcher C. D. Brazel, Chief Clerk C. C.
Rust, A gent Wayne Wilson, Division Engineer G. A. Nilsen, Mechanical Foreman
F. F. Conklin, Locomotive and Car Foreman W. I. Pearthree.
In A pril of 1946, construction was completed on the brick office building
which now houses the Superintendent’s general office, the dispatcher’s office,
and telegraph office. Up to this time they had been quartered upstairs in the
depot building.
The space released was used to bring Division offices for
the engineering
department of the railroad to Enderlin, and add to
the
convenience and efficiency of handling the division.
With the perfection of the modern motor car and truck, many changes
have come to the Soo Line. Passenger service has been discontinued on the
Western Division, as well as in many other places throughout the nation, because
of lack of patronage and loss of revenue to the particular railroad, brought
about by the flexibility of the fam ily car. The last run of the Minneapolis to
Enderlin locals, Numbers 5 and 6, was made M ay 2, 1959. Trains 13 and 14,
through passenger trains at that time, took over the local work, until these
trains were also discontinued December 8 and 9, 1963.
Over the years, the Soo Line has proven a faithful transportation agency
in the country it opened for settlement and the towns that were established
along its lines of railroad.
When the territory was new, the railroad was
the major developer of the areas it served, running special emigrant trains
with low rates and doing everything possible to encourage people to settle
and build up the country. In addition, it added immeasurably to the general
T h is Soo L in e crew , pictured in 1905, show s one o f th e early steam locom otives used
in this area. Pictu red are B rakem an C lark , Conductor “ H am ” Sm ith, B rakem an “ Ollie ”
Croonquist, F irem an “ Ju m bo” G riffin and Engineer John Sanvold.
40
growth and prosperity of the entire Northwest. Second and third generation
Soo Liners will set the pace with the most modern equipment and methods,
including train-to-train, and train-to-station radio for faster and more efficient
operation, and better service to the shipping public.
It is impossible, due to lack of space in this book, to pay homage to
the hundreds of men and women of the Soo Line in Enderlin who have, over
the years, added to the betterment of the city and the railroad. They will be
enshrined in the hearts and minds of all of us and will be remembered, as
each generation makes its contribution, then steps aside for the next to take over.
G eorge Jan kow ski, one o f the last Soo L ine
chefs to retire, is p ictu red at right w ith C ar 51 in
the background.
T h e car w as used b y the local
superintendent for en tertain in g visitin g officials and
dignitaries. Jan kow ski, a long-tim e E n derlin resident,
w as ch ef for fiv e superintendents— Corbett, Mann,
B ra n le y , S parks and Cross.
N early unnoticed, railroad m en in th e perform an ce
of th eir routine w o rk ren d er support essen tially
necessary
to
im portant
v ita l
functions.
Thus,
cooperation in W orld W ar II betw een
Canada and
the
h avin g
United
S tates
w as
prom oted
by
the
Dionne quints christen fiv e freig h ters in D u lu th in
M ay
1943.
T he
cook
on this car, and
ch ief chef
fo r the special quint train and entourage travellin g
b y Soo L in e R ailw ay, w as G eorge Jan kow ski.
T h is round house crew held a record fo r shocking grain durin g W orld W ar II. In
th e front row , left to right, are D ick Portiss, Gene Dehn, W alt F ritz, Otto R eick, B illy Metro.
B a ck, H erschel Dillon, P ete N ygaard , Ed Jerdee, Red Neros, Ed Bearm an, John Johanneson,
R obert Janz, T o rolf Johansen.
41
A v ie w o f B a x te r P a rk w h en it w as used as a skatin g rin k about 1920.
T h is v ie w o f B a x te r P a rk , taken about 1930, show s h ow the id le area w as beautified.
Am ong the more pleasant features of m odem Enderlin are the tree-lined
streets and beautiful parks. This was not always true, for the Maple River
valley at Enderlin was not naturally forested.
The first trees w e r e native
trees, dug along the Sheyenne River, with which the early residents tried to
beautify their streets and yards.
Early newspapers mention a Park Board, but the first records of the
board have been lost or mislaid. In 1908 mention is made in city records of
the need for land for a park.
present Patrick
which
were
campaign to
Pierce
available
Park.
In 1909, Ed Pierce donated the land for the
About
1911, the
to anyone who would
city
plant
fathers
them,
in
purchased trees,
an Arbor
Day
beautify the city.
The real genesis of the Enderlin park system came
in 1925, when
George Flynn, a Soo Line dispatcher by vocation and a gardener and landscaper
by avocation, was elected to the Park Board. He planned the planting, gave
of his time and effort for many years, and furnished many of the flowers
and shrubs now growing there, out of his own funds. Through the cooperation
of Superintendent Baxter, the city obtained a lease on the property now
known as Baxter Park and this, too, became a beauty spot.
Over the years, many people have given generously of time and effort to
the park system, but one more individual should be mentioned for the contribution
he has made. He is Earl Sanness, who has served for 27 years on the Park
Board and donated uncounted hours of labor to maintaining the park system.
The city has also an undeveloped tract on the water tower hill, which
was donated to the city by Albert Kaber and is used largely for sports and
recreational purposes.
B a x te r P a rk , freq u en tly called Soo L in e P ark , is a liv in g m onum ent to the untold
nu m b er o f e a rly d ay residents w h o con verted a w aste block into a th in g of beauty. T h e park
p ro vid es a q u iet setting for ann ual M em orial D a y program s, and fo r sum m ertim e concerts.
43
P a tric k P ie rc e P a rk , located on the northeast edge of Enderlin, along H ighw ay 46,
o ffers am ple picnic space in a serene atm osphere. M any fam ily, church and social functions
are staged here d urin g th e sum m er m onths.
A special feature of P a tric k P ierce P a rk is th e m onum ent seen at the le ft in the
photograph above. The m onum ent contains a list of E nderlin servicem en w ho served durin g
W orld W ar I.
44
The success of its Junior Legion and Independent baseball teams has
made Enderlin widely known throughout the state as a baseball town, but
the national pastime was Enderlin’s favorite sport long before these teams
appeared on the scene. The main requisite for a ball team is that the town
must have at least one genuine baseball “nut” and over the years they have
appeared on the scene periodically.
Apparently the first on record was W alter Loomis, player-manager
for many early day teams. The first recorded baseball tournament in Enderlin
was played on the lots where Helena Westphal’s house and the Buckthorn
apartments now stand, June 18 and 19, 1837, with Enderlin defeating Valley
C ity 13 to 8.
A n early picture, probably about 1902, shows a local crowd
proudly displaying a banner proclaiming “We haven’t lost a game this year. ”
One early ball player destined to prove an inspiration to local youngsters
was Johnny “C y ” Pieh, son of a local butcher. A t one time, when Enderlin
had a celebration scheduled, C y pitched three games in one day. A fter leaving
Enderlin, he pitched with a minor league in Canada, and in the Illinois-Ohio
league for the Dayton “Vets, ” before being signed in 1912 by the New Y ork
Yankees. Playing for four and a half years with the Yankees, he holds a rather
nerve-shattering world record. In a game played at Detroit, he passed seventeen
men and still won the game 5 to 2.
Depending on their generation, at least some of these names will sound
fam iliar to baseball fans: Shaw, Strand, Gullickson, Harper, Olmstead, Keene,
Brazel, Tripp, Nygaard, Swap, Oeder, Wilkins— there are many more that can
be added by the old timers.
The real success story started with the Junior Legion program and
“Doc” Hendrickson, long-time local doctor, whose dedication, time and money
all helped to build the program in Enderlin.
Perry Sandell, former Junior
Legion and school coach recalls those days and the good doctor thus:
“I believe the first year of any kind of organized team was in 1928. Doc
picked up a few lopsided baseballs, some cracked bats and we actually played
a few games. Dungarees were the uniforms of the day.
“The following year, money was raised to buy some uniforms. I can
recall the day the uniforms arrived— was it from Sears Roebuck, or some other
such reputable sporting goods outfit? A ll the boys came up to the waiting room
adjoining Doc’s office and the suspense was horrifying. There were only twelve
suits. Who wouldn’t be getting one? Believe it or not, I think the uniforms
improved the skills of quite a number of those players.
“I can also recall quite vividly the washing instructions the boys got
for the uniforms. Even though most of the suits were on the large side, we
couldn’t have them shrink because they had to be worn next year too.
“Well, as you know, as support for the team grew, better equipment
came too. The kids got bigger, better and tougher. When someone broke a bat,
we could afford a whole roll of friction tape for the handle.
Doc became quite
proficient at driving small nails and putting screws in the handle without
cracking the wood, which was quite a trick.
“A s the teams grew better, it also became more expedient for young
married females to plan their fam ilies so that no birth would occur on a
Sunday afternoon from M ay 20th to Sept 1. I suspect if the “pill” had been
available, every budding female would have been prescribed in advance.
“One of the most difficult decisions Doc had to make a couple of times
each week during the summer was whether managing a ball team or practicing
medicine was more important. He had to see about getting change, ticket
sellers, putting up posters, dragging the ball diamond, putting in the baselines
and a hundred other things. He didn’t have to do those things but, by gosh, he
45
knew it wouldn’t be done unless it had his personal attention. Too bad there
was no television back then— “I’d rather do it myself.”
“I will never know where Doc got this almost maniacal interest in
baseball. He got a lot of satisfaction out of seeing kids perform well. Perhaps
it was because he was never much of an athlete himself; I suppose one can get
satisfaction vicariously. Also, I think it took his mind off of the worries over
his patients. When Doc was sitting in the dugout, nothing could get his mind
off of the game— Oh, yes, just one thing— a foul ball hit over the weeds.
“I do know that literally hundreds of kids from Enderlin and the
vicinity owe a great deal to the opportunities Doc made available to them. A t
the same time, I think that he would have been the first to admit that baseball
and the boys playing it made it possible for him to go on year after year in
what would otherwise have been a pretty drab life. ”
The first fruit of the program came in 1930 when Enderlin defeated
M cClusky 18-8 in a game called after five innings to win the state Junior Legion
title. They went on to take the regional title at Sioux Falls, defeating Neenah,
One of E n derlin ’s early baseball team s. From le ft to right th ey are, b ack row ,
Lauren z Lindem ann, unkn ow n , O scar Severson, Coach (? ), P au l S ew ry, H arry Lindem ann,
Glen E n gle and T . O. S w eetland, School Superintendent; front row, W ayn e Underwood,
H ow ard Pow ers, Carl A ustad, Sw ap (? ), Rudolph Lindem ann and H arry Roberts. M ascot
is thought to be Ju n ie B a xte r.
Wis. and Minneapolis.
Elroy Hendrickson, Enderlin’s “iron man” pitcher,
Fritz Petrich and Hollis Johanneson were named to the All-Tournament team.
A t Colorado Springs, in the western Divisional tournament, they defeated
favored Denver, 5-3 before finally bowing to Long Beach, California, when
the strain of the long campaign and lack of bench strength finally caught up
with them.
In 1931 they were defeated by Cooperstown in the state finals.
1932
46
In 1924 these m en represented Enderlin on the baseball diam ond.
From le ft to right th ey are, b ack row, C. D. B razel, coach and pitcher,
R ich ard Portiss, K en n eth Leidall, P e te r N ygaard, Don Siegel; second row , H ow ard Sw app, E ddie Siegel, W illis W iper, B ert Tripp, M an ager Ole N ygaard,
and G len Siegel. M ascots seated in front are Harold Sly, left, and P ete M oeller.
saw them defeat Cooperstown in a spectacular fourteen-inning game, with a
slight scared, thirteen-year old pitcher called in to hold the opposition off in
the last of the inning, when the other pitchers were exhausted. His name was
Kay Henkel and he managed to do it. It was something of anti-climax to lose
the title they had won on a protest concerning the eligibility of an Enderlin
player.
Throughout the entire decade, Enderlin was to be in the thick of the
fight for the state crown. In 1940, Enderlin won the second of its state titles
by defeating Grand Forks, who had held the title for four years, 5-4. The
regional meet was at York, Nebraska and Enderlin was very much the under-dog
to the highly favored Lincoln, Nebraska entry; so much so, that the committee
in charge had ordered the trophy engraved for Lincoln. To their embarrassment
Enderlin defeated the Nebraska team in a brilliantly played game, winning 4-3.
T hey went on to the Western Division tournament at Trenton, Missouri, where
they were defeated by San Diego. The trophy they had won at York was not
forthcoming.
Some years later, A. L. Tschida happened to meet a representative of the
U. S. Chamber of Commerce at a meeting. In the course of the conversation,
the gentleman mentioned that he had been active in Legion Baseball when
Enderlin played at York. When he heard the story of the lost trophy, he went
into action and the result was the final presentation to members of that 1940
team still in Enderlin about 15 years late.
4-3.
1941 saw Enderlin win its third state title, defeating Fargo in the finals
Once again they went to York, Nebraska, only to lose to Pierre, S. D., in
a twelve inning, 2-1 game.
The Junior Legion program was firm ly established, with summer play
for the different age groups providing a pool of playing talent.
When the
North Dakota High School League was established in 1950, Enderlin became
the first team to win the state High School title, when a one-hit pitching job
was turned in by Harley Kaspari to defeat Arthur in the finals 12-3.
Dr. Hendrickson died in 1948 but another baseball enthusiast was
waiting in the wings, ready to utilize the reserves of local talent available. He
was the late Pete Redmond, first manager of the Enderlin Indies, who were
destined to become the first team to win three state titles. With the support
of local fans and businessmen, the grandstands were rebuilt, lighting installed
and the newly renovated field dedicated to the memory of Dr. Hendrickson on
A ugust 4th, 1949.
Though the Indies won the League title in their first season, they had
to wait until 1952 for their first state championship. That year they defeated
Abercrombie, 10-0, playing errorless ball behind the pitching of Ralph Graalum.
John Janz was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
They repeated in 1953, defeating G ilby 5-1 in the finals. Jonnard Utke
received the Most Valuable Player award that year.
In 1954, dissension arose in the ranks of the N D A A B L and two separate
tournaments were held, Enderlin losing in the state finals of their tournament
to Mandan. The breach was healed in 1955 and the Indies swept the tournament
for a precedent-breaking third title. The final game with M cVille, won by a
score of 5-2, with Owen W allace pitching, was almost anti-climatic, for in an
earlier game against Tuttle, John Janz had turned in a perfect no-hit game,
with not a single opposing runner reaching first base. Jonnard Utke was named
Most Valuable Player for the second year and when, for the first time, an all-
48
tournament team was named, three Enderlin players were chosen: John Janz,
Jonnard Utke and Dan Kittelson.
Baseball has not been the only sport played in Enderlin— it just seems
that way. Back in 1906, the first football team took the field garbed in makeshift
uniforms and home made helmets. Three years later the group had attained
enough skill to reach the state championship game against Minot, losing, it is
true, but making a creditable performance. Local teams are still turning in
good records with Enderlin claiming the title, or a piece of it.
E nderlin’s first foo tb all team is pictu red above, follow in g a gam e at Lisbon. In the
front row a re Tom Dole, P h illip A k re , H erb N ohr, E a rl Sanness, M erlin Engle, K n u te
G u llickson and Hom er Sandberg.
B ackfield m en w e re Ed H arper, F red Harper, Red
L o n g ley and John L u k e r. T h e boys in th e backgroun d are R alph M unt and H en ry A m eson .
N ote hand-sew n helm ets w orn b y the squad.
Though the town has never had a state basketball title, Enderlin has
had several entries in the state tournament.
The Enderlin “Red Devils, ”
however, under the management of Carl Newgard, were runners-up to Cando
for the 1929 state independent title, and champions in 1930. Players of that
era were: Eddie Siegel, Burt Hutchinson, Ray Siegel, Lloyd O ’Neill, Eddy
Jerdee, Roy Oeder and Bernard Skow.
Enderlin has even had a state championship bowling team, with the
C ity Bakery team of Norma Golkowski, Mertice Johanneson, Edna Keene,
Jerry Sorenson and Mae Berglund winning the state women’s crown in 1959
while Norma Golkowski was the B PA Women’s Singles winner in 1964.
No chronicle of Enderlin sports would be complete without mention
of J. C. Harper, local merchant, who made his mark in his youth as a track
star. Never content to rest on his laurels, he kept up his walking and sprinting
over the years and in 1924 set a world record time for the 100-yard dash for
men over 50. His time was 12.1 at the age of 69 years, which feat was to draw
national publicity, including mention in Bob R ipley’s “Believe It or Not.”
The course was laid out on Highway 46, then a dirt road, with Thomas
Pierce, Clifford Danielson and Mayor Harper, his son, as official judges.
Frank Pierce was starter, A. B. Overstreet and P. M. Peterson, timekeepers,
Lauritson the official photographer and M cGilvery, press representative.
A long-time tradition in the town is the Mother’s Day Smorgasbord,
by which The American Legion and Auxiliary partially finance the baseball
program in Enderlin. Another baseball enthusiast has appeared on the scene,
in the person of V. F. Hegeholz, current manager and booster of the Indies.
49
Enderlin Church Histories
A potent force in the growth of any community is its churches.
It is
fitting that we recognize that their history is an important part of the community
story.
It was perhaps prophetic that the first group to hold religious services
in the city was called the
Enderlin Christian
Association,
for to
a marked
degree, Enderlin has been free of any bitter denominational rivalries and the
ministry of its churches has been marked by tolerance and cordiality.
The following are the histories of the various local congregations as
submitted.
T R IN IT Y LU TH E R A N CH URCH
The Trinity congregation was the first church to be established by
mission pastors of the Iowa Synod in what is now North Dakota.
Pastor
Fredrich Holter organized the congregation in 1884, with eighteen families
as charter members: Albert Fraedrich, Wm. Fraedrich Sr., Wm. Fraedrich Jr.,
Theodore Petrich, A ugust Schroeder, August Westphal, Adolph Walter, Herman
Bohm, Ferdinand Lindemann, August Neuman, Wm. Froemke, Herman Froemke,
M ichael Schmidtke, Carl Kaatz, A ugust Buss, Jacob Schmidtke, Carl Krueger
and Ferdinand Oehlke.
The Congregation was organized in two sections, North and South, each
with its own officers. A parsonage was purchased in Sheldon and both sections
of the church used rural schools and other meeting places for worship in the
early years. Pastor Holter rode or walked from farm to farm, holding services
in various places to build the membership. He also rode horseback to Watson
to serve that parish from time to time until ill health forced him to resign
after six years in North Dakota.
For almost two years there was no regular pastor although Pastor
Andreas Biemueller came from Davenport to hold services when possible.
Pastor E. M elchert was called in 1891 and served until 1894, when ill health
caused his resignation also.
In 1895, Pastor H. Dieter took over the leadership of the congregation.
With the coming of the new town of Enderlin, Trinity North was rapidly growing
in membership and began to feel capable of building and maintaining a church.
Land was purchased from Carl Lindemann for a cemetery and church site
and the building was dedicated in 1895. A t this time the two groups became
separate congregations, selling the parsonage in Sheldon and dividing the money.
Trinity South built a two story parish building with space on the first floor
for worship and the second floor providing quarters for the pastor.
In 1900,
Trinity North built a parsonage beside the church.
The south congregation
then sold their building and in 1905 built the present Anselm church.
Pastor Dieter resigned in 1901, but not before he had laid the foundation
for another congregation at Lucca. He was replaced by Pastor Henry Elster,
who organized the Immanuel Lutheran church at Lucca in the same year. In
1905 they built their own church in Lucca. He later organized the St. Luke’s
congregation in Enderlin, which purchased the old Presbyterian church for its
use.
For a few years during the time Pastor Elster served as district president
the load of work became too heavy and the Lucca and Anselm churches formed
a separate parish and called a pastor of. their own. Pastors C. Haferman, Donald
50
M eyer and Walter Hummel served them until 1938, when the four churches once
again became the Trinity parish.
There are a number of interesting features in the history of Trinity.
In the 82 years since its founding, only five pastors have served the main
congregation and it
has had an influence, out of proportion to its size, in the
American Lutheran
Church in the Dakotas.
In a sense, the history of the
congregation is the
history of two men, Pastor Elster who headed it for 37
years and Pastor Schaible, now in his 28th year. Both able men, though of very
different personality, they provided strong leadership at home and service
outside of the parish at a conference and district level.
Pastor Elster served as president of the old Dakota District, comprising
North and South Dakota and eastern Montana, for several years. During his
tenure, the Red River V alley conference of the Luther League was organized
under the sponsorship of the Trinity and Arthur congregations.
Pastor Schaible served as vice-president of both the old Dakota District
of the A L C , and of the Eastern Dakota district of the new American Lutheran
Church. His particular interest has been working with youth. He served as
District Youth Chairman of the former A L C , managed its Leadership Training
program for five years, served on the Concordia College board, the Home Mission
Board, and did survey work toward establishing mission congregations in
the Rapid C ity air base area.
His interest and influence in turn helped produce leadership among
the young people of his parish.
Together with the Leonard church, the
Trinity Luther League organized the Red River Bible Camp which operated
from 1939 until after the merger.
Pastor Schaible served on the board for
several years and Elmer Utke managed the camp for three years, while Arlen
Bunn managed it for four. Four young people of the parish have served as
Dakota District Luther League presidents: Elmer Utke, Arlen Bunn, Jean Hill
and Emilie Trapp. Five have acted as Red River Conference president: Elmer
Utke, Arlen Bunn, Emilie Trapp, John Trapp and Helen Geske. Mrs. Martin
Utke also served as Conference president for the WMF, and the congregation
takes pride in two sons of the parish in the ministry of the American Lutheran
Church; Rev. August Geske and Rev. Wayne Bunn.
Also interesting is the fact that the Trinity parish was one of the first
to sense the changing nature of the agricultural scene. In 1946, Trinity North,
or the Pontiac congregation, as it was known, St. L uke’s and Lucca voted to
merge into a single congregation and build a new church on the property owned
by St. Luke’s in Enderlin. The merger and building was accomplished smoothly
and successfully and the new church dedicated in 1949. First officers of the
merged congregation were: Pres., Fred Oehlke, Vice-Pres., Otto Trapp, Sec.,
Herbert Lindemann, Treas., Edwin Fernow, and board members, August Geske,
M artin Utke and W alter Janz. The entire indebtedness of about $175,000 for
church and furnishings was retired in 1960.
The steady growth of the congregation soon strained the parish education
facilities of the church and in 1964 work was started on an education unit. The
new addition was dedicated in 1965, adding 16 new class rooms, council room,
office space, lounge and kitchenette.
The old partnership between Trinity North and South still continues.
Trinity at Anselm, with a baptized membership of 128 and a confirmed
membership of 102 maintains it’s own church, served by Pastor Schaible, while
activities such as confirmation are carried on jointly.
With a present membership of 886 baptized and 603 confirmed members,
and modern and complete facilities, the present congregation seems far removed
from the days when the struggling congregation asked its few members to pay
51
$2 a family, or two sacks of oats and a half ton of hay, to meet the deficit in
the pastor’s salary. Yet, the prospering modern congregation w ill be hard put
to equal the faith and devotion of those pioneers who nursed it through its
infant days in the newly settled state of North Dakota.
E V A N G E L IC A L L U TH E R A N PA R ISH
Some Norwegian families settled along the Maple River near what is
Enderlin in the year 1878. The Rev. Forde of the Norwegian Synod came out
from Moorhead and gave them as much service as his time would permit. Later
Rev. Bale of Kindred took up this work.
The Maple River Congregation was organized on the 8th of October,
1879 with a membership of 28 souls. This name was changed to the St. Olaf
Lutheran Church in 1882. Rev. Bale evidently organized this congregation, and
served until 1882, when a resident pastor was applied for, and Rev. G. A. Larson
accepted the Call in 1883.
In this early period of the settlement, the services were conducted in the
homes of the homesteaders. Before long, school houses were built and offered
better facilities for worship services. The people were glad to have the Word
of God proclaimed and the Sacraments administered by a servant of God. Rev.
Larson served the parish until 1887,
The congregation decided in 1899 to join the newly formed Synod
known as the United Lutheran Church. During the year of 1895 the congregation
took first steps toward the building of a church. Two locations were proposed—
cne in the town of Enderlin and the other in the country.
A fter a number
of meetings, it was finally decided to build two churches. The congregation was
divided November 30, 1898. During this year both churches were built, and
were known as East St. Olaf Lutheran Church and West St. Olaf Lutheran
Church.
The St. Olaf Lutheran Ladies A id was organized in 1885, with five
members; they paid 50 ¢ dues at the beginning of each year, and 10 ¢ at each
meeting.
In 1898 the Aid was made into two groups, the Eastern and the
Western districts.
The organization meeting of East St. Olaf Lutheran congregation was
held January 12, 1899. The church building was occupied in 1899. A parochial
school was established for the summer months, and the Ladies Aid and the
Girls Aid gave much financial help to the congregation. A Church bell was
acquired in 1903, and the Young People’s League gave the chandelier to the
church the same year. This is the church now known as First Lutheran. The
Rev. J. H. Jahren served from 1887 to 1906, when the Rev. T. K. Gaustad
accepted the Call. Soon after his arrival, the church was dedicated. A t the
annual meeting it was decided to take an offering at each service.
In 1907
electric lights were installed in the church and in 1909 the Board of Deacons
was established. Pastor Gaustad left in 1908.
When the Rev. C. B. Runsvold (1918-1924) came, First Lutheran and
West St. Olaf congregations took action to provide a parsonage.
This was
accomplished in 1919, and the present parsonage was built. The services were
now conducted in English, and Sunday School attendance increased.
The
congregation and the auxiliaries, particularly the Young Peoples Luther League,
joined in financing a new basement for the church.
The Rev. O. J. Lutness accepted the Call in 1924. Fillmore Church
which had been independent, joined the parish in
1927.
In 1931 E. St. O laf
congregation changed its name to First Lutheran, and in 1938 the constitution
was changed to provide that women could become voting members. A building
52
committee was formed which began a drive for funds along with auxiliaries.
Pastor Lutness served until 1949, having served 25 years. Upon retirement, he
continued to live in Enderlin until his death.
Pastor A. L. Selid came in 1949, serving until 1956.
In 1951, it was
decided to remodel and enlarge the church building, adding Sunday School
rooms, etc.
This was completed in 1952 and dedicated in 1953.
The new
building has enlarged seating capacity, good kitchen and dining room space,
adequate Sunday School rooms, and is a beautiful House of Worship.
Pastor Joel Pederson served the parish from 1956 to the summer of 1958,
then the present pastor, C. A. Tollefson, was installed. In the winter of 1958,
a new M oller Pipe Organ was installed and used for the first time for the
Christmas service.
The W. St. Olaf congregation used their church building for the first
time on Christmas Day in 1898, A bell was secured in 1902, and altar and pulpit
in 1904. The cemetery across the road from the church is still in use. There no
longer is an active Sunday School nor Luther League. The Ladies Aid, now
known as the American Lutheran Church Women, is very active, and the men
participate in the Parish Brotherhood, now American Lutheran Church Men,
along with First and Fillmore men.
Looking back over the church histories, we find the names of many
pioneers whose descendants are still members of the parish.
Earliest names
mentioned were Thor Mostul, G. Nystul, and Eilef Nordhagen.
When Pastor
Larson came in 1883, he and his wife were given living quarters in the home of
Peter Austad at what is now known as the “Center Farm ” since there was neither
church nor parsonage.
One of the first children baptized was Edward Gullickson, son of Ever and
Agnes; other early baptisms were Severt Bennie Gullickson, Lars Oscar Frohling,
and John Oscar Austad, son of Peter Austad. The first child to be baptized in
the second year, 1884, was Bernhard Trangsrud.
Henry Julius Shelver, (Dr.
Shelver of Ortonville) was christened the same year.
Henry Hanson gave a
parcel of ground to be used for the church, and his brother, Sten, gave a plot of
land nearby for a cemetery.
The Bible says a little child shall lead them. By a coincidence the first
funerals mentioned were of children, Henrietta Ogidia Dole or Doeley, and the
infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Am eson. Later we hear the names of Erik
Gunderson, Eberhard Fausett, Ole Christianson, O le Smedstad, Hans Olson, John
Strand, Lars Lokken, Ole Pederson, Nils Anderson, Ole Moo and Jens Wold.
Some early congregation records were lost, so not too much authentic infor­
mation was available from this time. Martha Am eson, now Mrs. Bjork, and
Clara Nord, (Mrs. Edgar Henderson) were christened about the same time. Jacob
Shelver and Nels Shelver and Andrew Austad were on early committees. James
Wold, N. H. Johnson, S. E. Loney, M artin Austad, P. P. Burtness, Steen Hanson
and Ole Wold were present when E. St. Olaf was organized along with others.
H. Rustad and Ever Gullickson and Nils Fosse were on the building fund
committee. O. O. Golberg (a relative of the present pastor, C. A. Tollefson) was
on an early committee. A lfred Aasheim, Chris Wold and John Austad were on
an early committee to plan a special festival.
Hans Halvorson and Charles
Urrhammer were on an early call committee, besides others already mentioned.
Later officers of the church which is now First, are listed as W. T.
Johnson, Oscar Sundby, George Newgard, Nels Erie, Fred Maley, Peter Sundby,
T. S. Bjork, A. N. Hofland, M. J. Danielson, E. R. Gullickson, Roy Rasmussen,
C. A. Pederson, Arthur Graalum, Henry Severson.
A t the time of the dedication of the newly remodeled building in 1953,
officers and committee members were, besides the above named, O. A. Onstad,
53
E. N. Kittelson, I. N. Jones, Hjalmer Nygaard, A. F. Fir, Henry Erickson, Sig
Hagen, Norris Jordheim, Frank Helmer, Norman Narum, J. T. Swenson. These
men and in many cases, their good wives, and also their fam ily members were
instrumental in the successful building program and financing of it.
M. C.
Olufson as choir director and Mrs. Frank Helmer and Mrs. Ralph Graalum are
mentioned as organists. Mrs. LeClaire was a faithful organist at an earlier time.
This doesn’t begin to list all those who have been faithful workers in
the
First
Lutheran, West
St.
O laf
Lutheran,
and
Fillmore
Lutheran
Congregations; there have been many more, whose names are known to God if
not appearing here in these pages, who have worshipped and served God in and
through these churches.
E V A N G E L IC A L FR E E CH URCH
In the early days, Scandanavian immigrants who were interested in the
work of the Lord gathered in various homes or a school house to have services
in their native language. Itinerant preachers visited them from time to time.
In the fall of 1940, the Rev. George Anderson, then of Alexandria, Minnesota,
visited this group of believers. He is counted the first of this particular church
group.
Feeling the need of establishing a church home where the Word of God
would be presented to their families, as well as a means of reaching the
community for Christ, three individuals, S. P. Benson, John Dagman, and
Rheinhold Wallin purchased the original church building of the Methodist
Church, in 1905.
The method of moving this structure was interesting. It was done with
the church on planks, moved by a windlass drawn by one horse. The distance
was about five blocks, from the site of the present Methodist Church to the site
of the Evangelical Church on Cleveland St. The move took two weeks and the
first services were held while the church was sitting in the street, en route to its
present site.
Soon after the church building was completed, the group organized as
the “Scandinavian Sallskapet of the United States.” Rev. John Thompson, father
of Mrs. Paul Dagman, came regularly once a month. Other early visiting pastors
were Rev. John A. Johnson, Rev. Louis Olson, Rev. P. Berglov, Rev. John
Moline and Rev. Wm. Milon.
As the third generation grew up, the change to the English language was
needed. For a time, Rev. L. S. Eberley of V alley C ity visited us once a month
and occasionally the Rev. Carl Lindberg of Buffalo, Minn.
Regular Sunday
School was begun about this time.
In 1938-1949 the pastors of the Moorhead Free Church brought a service
two afternoons a month.
In the summer of 1949, Rev. and Mrs. Leroy
Christianson spent three months here in the interest of the Free Church work.
The present parsonage was purchased at this time.
Rev. John Goodrich and fam ily came in April of 1949 as our first full
time pastor, remaining until 1951. During this time the Young Peoples group
was formed as well as the Women’s Missionary Society.
Rev. Glen Jensen pastored the church from 1951 until June, 1953. He
was followed by Rev. Paul Nelson, who took up the work in May, 1954 and
remained until 1959. It was during his ministry that the group affiliated with
the Evangelical Free Church of America and the name was changed to the
Evangelical Free Church.
Rev. and Mrs. Earl Miller, who now are missionaries in the Philippines,
54
were here for a year, and in 1960, the present pastor, Rev. Clarence Johnson
came to take over the work of the parish.
Mrs. Roger Defenbough, the former Alice Mae Bergman, is a daughter
of this congregation who has gone out to serve the church at large. She is a
graduate of the Free Church Bible Institute and has spent five years as a
missionary in Venezuela, South America.
F IR S T M ETH O D IST CH URCH
The first church in Enderlin dates back to 1891, the year Enderlin was
founded. A small group organized as The Enderlin Christian Association with
Rev. Wood and the Rev. Bell holding services in the Soo Line depot, the only
place available.
Arrangements were made with Methodist pastor of Sheldon, Rev. J.
A. Strachan, to hold Sunday afternoon services starting in M ay 1892. A t the same
time a Sunday School was formed with C. C. Chamberlain as its first
superintendent. The next fall the hotel dining room was used as a place of
worship. Following this a bank building was erected and this was used until
the public hall was erected, where services were held until the first church
building was made possible in the spring of 1895.
In the fall of 1894 the group decided to incorporate as a Methodist
church and on December 24, 1894 the First Methodist Church of Enderlin was
incorporated. The incorporators were John W. Crandall, Milton C. Engle and
C. C. Chamberlain. The charter members were John W. Crandall, M ilton C.
Engle, C. C. Chamberlain, Julius Klingbeil, Mrs. Belle Crandall, Mrs. C. C.
Chamberlain, Mrs. Amelia Klingbeil, Hattie Klingbeil, Mrs. M. C. Engle, Mrs.
K ate Horton and Mrs. K. Harell.
In the spring of 1895 under the leadership of Rev. L. E. Resseger a new
parsonage was built and later in the same year a small church was built on
the present site, which adjoined the parsonage, at a cost of $2600. The town kept
growing and the people attending church also increased in numbers and the
church was no longer able to hold the people attending the services. So a new
building was planned for, under the leadership of Rev. F. H. Harron. The old
church was sold to the Swedish Mission— now the Evangelical Free Church of
Enderlin— and a new building, which is the present church building, was erected
on the same site in the year 1905 at a cost of $10,000.
The present parsonage was purchased in 1919 when Rev. R. H. Craig
was pastor. The Rev. Craig is remembered as a powerful preacher and evangelist
and was most interesting. The church was always filled to overflowing at both
the morning and evening Sunday services. He was a large man, six feet six
inches tall, and broad, and when the church windows were open as they usually
were in warm weather he could be heard a block away. He had been a missionary
to India and his experiences were many. He passed away suddenly in June
of 1919 following a heart attack.
A t the General Conference in 1938 the three Methodist churches— the
Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the
Methodist Protestant Church, came under the name of the Methodist Church.
So the Enderlin Methodist has since been known as the First Methodist Church.
In 1939, the year Rev. Lewis E. Dickinson came here as pastor, the
Enderlin, Sheldon and Leonard churches were joined as one charge.
In all these years the Ladies Aid has been a very faithful group and has
helped the church through many difficult problems and needs. While Mrs. Hattie
LaGrone was pastor this society was reorganized into three divisions, thus
working in smaller groups and with new zeal and fervor. In the year 1940 the
55
name of the women’s work all over Methodism was changed to the Women’s
Society of Christian Service.
This group now has a membership of 65. As
before it has three divisions known as Circles 1, 2 and 3 which carry on the work
in smaller groups. The 25th anniversary of the W SC S was observed with a
program and tea and honoring of charter members at the church October 8,
1965. Mrs. Jerry Schons is the present president of this society.
M any children and young people have been influenced to make the
start into the Christian life by the faithful and devoted work of the Sunday
School, now called the Church School.
The school is carrying on with an
enrollment of 95 with Mrs. Wayne Wilson as its present superintendent.
The M Y F — Methodist Youth Fellowship— which until the year 1940 was
known as the Epworth League— brings out leadership abilities and social contacts
that are very worth while to the group of high school age. There are thirty
young people that are being served by this society. Mark Wilson is the present
president. Mrs. A llan Olson and Mrs. Vernon Johnson are the advisors for the
Jr. high M YF. Rev. Dwight M eier is Sr. advisor.
The choir has been a very active organization in the church through the
years contributing its part in the music of the services. Many of the young
people, and we depend on the older members too, find a real place of service
to their church this way.
Mrs. A. L. Tschida is the able and dependable
director and has been faithfully serving for the past number of years. Mrs.
Elwood Anderson is the present organist.
The congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary October 26,
Bishop Ralph S. Cushman of St. Paul, Minn., the guest speaker.
anniversary was observed on December 5, 1954 with Bishop Voight of
South Dakota the guest speaker. A t that time a new church organ,
by Dr. A llan M. Olson, was dedicated.
1944 with
The 60th
Aberdeen,
presented
Recent major improvements include a new entrance to the church in
1959, a complete remodeling of the church basement in 1963 and remodeling of
the parsonage in 1965. Annual bazaars in the fall of the year have been a big
help financially and all the congregation takes interest in it.
The Men’s club meets once
are held monthly.
a month
and church fellowship
suppers
In the 72 years since the founding of this church there have been and
are many who have given long and faithful service but space does not permit
a detailed account.
The list of the pastors of this church is as follows: J. A. Strachan, C. A.
Routzan, L. E. Resseger, Mac McColn, T. A. Olson, F. H. Harron, Chas F. Sewry,
E. G. Price, J. G. Dingle, J. W. Walker, E. J. Schtjen, W. H. Norton, R. H. Craig,
1919, W. R. Thatcher 1919, R. H. Hedtke 1920, O. L. Anthony 1921-1922, G. H.
Nelson 1922-1925, H. P. Cooper 1925-1935, Hattie La Grone 1935-1939, Lewis E.
Dickinson 1939-1943, B. B. Curtis 1943-1949, O. E. Kinzler 1949-1960, Rev. Kinzler
retired here and we are happy that he and Mrs. Kinzler chose to continue making
Enderlin their home, Richard R. Teichmann 1960 summer appointment, W. R.
Harris 1960-1963 Ralph Rowe 1963-1965, Dwight L. Meier our present pastor since
1965.
The church has a membership of 210. Its present officers are: chairman
of the O fficial Board, Dr. A llan M. Olson; secretary, Torolf Johansen, treasurer,
John Kunz; lay leader, A. P. Ziegenhagen.
56
ST. P A T R IC K ’S C A T H O L IC CH URCH
Catholicism came to Ransom County from the east. Informally it was
represented here by the Catholic layman. The Goodman brothers who worked
for Randolph M. Probstfield, managing the Hudson Bay Company establishment
at Georgetown, Minnesota, were also brothers of his wife. One of the brothers,
probably Peter, is said to have been a student at Notre Dame University, Indiana,
before coming to Dakota Territory on trips to the Sheyenne River in
Ransom County to trade for furs with the Indians as early as 1866.
The
Goodmans constitute a link with the formal organization of the Catholic Church
in the County.
For having taken up land in later settlement days, they
are listed in 1884 as members of the Catholic mission at Sheldon, North Dakota.
It was this congregation that flowered into a parish, i.e., having a resident
pastor, after another score of years, and fostered Enderlin as its mission
through four more years. Then in the year 1908, the priest came to reside at
Enderlin; and Saint Patrick’s has continued as a full-fledged parish up to this date
of writing. A more colorful sequence of organizational events proceeding with
the development of the country raised aloft this cross on the green-roofed spire
in its placid existence of today.
Form ally the Catholic Church does not arise in a new territory except
by legal mission, or, one might say, by an authorized “sending” that emanates
from the very See of Peter at Rome. Historically this mission proceeded from
Rome through France, the mouth of the St. Lawrence River on the Atlantic
by way of the great Voyageurs canoe route. The first Christian missionary in
Ransom County was still one of those who traveled by canoe habitually, though
one of the lesser individuals in that great company.
The era of fur traders and Indians in Dakota Territory was fast fading
into the day of military expeditions and wagon trails when Father J. B. M.
Genin, O.M.I., dated a letter: “Sheyenne River, Jan. 1st, 1868.” In it he stated
that he had arrived at David Fairbault’s who had established himself on this
River because of the enormous quantity of cartage that finds it’s way through
here, and because of the Government, and because of deserters. (Cfr. P ig e o n
Point, in general history of this Jubilee Book.) In a letter dated October 6,
the following year, from “Headquarters Fort Ransom D. T. ”, Captain O. H.
Crossman also writing to Bishop Tache at St. Boniface (Winnipeg) says in part:
“During a recent visit to this post of the Rev. Father G enin
” Therefore
sometime between January 1, 1868 and October 6, 1869, Father Genin made one
or more visits, proceeding from Fort Abercrombie via the Sheyenne River to
Fort Ransom, which lay within the legitimate sphere of his mission.
Father Genin is an interesting frontier personality, and he played a
minor part in spurring on several key developments in North Dakota.
Thus
Captain Crossman wrote Bishop Tache that Father Genin had assured him that
the Oblate Fathers might be instrumental in inducing Standing Buffalo, Chief
of the Sisseton band of Sioux to come from the Turtle Mountain region
to Fort Ransom to give his allegiance to the United States government. Father
Andre had been especially recommended; Father Andre indeed eventually
helped obtain the signing of the treaty terms under which the C ut Head Sioux
accepted the newly established Fort Totten reservation as their place of
residence. Father Genin himself extended one of his visits to Fort Ransom on
up the Sheyenne to the Devils Lake Area, where he was clearly out of bounds
as to mission, since this was within the sphere of pastoral concern of his
confreres at Walhalla (St. Joe’s and Pembina. Actions of this sort eventually
made him a controversial figure; Linda B. Slaughter and Bishop Shanley came
57
to disagree publicly on his merits.
He died as pastor of Bathgate, North Dakota
several years after Enderlin had already been founded.
How had he come to Fort Abercrombie in the first place? Briefly, after
the suppression of the Jesuits in the eighteenth century, another religious Order,
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate took over the Manitoba end of their missions.
Coming by the ancient canoe route from eastern Canada to St. Boniface, newly
ordained Father Genin, an Oblate in 1865, served a few months in internship there;
and in 1866 accompanied Bishop Grandin and canoes to Lake Athabaska mission.
Coming back to St. Boniface in 1867, he proceeded alone up the Red River
apparently with approval of his Superiors, to Pembina, to Georgetown, and
then to center his mission work at a spot on Whiskey Creek near M cCauleyville,
Minnesota. This was near Fort Abercrombie, where he probably first met the
Commandant of Fort Ransom.
Easily inspired by inauthentic information
furnished by men like Fisk, Father Genin was convinced in 1867 that the next
spring a stage line would be routed from Fort Abercrombie to Pembina, and
at the same time a stage line would be routed from Abercrombie to Montana
“. . . by way of Fort Ransom on the Sheyenne River. ” And he hoped to collect
enough money from the soldiers and Metis at the three forts, and the Metis and
Indians in the Coteaux, to build a chapel at Fort Abercrombie.
Aside from his shortcomings, he was a young priest with good intentions.
He said Mass and administered the Sacraments for Indian, Metis, and Soldier.
Early in spring of 1868 a child was born to the Crossmans at Fort Ransom; it
was Father Genin’s duty to see to the Baptism of this child.
A monument
today that ties in with Father Genin and his work may be seen in a field cross
west of highway 81 and about six miles south of highway 94 interchange. This
is the third such cross, the first having been erected by Father Jean Baptiste
Marie Genin, though he was not the first missionary to Wild Rice parish.
A diocesan, or secular, priest became the next one to do mission work
in what is now the trading area of Enderlin. Not so controversial a figure as
his French-born predecessor, the life record of this native Bavarian in many
parishes he successively served indicates he pushed activities and projects to the
point of controversy.
The extensive scope of his work, like that of Father
Genin’s, required courageous zeal and great physical endurance. The Frenchman
came west to convert Indians, and after his arrival retrenched to serve mainly
the Metis, soldiers and pioneers; the Bavarian came with the purpose of mission
work in the Wild West, but settled for a type of circuit riding a-la-carte just
beyond the end of railroad spurs.
Both accepted a field of work where a
greater need had arisen by their time, than existed in their first purposes. By
comparison only, Father Lorenz Spitzelberger as any other clergymen who pressed
forward with the extension of the railways from the Twin Cities, belongs to the
“featherbed stage” of mission work. It was not really soft.
He had been born before Father Genin, and outlived him, dying in
Kingston, Wisconsin.
Our famous Bishop Baraga ordained him in 1858.
By
the time the Frenchman dated a letter from Sheyenne River Country, Father
S. had been a pastor of parishes in Clamp Springs, Kentucky; Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania; New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas.
Through the
next ten years he served four different towns in Wisconsin, a state by 30 years.
Then,coming to Perham, Minnesota he broke out into Dakota Territory.
With Perham as home base for a while, then Moorhead, on Sundays,
he set out by train on week-days, continuing from station or siding by means
of horse and buggy, borrowed or hired, to outlying settlements and farm
neighbors. His field of missions apostolate measured a 100-mile radius. From
his notes he later counted up 114 trips. “In many places I said the first Mass
58
where no priest ever was before. I made thousands of miles in Dakota and
Minnesota. . . baptisms, marriages, and places which may not be in existence
anymore, but they had been once.”
Under the heading of Watson Post Office, with his characteristically
German sentence construction, he writes: “Hoffman — Healey — Watson —
O ’Leary — Curran had been all neighbors and lived S. W. of Casselton and I seen
them all at once, and went to New Buffalo and Tower C ity home.” Between
M ay 19, 1881 and January 25 of the following year, he records eight visits to this
neighborhood, including additional names. Mass was said in the house of J. M.
Keenan for Watson P. O. “On Oct. 12 Mass and baptism of Mary, daughter of
Mathew Shea and Catherine Scanan, born Aug. 26, 1881, sponsor Julia Healy.
Baptism of Edward, son of Cornel Healy and Margaret Scanan, born Aug. 13, 1881;
sponsors Mathew and Catherine Shea.”
Had the town of Enderlin been in existence those years, some of these
families of the Maple River District as it was called, or Watson P. O., would
have become members of St. Patrick parish.
A Mathew, son of the elder
Mathew Shea mentioned above, with his son Roger lives on the same farm today
(See also, Ancient Site in general history), but belong to the Sheldon parish,
though members of Enderlin school district. Father Tierney’s list of 33 donors
at Sheldon in 1884, includes Math Shea, John Curran and Pat Pierce.
Verbal testimony has been recorded which would have Father Joseph
Andreas Stephan visiting the Pierce home in the Maple River District one year
before that well known personality came to Fargo.
Whether that prominent
Indian missioner, in his sixties when pastor of Fargo, had time to venture
beyond Sheldon town on his visits there, remains to be proven. Since his name
became involved in the politics of a national election, while Spitzelberger is a
difficult name to recall, it is possible that memory over the years attributed
to Stephan what had really been Spitzelberger’s work.
When priest and people got together, the Catholic Church was in
action. From the predominance of Irish names among those recorded by the
buckboard pastors 1880-1884, the observation can be drawn, that the Irish settling
in groups, made it a point to have a priest come to say Mass and administer their
Sacraments from the earliest years in Ransom County. Thus church organization
was hastened by several years.
A fter the branch line of the Northern Pacific railroad had caused the
founding of Sheldon and Lisbon in 1879, the next directional impetus in Catholic
Church organization emanated from Lisbon. Father M. M. Tierney became the
first resident priest at Lisbon in 1884. A native of Ireland, ordained ten years
earlier, he had been loaned to Dakota Territory by the Bishop of Dubuque. He
served Lisbon, LaMoure, Englevale, Oakes, Verona, Plymouth, Sheldon, Leonard,
and visited Casselton, Tower City, Buffalo, Fort Ransom, and Kibbey.
In
Binghampton (Kibbey) he records baptizing Elizabeth, daughter of George Gangel
and Catherine Webber, and Joseph, son of John Wercer and Clara Puhr, on two
successive monthly visits in 1887. P. H. Callaghan and James L. Coleman are
mentioned as contributors to the church at Sheldon in Father Tierney’s account
book for the year 1887. Returning to Iowa before the Soo Line penetrated Dakota,
Father Tierney’s records make no mention of Enderlin.
His was the great
work of building a house for the Lord in the Mass and the Sacraments.
Father J. O. Barette, residing at Lisbon, was the first priest to visit
the new village of Enderlin, in 1892 according to a statement by a successor
twelve years later.
The first baptism recorded as having been administered “A t Enderlin”
is that of Helen M ay Sullivan, daughter of John Sullivan and Julia. . . , by
59
Father Aloysius Godfrey sponsors being Thomas and Charlotte Pierce, M ay 3, 1894.
Two weeks later Helen, daughter of Nicolas Schwartz and M argaret Ganken was
christened by Father Godfrey of Lisbon, Dionysius Cullen and Mary Callaghan
being sponsors. Evidently Catholics in Enderlin were having a regular schedule
of services by this time.
The first entry by Father J. B. McDonald, pastor of Lisbon, records the
baptism of Joseph Sherman, son of Charles Aubert and M alvina Babavn, on July
12, 1898.
The second is that of Rosann, daughter of Patrick Gardner and
Teresa Carey, sponsors being Mr. and Mrs. Walsh. The only child still living
in Enderlin, baptized by Father J. B. McDonald before 1904, is Melvin W alsh,
born to James Walsh and Margaret Cooney, A ugust 20, 1899.
In 1904 Father J. B. McDonald moved from Lisbon to Sheldon and its
missions, inserting this interesting comment on the flyleaves of a Record book:“Sheldon, N. D.
Jan. 1, 1904
and Leonard had been attached to Lisbon till the
— when they were organized into a separate mission
at Sheldon.
families attending Sheldon church, 22 at Enderlin
“Sheldon, Enderlin
beginning of this year 1904.
with the priest’s residence
“There are just 36
and 15 at Leonard.
“The trustees of Sheldon church are Frank Mougey Jr., John Balizeh
and Henry Boyle.
The missions are in a fair and prosperous condition, the
parishioners are faithful in attending their duties, all are considered respectable
people, and drunkenness is unknown.
“J. B. McDonald
“ 1st Resident Pastor.”
This insert is followed by a list of 23 names for the 22 Catholic families
of the parish: Thomas Pierce, James Walsh, Mrs. M cKay, Mrs. John Gruye,
Jerry O ’ Sullivan, William Martin, William Walsh, John Munt, James Faresce,
P. Pierce, Jacob Leist, George Weisbrod, Mrs. Robarge, Dan Murphy, Tom
Corcoran, Mrs. Guilder, Wm. Rigger, Daniel Hackenberg, Mrs. Kuesler, Jack O ’
Sullivan, Mrs. Opitz, Charles Conlon, who with the Manns, Silks and Hollanitsch
families, sometimes attended Mass at Alice and sometimes here.
These are the people who built the basic unit of St. Patrick’s church
structure, in a style probably imported from Prince Edward’s Island.
It is
evident that Father M cDonald’s list did not include all and the number was
increasing. His brother and once assistant, Father Alexander McDonald, wrote
that the parish grew from 30 families in 1906 to 57 in 1908.
The thinking of Father Alexander McDonald under whom the present
rectory was built in Enderlin in 1908, is reflected in an observation he penned
that year: “The parish (Sheldon) had a good growth in early days and prospered
in accordance with the good prosperity of the town, until Enderlin began to
grow and draw the commerce of the surrounding country. The parish had about
40 families in 1903 but has dwindled down to about 23 families.” Father A lex
“M ac” McDonald had been born on Prince Edward Island, where his father was
a carpenter; he had been ordained in St. Paul Seminary. A fter serving two months
as assistant at Langdon, and one month at the Cathedral, he had become
pastor of Sheldon with Leonard and Enderlin as missions in July 1906.
That Enderlin was becoming more conscious of itself as one community
affected the parish. Once upon a time Catholics here feared the Lutherans would
not allow them to buy lots to build a church; and Edmund Pierce pleaded this
as a reason why the Soo Line should grant them lots, as was done. The Catholic
church was constructed on the corner where now stands the Episcopal church,
60
but their rectory now was built where it is.
given to East St. O laf’s church of Enderlin.
This location had been land once
Other roots of ecumenism have survived the acids of antagonisms, aided
especially by acts of personal charity. The Walshes, for example, were happy
to learn from Rev. Elster that he had forbidden members of his congregation to
join the K lu K lu x Klan when it was striving to organize in this area. Mrs.
Charles Best was one of the first organists in Saint Patrick’s church and was not
a Catholic. A succeeding organist, Clara McDonald, cousin to pleasant Father
Mac used mainly just hymns in the choir, and on the side gave lessons to
Isabelle Walsh now Mrs. A lfred Nord Sr. Isabelle and church music became
synonymous over a span of the next fifty years as choir member, organist and
director. She recalls the strategy of a guest of Father M ac’s who took over
the organ himself after preaching the sermon, and played a glorified version
of the “Irish Washerwoman” while the collection was taken up. Another favorite
recollection of the music graduate of St. John’s Academy (Jamestown), goes
back to the time when Dr. Zettle, chiropractor, took a turn as choir director. To
beef up the Midnight Mass at Christmas, always a packed occasion until the
recent revival of ancient and more authentic liturgies, Dr. Zettle brought over
one of the Lutheran choirs which he also directed.
So they celebrated that
Christmas Eve in Saint Patrick’s with more Lutherans in the choir than Catholics.
This last incident runs ahead of our chronology. Father Patrick Long,
in physique more broad than long, a priest whose sermons were salty and
replete with Irish saints, became pastor of Enderlin in 1915. Three years later
Bishop O ’Reilly saw fit to have him exchange places with Father Charles Fay
at Page. Father Long came up to Page on the morning train from Fargo with
his suitcase full of his worldly belongings, looked around, and took the next
train back out. He finished his priestly career in good standing in another
Diocese, in South Dakota.
It was in the cards probably that rectory and church should be located
on the same side of the street.
Father Fay undertook to move the church
building to its present place. While no fight arose over incorporation papers
as was the case in many parishes in the Diocese during these several years,
rhubarbs were occasioned by the moving of the church; and the event is too recent
to venture placing this into historical perspective.
In earlier years Father
McDonald had stabled his horses in a livery barn across from the church, but
now a garage was needed and was built. For Father Fay and Father M at Hart,
bosom buddies, traveled many a dusty trail in their Ford roadster in North
Dakota, Hart buying the breakfast and Fay being stuck with dinner usually,
while at least once a day they found a friend to visit. A talented man in several
departments, one who played tennis before breakfast, who put on plays that
people still remember, he had his mother as housekeeper.
Father Henry William Corcoran, pastor during six years of creeping
depression and four years of deep depression, remembered especially for his
sociability and humor, was succeeded in 1934 by Father Bernard Higgins.
A fter all these Irishmen, as was the case in the majority of parishes of Fargo
Diocese and south of Highway 10 (94), a Frenchman came into Sheyenne Country
again; Father J. Pacaud became pastor of Enderlin. 1938-42.
Father George
Ernest LaFramboise, former professor in eastern Canada, and piano player
succeeded Pacaud. He was himself something of an ecumenical movement in
the community, but he died in 1943, and lies buried in the Catholic cemetery.
A Benedictine monk from the Richardton monastery, today pastor of Selfridge,
N. D., filled in the interim months until Father P. M cGee could be sent to
Enderlin. Father McGee, with his accomodating temper, remained until 1948.
His successor, Father Albert LaFreniere recorded the longest pastorate, over
61
ten years, also a period of greatest consolidation in Saint Patrick parish.
Father Cleophas Jaillet came in 1958, and elected to leave in 1960 in favor of
Edgeley, N. D.
His successor and present pastor, is the second non-French and non-Irish
priest, being of German and Bohemian extraction, though born in Wisconsin;
and his name will probably go down in anonymity with Spitzelberger’s.
ST. A N D R E W ’S E P IS C O P A L CH U R CH
The congregation was unable to furnish information for a church history
to be included in this book.
Enderlin School System
One of the first concerns of the pioneer residents of the Enderlin
community was the education of their children; thus the first schools were
established on the initiative of small groups of families to serve their
immediate neighborhoods.
The first school in Liberty Township, or Maple
River, as it was then known, was in the S. E. ¼ of Sec. 16. Johannes Fosse
was the first teacher but the exact date is uncertain.
Similarly, the first
school in Pontiac Township was established on what is now the Dehn farm,
just north of town, but we are unsure of the date— probably about 1880 or 1881.
Formal organization of the area schools in Cass County began in
January, 1881 when District 47 was organized to include all of Highland
and Pontiac Townships. In July of 1881, smaller districts were set up: District
69 in Highland; District 70, which included land in both townships.
District
115 in Pontiac was organized in 1882 and District 100 in 1884. A fter a few
years the school in this district was moved from the Dehn farm location to
Section 28.
Ransom County school districts were established formally in 1883,
when the Legislature passed a law requiring uniform districts. Four districts
were established in Maple R iver Township and for the next ten years, all
pupils
attended
these
rural
schools.
Early
teachers
included
Anna
Dersheimer, Jennie Brooks, Clara Danford, Helen Ringheim, Miss E. H. Littel,
O. O. Golberg and Fred Underwood.
These rural schools had two terms of two or three months— a spring
and fall term. Salaries were $35 to $40 a month and few formal educational
requirements were demanded. Anyone who could pass the teacher’s examination
could be certified.
M any found that knowing was easier than doing under
difficult and primitive conditions, and the teacher turnover was great.
A t first, the children living in the new town of Enderlin attended
the rural school near the town but in 1893, District 5 was organized, under
the supervision of the township board.
The first term ran from January 2
to March 31 with Hannah Jarland as teacher.
Shortly after the school
opened, in a building known as Oeder Hall, the building burned. Mr. W. A.
Thompson, the round house foreman, offered his basement for quarters. He
made no charge for its use, even though at one time he was forced to board
and room fifteen students during a severe blizzard.
Parents made free will
offerings to replace the burned equipment.
For the next few years, school was held about town wherever space
could be found— in Powers Hall above the Burtness store, over the Rustad
62
Hardware on Third Avenue and other nooks and crannies.
In 1897 the first
local board was elected for Enderlin District 22 and a four room school
completed that fall. Three teachers were employed: F. H. Loucks, Principal;
Elvina Rae and Olive Golberg.
Funds were scarce to supply necessary equipment but a fortunate
inspiration of Fred Underwood, one of the board members was to provide
a most adequate library. He composed a form letter, telling of the frontier
T h e above pictu re show s the first school in E nderlin— a fo u r room a ffa ir com pleted
in th e fa ll of 1897. Q u ick ly o u t-d ated , E nderlin’s edu cation al n eed s increased so rapid ly
that b y 1904 a fo u r-year high school course being offered.
town of Enderlin, without adequate funds to equip a school for its rapidly
growing school population. He asked that any books they might have which
were suitable and might otherwise be discarded should be autographed by
the donor and forwarded to the school.
He mailed
the letter
to
members
of Congress,
the
Supreme
Court,
the President, Vice-President and to persons prominent in the business world.
So persuasive was his appeal that an avalanche of books followed, including
autographed volumes from Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison, finally
totaling 5500 books. This collection, some of which would be most valuable
today, were lost when the school burned in 1933.
In a matter of only a year or two the new school was full to overflowing
and buildings about town had to be utilized again. In 1904, two more years of
high school were added to the curriculum, bringing it to a four year high school
course. In 1905 a new brick school was built and in 1906 the first class graduated
from the Enderlin High School: Rena Austad, still living in the
state of
Washington, Anna Austad Robinson, Ida Fretland
Larson and
Lillian Pieh,all
deceased.
Superintendent Hutchinson was the county school superintendent
at this time and was a man with far-seeing ideas about education. He urged
63
the consolidation of small rural schools and in 1904 Liberty Township moved
the two rural schools it now operated to the location of the Liberty School,
now unused, and became the first consolidated school in the county. A new
modern school was built in 1917 which was used for 40 years. Moore township,
too, decided that consolidation was necessary and built a large school which
was used for many years until it burned in 1931. Rebuilt, it continued to offer
two years of high school until 1948, and at times during the years offered three
years when the number of pupils warranted.
The people of this area have always given strong support to their
schools and over the years, the Enderlin school has developed and improved,
adding departments to meet changing educational demands and standards.
The first vocational department, then known as Manual Training, was started
by a woman, Mary Byrne, now Mrs. Tom Baribeau. Complete laboratory facilities
for Home Economics were installed in 1938 and the school serves as a student
teacher training school for the N D SU Home Economics department.
The music program of the school as we now know it had its inception
in 1921, when the first band was organized.
The first orchestra was started
Th e Enderlin h igh school student body in 1908 w as. bottom row , left to right, Leo
K e e sle r, Isaac Anderson, N els John, Ed H arper, Ph ilip A k e r, A d olph Lindem ann; m iddle
row , (? ) Co llier, P au lin e B est, M abel G ullickson , Bessie M cK eelar, R u b y Burtness, Jesse
L u k e r, M eta Engle, Edith Cham berlain, M iss W ade, teacher, M r. B rockm ann, Principal;
b a c k row , A lv in a K lin g b eil, Rosalie Lindem ann, (? ) Torbenson, Ida F retland, B arbara
Thom pson, L illy Pieh, u nknow n, B u rr E ngle, B erth a G ullickson , A d a Sanness, Rena A ustad,
A n n a A u stad, M erlin Engle and John L u k e r.
in 1923. The a cappella choir which came to be the school’s trademark was
first organized by Mr. M. C. Olufson in 1931.
In 1918 the Enderlin High School was accredited by the North Central
Association of Colleges and Universities and has been accredited continuously
since that time.
64
Increasing costs and demand for improved schools led to a general
agreement that reorganization of the many small districts into larger units was
inevitable. As early as 1952, exploratory meetings were held, but the Enderlin
board and the boards of the rural schools involved, wisely declined to rush into
any hasty reorganization plan. A s a result, when the newly reorganized district
B ottom row , le ft to right, D a vid Dagm an, M eta Engle, Rosalie Lindem ann, A . E. B a ri­
beau, M erlin Engle, B u rr Engle, Thom as B arib eau , H arry R atchje, Adolph Lindem ann, Jam es
G albreath , P hidim e B arib eau . Second row , B lan che B eatty, A lv in a K lingbeil, A da F e rnow ,
E dwin E geberg, 5 u nknow n, Sadie Callahan, E thel Rosbeck, R u b y Burtness, 9 unknow n, B a r­
bara Thom pson. T h ird row , H arry Dizzard, M adge B eatty, A d olph Johnson, H arry Blish, Sadie
Nord, Josie N ord, L ittle, E thel R atch je, F loren ce Oeder, No. 10 unknow n. Fourth row , Ida
Fretland, N ora F retland, Ph ilip A k re , A d a Sanness, B ertha G ullickson, F lora Crandal, No. 7
unknow n. F ifth row , John L u k er, M ary K lin g b eil, V ern a Blish, Jessie L u k er, L u lu G inther,
B eta G inther, C larence Nord, A d d er Hagen, F red K lin g b eil. Sixth row , P rincipal Loucks,
H en ry H agen, L illian Pieh, No. 4 and 5 unknow n, G eorge G olberg, P a u lin e Thom as, M abel
Thom pson, A nna Dagm an, M am ie Callahan, B elle L u k er, Tim C allahan„ No. 13 unknow n,
O live G olberg, teacher, Emm a Dagm an, Jam es Porter.
came into being in 1957 it was accomplished with little of the friction and bitter­
ness that has marked reorganization in some communities.
The size of the school district changed from 12 sections in 1956 to more
than 180 sections in 1966 extending into the three counties of Barnes, Cass and
Ransom. Most of this growth occurred in 1957 when the district was reorganized,
with additional territory being added through annexation during the past few
years. Former school districts, familiar to early Enderlin community residents,
65
coming into the enlarged Enderlin district include Moore No. 4, Liberty No. 3,
Pontiac 100, Highland-Pontiac 70, Highland 115, Highland 69, and parts of Casey.
Clifton, Raritan, Watson, Preston, and Eldred 83.
The change in district size brought with it another change— pupil
transportation.
Enderlin Public School District No. 22 now operates eight
bus routes which transport more than one-third of the district’s total enrollment
of 625 pupils.
Enrollment in
from the early forties
when the district was
135 in the early forties
the elementary school has almost doubled in the period
to the mid-sixties. H alf of this increase occurred in 1957
reorganized. The high school enrollment increased from
to the all time high of 228 in 1965-66. The 1966 graduating
class of more than 60 is the largest class of graduates in the school’s history.
The school faculty has increased from a staff of 14 or 15 in the early forties to
the present staff of 29.
The basic part of the school plant was constructed in 1933, following
the fire which destroyed the old school.
A gymnasium and shower rooms
were added in 1939.
In 1959 two classrooms, a science laboratory, a
vocational agriculture department, and a music wing were added to the building.
The Enderlin school was one of the first in North Dakota to offer
behind-the-wheel driver education to its students.
This program has been
in operation since 1948. In 1951 our school was one of the first in the state
to inaugurate the Parent-Teacher Conference method of reporting pupil progress
in the elementary school.
Both the driver education and parent-teacher
M em bers of the first E nderlin H igh School orchestra w ere, fron t row , left to right,
Curt Shaw , To ny Robertson, Ross B ru ce, Miss Knutson, Corrine N ix, F ran k lin Stow ell,
V ern on M elin, G u y Perkin s; back row , G en evieve Roberts, W alt Petrich , Otto Trapp,
A rn old Petrich , K e rm it B leese, Orton Bolstad and Earl Olson.
conference programs have operated continuously to the present time.
The
lunch program has grown from an operation involving but a few pupils bringing
sandwiches, which were supplemented by a hot dish or soup skillfully prepared
by Mrs. Susan Vance, to the present program which feeds up to 400 daily with
66
Type A meals.
Lydia Geske has been the head cook and manager of the
Enderlin school lunch program for the past 16 years.
In 1960 vocational agriculture was added to the program of studies,
offering four years of agriculture to high school boys.
Welding and other
farm courses have been offered to adults and young farmers in the Enderlin
community. More recently a course in agriculture mechanics has been made
available to Enderlin high school students.
Now, in 1965-66 we find our teachers talking about flexible scheduling
to better meet the needs of individual students, team teaching, programmed
learning, and educational TV.
As we look into the next few years we see
Enderlin school district faced with the necessity of building a new elementary
building as recommended by the Bureau of Field Studies of the University of
Minnesota, which proposes enlargement of districts and corresponding larger
tax bases to meet changing population patterns and changing educational demands.
The entire present plant will be required to house the expanded junior-senior
high school program of the seventies.
Greater changes will occur in education in the next decade than have
taken place in the past century.
Two names, long associated with the Enderlin schools, left the school
scene during the fifties. M. C. Olufson, high school principal for thirty years,
retired from teaching in 1953. To thousands of students who passed through
Enderlin High School, Ole will never be forgotten. His wise counsel and his
outstanding work with the Enderlin High School choir from 1931 to 1953 will
long be remembered. Effie Selvig retired in 1954 after more than thirty years
of service to the Enderlin Junior and Senior High School. Her dedication to
young people, her unmatched teaching skill, and her kindly interest in her students
will ever be gratefully remembered by thousands of students who were privileged
to have had her as their teacher.
E nderlin w on the first N orth D akota state high school baseball tournam ent title,
defeatin g A rth u r 12-3 in the final tournam ent gam e. T h e Enderlin team , le ft to right, front,
are J e rry W avra, M orry W avra, K en n y Jacobs, B u dd y F ritz, bat boy, V ernon K u h n , Dennis
Larson, Dan Kittelson; b ack row , H arley K aspari, D arrell Redm ond, Ronnie Oliiphant, B ru ce
Johnson, John Foss, M yron Sim onson, Coach Lu tgen .
67
T h e P olitica l S cen e
In the days when North Dakota and Enderlin were first being settled,
Washington
and Bismarck were far removed from
average citizen.
the daily
concern of
Only a few families received the metropolitan papers.
the
News
traveled more slowly and, on the sparsely settled prairies, it often took days
for the results of national elections to become known.
Thus, local politics were
of much more interest and concern than today, when communications
reach
into every world capital and news reaches the most isolated community even
as it is happening.
hotly
contested.
School board, city and township meetings and elections were
During
the
formative
years
it
was
not
difficult
to
secure
candidates for any local office, for such offices conferred more distinction then
than now.
Like every small town, Enderlin had its leaders;
men who made
an
avocation of politics at the local level. They loved the game and if there were
no red hot issues, they invented some. Practical jokes were part of the game and
friendship did not interfere.
Shirley’s Drug Store was the local political
headquarters, where everyone stopped to see what the word was for the day.
L egal technicalities did not always bother men who were building a new
town. They did what they thought should be done. James Walsh, in later years,
told the story of the building of the new brick school in 1905. With him on the
board were C. C. Chamberlain, Col. M cIlvain, Fred Underwood and James
Cruff.
A n election was held for a bond issue to finance the new school. In a
familiar gesture, voters rejected the bond issue.
Com pletely unperturbed,
the board went ahead and built it anyway, issuing warrants for $18,000 to finance
it. Apparently pleased with the school, the voters relented the following year and
approved bonds to cover the cost.
There was only one brand of politics for the most part— Republican. For
many years, Mr. Chamberlain and Ole Culbertson were reputed to be the only
Democrats in town.
When the Non-Partisan League entered the picture, the
battles were f o u g h t in the primary, between the League and the Independent
Voters Alliance, or IVA, rather than leave the Republican column. Except for
the brief defection to John Burke, the strong Democratic vote in Enderlin did
not evince itself at all until the late twenties, when a few “A l Sm ith” Democrats
appeared. The real switch came with Franklin Roosevelt and their ranks were
finally augmented by the merger with the N P L in recent years.
As mentioned elsewhere in these pages, the Farmers Alliance and it’s
successor, the Non-Partisan League, generated a good deal of support in the
Enderlin area and inaugurated a lively political period. John Grey, an Enderlin
man, was a longtime State Tax Commissioner, running on the League ticket.
Charles Bangert was also an active force in the N P L faction during the days
of B ill Langer and was a candidate for the Supreme court on that ticket.
There was a period of quiet after the Langer days but, in later years,
some of the fervor which was evident in local political action has been transferred
to state and national politics. Enderlin has become something of a center of
political activity by both parties; a result, many believe, of the evolution of two
relatively evenly matched parties.
68
The Democratic-NPL group in Enderlin and Ransom County has attained
considerable
statew ide
influence.
Prior
to
the
Democrat-NPL
merger,
two
Enderlin women Mary Baribeau and Doris Smith, had held the post of Democratic
Vice-Chairman, which at that time was the equivalent of Women’s Chairman.
More recently, one Enderlin woman succeeded another as Florence Olson
replaced Florence Swenson as Vice-President of the Democrat-NPL Women.
Agnes Geelan, elected to the North Dakota Senate, was chosen to run
for Congress and later served as a member of the Workmen’s Compensation
Bureau. Art Ford, a moving force in the merger, was the 1958 N PL nominee
for governor.
The most notable success story in
the history of local politics was that of the
late Hjalmar Nygaard. He came to Ender­
lin in 1944, where he opened a hardware
business
with
his
brother-in-law,
Carl
Bjerke.
Four years later, over his protests,
he was endorsed by the Republican Organ­
izing Committee for the North Dakota
House of Representatives. He won this
election and represented Ransom County
in Bismarck for six consecutive terms. A
former teacher, his great interest was
education.
He served on the Education
Committee for four sessions, acting as vicechairman for the 1955 session. Among
other duties, he served on the Legislative
Research Committee, acted as ROC Floor
Leader and as Speaker of the House.
In 1960, he was endorsed for the
U. S. House of Representatives and with
Don Short as a running mate, defeated the
Democratic slate of Ray Vendsel, and A n­
son Anderson, also a Ransom County na­
tive.
HJALMAR
NYGAARD
In Washington, his first committee assignment was on the House
Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. In 1962, he won re-election to Congress
and had served only about six months when a notable career was cut short by a
heart attack.
State and national notables converged on Enderlin July 22, 1963, when
services were conducted from the white frame First Lutheran Church where
he had been a member since coming to Enderlin.
Mrs. Nygaard returned to Enderlin after his death, and continues
make her home here.
to
The history of political action in Enderlin would seem to illustrate
that whenever there is political interest and activity in a community, leadership
is developed which inevitably extends its influence beyond local boundaries. The
local scene might be termed a case history of the effectiveness of “grass roots”
action in a democracy.
69
M ilita ry S ervice
Since our country was founded, we have taken pride in our citizen
soldiers, who have laid down their work when the need arose to fight the
country’s battles. Few communities, however, including our own, have kept a
full record of those of its sons who have served their country. It has proved
literally impossible to compile an accurate listing of the men from the Enderlin
area who have served in the armed forces.
When North Dakota was settled, many of its pioneers were men who had
served on the frontier or in the Civil War, and who came to claim their rights
to land in the newly opened west.
The last Civil War veteran in Enderlin and Ransom County was Reuben
Beard, grandfather of Mrs. Arnold Fraase, who served in the 16th Massachusetts
Regiment which was decimated in the Battle of the Wilderness. He then joined
the 11th Massachusetts and at the Spotsylvania Courthouse was wounded
severely and narrowly escaped being buried in a common grave with other
casualties.
He recovered and lived to homestead in Clifton Township; later
moved to Enderlin where he died in 1932 at the age of ninety one.
Some of the E nderlin m en on th eir return from W orld W ar I. Those id entified are:
first row , le ft to right, Dr. O vergard, B ill Young, Earl O lm stead, unknow n, Russell M arlow
and E verett Nye.
70
T h e 1 9 3 0 team , first of En derlin ’s Ju n io r Legion Cham pions.
L e ft to right, front row: M ercer Sly, L ester Knight, Harvey Peterson, Hollis Johanneson, Elroy
H en­
drickson, Lloyd Bergstrom , Jack Jorgenson, Abbie P eterson, M ascot.
Back row: Perry San dell, C oach ; W esley K nadel, Duggan H addican, Harold K raft, Ray Roessler,
Fritz Petrich, H ilary Klonecky, D r. G ilb ert H endrickson, M anager.
T h e 1 9 5 2 En derlin Indies — the first Enderlin team to win the S tate Am ateur crown. L e ft to Right,
front row: Jonnard U tke, Ralph G raalum , Bob W en tlan d , Lloyd Redm ond, m ascot, John Foss, W es
Peterson, Jim Peterson, Bob King
Back row: Jim C lark, D an Kittelson, Kenny Jacobs, Ray Bartholom ay, D arrell Redm ond, Johnny Janz,
Kenneth Kaspari, Pete Redm ond, M anager
E arly road work in L iberty Tow nship. This picture, taken about 1½ miles south o f the W est
St. O laf church shows Philip Larson on the engine and Pete H ill, long-tim e County Com missioner
standing behind. O ther men are unidentified.
70a
A B O V E : V iew o f Enderlin looking E a st about 1 9 0 0 -1 9 0 1
B E L O W : V iew o f En derlin looking W est about 1 9 0 0 -1 9 0 1
70b
F arm in g in our parents’ day took horse power. T h ese four horse-draw n hinders were photographed on
the Herman Utke farm , north-east o f E n d erlin , in 1 9 1 4 .
G rain was hauled by horse and wagon for long distances. One load a day, or two, were the most
that could be hauled. Seated on this wagon are Henry T rapp and Fred Lindem ann.
G ang plows pulled by five horses readied the ground for another crop on the U fer farm .
70c
When World
American Legion.
War I ended,
the
soldiers
of that
war
organized
The
The Enderlin post was chartered February 3, 1922, with the
following members: W. H. Nollman, A. R. Martin, Roy Rasmusson, John L. Roth,
Tony Schoedl, F.
E. Mau, S. J. Hagen, E. W. Sannes, Alan A. Keene, E. J.
Boehnke, Gordon
O.Sundby, F. W. Harper, R. J. Simonet, Claude
B. Phillips,
and Dr. Gilbert Hendrickson.
The post was named for Arthur B. Marschke, a local boy who lost his
life near Verdun, late in October, 1918.
His wife, the former Esther Robertson,
had been notified only that he was missing in action.
In September of 1922, Mrs. Marschke received a photograph of herself
and
her
infant
son
from
a former
German
soldier,
Herman
Sult.
In
an
accompanying letter, he told her that her husband, dying from a wound received
in that battle, had given the picture to a German soldier w ith the request that
it should be sent to his wife. M arschke’s name and organization,
gun company of the 101st Infantry, was written on the folder
the photograph, together with his w ife’s name and address.
a machine
containing
The German soldier was severely wounded and passed the photograph
to Mr. Sul t, with the request that he return it. For some time after the war,
German soldiers were forbidden to correspond with foreigners and thus Mrs.
Marschke didn’t learn where her husband lost his life until four years later.
The story had a tragic sequel.
Mrs. Marschke moved to Webb,
Saskatchewan, with her son. In 1933 she went to G ull Lake for dental work.
She arrived at the station for the return trip as the train was starting to move,
and pulled herself onto the steps just as the crew, unaware that she was there,
shut the door. Clinging to the outside of the train in bitterly cold weather,
she managed to hang on for about nine miles, when she finally lost her grasp.
Her body was found beside the tracks.
Her son Leroy, the child Arthur
Marschke never saw, is now an engineer with the Boeing Aircraft Company in
Seattle, Wash.
The Schwandt-Goodman Post 9050 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was
established January 30, 1947, by veterans of the Enderlin-Sheldon area and
named for the late G. R. Schwandt of Enderlin, a veteran of World War I, and
Robert Goodman of Sheldon, killed in Korea.
Charter members of the post
are Morris Anderson, Vernon Anderson, Clarence Bearman, John Berglund,
Russell Berggren, Noble Doeling, Ralph Ernst, Walter Geyer, Millard Gray,
Richard Johanneson, Robert Kaber, Jerome Klonecky, Alvin Peterson, William
Salzwedel, Cyrus Schultz, Garfield Severson, Wallace Titus, Wilbert Wallner,
Robert Wentland, Lester Zittelman, Roy Zittelman, Arthur Spitzer, Donald
Aspelund, LeRoy Balow, Carleton Donovan, Stephen Groth, George James,
Harold Kraft, Rex McGregor, Delvin Muth, Allan M. Olson, Art Ford Jr.,
Gerald Gec k, Clifford Johanneson, Sieghard Lindemann, John Martin, Joseph
McGrath, Ralph Myhre, Willis Nohr, James Nord, Ralph Oehlke, Vernon H.
Olson, Merlin Skramstad, Carroll Steedsman and Kenneth Wallner.
Both The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars have
active women’s auxiliaries who contribute greatly to community activities and
the welfare of the town.
The following men, now living in Enderlin, served in the armed forces
during the First World War:
71
W o rld W a r I V etera n s
George Aspelund
A. E. Baribeau
Henry J. Boileau
John A. Brun
Sam Grant
Richard T. Oehlke
D. B. Grice
Earl E. Olmstead
Harold T. Olson
S. J. Hagen
William Jaster
Fred Carter
Earl M. Sanness
Erick Schimming
Torolf Johansen
George Geyer
E. N. Kittelson
A l Gilbertson
Otto F. Glaesemann
A lf
B. F. Gram
Everett
IN
Larson
Herman Scheel
Thorval Shelver
Theo. Ulmer
V. Nye
Walter
F. Westphal
MEMORIUM
Listed below are the men of the Enderlin community who have given
their lives in the service of their country.
World
War I
Arthur B. Marschke
Son of Mr.
and Mrs. A ugust Marschke
Arthur Glaesemann
Son of Mr.
and Mrs. Fredrich Glaesemann
Phillip O.
Son of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Larson
Larson
World War II and Later
Norman S. Anderson
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Jens Anderson
Ford H. Browne
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Browne
Milton
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Graalum
Martin M. M iller
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles M iller
A llen L . Morsch
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Morsch
Maurice A. Strand
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Strand
Gordon Utke
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Utke
Vernon A. Salzwedel
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Salzwedel
Sanford
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Sverre Gyldenvand
Jerome
72
L. Graalum
Gyldenvand
Erbstoesser
Son of Mr. and Mrs. August Erbstoesser
Family Histories
Jacob W olters
Jacob W olters w as the th ird child of Joseph
and Cornelia W olters, born in W autfleught,
G erm any, in M ay, 1870.
H is m other died
w h en he w as nine and h er death strengthened
the fa th e r’s w ish to bring his fa m ily to
A m erica.
A b ach elor friend w ho had gone to A le x ­
andria, M inn., w rote Jacob ’s fa th e r of the
free land lakes, forest and gam e. W ith only
a b are liv in g from his fou r acres in G erm an y
and w ith his oldest son alm ost old enough
fo r m ilitary service, th e father, one of only
12 su rvivors of the battle of M etz to return
to W autfleught, decided th at the n ew w orld
offered the o n ly opportunity fo r them and
em barked on th e long trip to A lexan d ria.
D uring the voyage, w h en their food w as dark
bread and cheese, he read the children the
letters w ritten b y his friend to keep their
spirits high.
T he first y e a r th ey lived w ith the frien d
in his crow ded cabin. T h e d aughter cooked
and
the fath er and sons cleared fiv e acres of
land
in return fo r th eir keep.
T h e n ext y ear th ey saw ed lum ber for a
m odest hom e of th eir ow n, and broke land
to plant corn and sm all grain.
Jacob w as
“ farm ed out” to a childless N orw egian couple
in return fo r board, room , u n derw ear, m ittens,
and a p a ir of shoes w h ich w ere too sm all
and ga ve him a perm an en tly crippled toe.
A t 17 he w en t to St. Pau l, w h ere he found
w o rk in the w in ters d riv in g a b re w e ry wagon
and a c o a l d e liv e ry wagon. H e used to tell
that
he d elivered th e first load of coal
to
Jim H ill’s home.
A coal d ealer w h o failed
gave him a start in business, fo r he received
a team and w agon as paym en t fo r w ages
he w as owed.
Jacob th en w e n t to D uluth w here, fo r $65
a month plu s board fo r him self and his team ,
h e did d ray in g in the sum m er and w ork ed
in the w oods in th e w inter.
B y ca refu lly
savin g o v er the n ext fiv e years, he am assed
$1,000.
He decided he could now m ake a
start tow ard a farm of his own. In 1893, he
shipped his team to G rand F o rk s and w orked
in the th reshing field s in D akota, running
separators and renting out his team .
He w o rk ed fo r B ill M anning and Julius
B enson at Sheldon and decided to m ake his
home in this area.
In 1896 he b ou gh t his
first h alf section in Ransom co u n ty on a
h alf-crop paym en t plan. H e broke the land
in 1897, retu rn ed to M innesota for the w inter,
and seeded his first crop in 1898.
He shipped tw o carloads of wood he had
cut th e y e a r before to b u ild the first home.
T h at w in ter he m arried M ary Hermes at
B elle R iver and b rought h er to the three-room
house w h ere their first fou r daughters w ere
bom .
His first h alf section w as paid fo r in tw o
y ears. A s his fa m ily increased, he purchased
m ore land each tw o years, until h e ow ned
4600 acres in Ransom county. A new home
w as b uilt in 1904 to house the ra p id ly gro w in g
fa m ily w hich w as to num ber 14.
Jacob d eveloped his own strain of H ereford
cattle and the herd grew to 500 head. T he
needs of his business led him to becom e
in volved in grain dealing and banking, but
he a lw a y s fe lt him self to be p rim arily a
farm er.
He b elieved in hard w ork, reasonable hours
o f labor, and good food for fa m ily and help
alike. D u rin g the y ears w hen all th e children
w e re at hom e and several m en w ere em ployed
on the farm , 100 pounds of flo ur w as used
in a w eek.
A s his boys grew older, th e land and
equipm ent w e re d ivided am ong them , and
th ey shared labor and equipm ent. T h e p rac­
tice is continued to this day.
Jacob died in 1945, and Mrs. W olters lived
until 1964. A ll but one of his children live
in this area, proof that N orth D akota fu l­
filled his expectations of opp ortu nity and a
good life. T h e children are: Mrs. Joe D w orshak, Sheldon; M rs. V ern e Stock, Fargo; Mrs.
F ran ces H adley, Lisbon; Mrs. Harold Alison,
Lisbon; F rank, Lisbon; Ida, Fargo; Mrs. John
B e au cage, Lisbon; Mrs. G eorge C o ffey, F lo ri­
da; John, Lisbon; Edw ard, Enderlin; M arvin,
deceased; Mrs. B . A. Cruden, Lisbon; V ernon,
Enderlin; and How ard, deceased.
A m em ber of the Cath olic church at Sh el­
don, he w as m uch interested in sponsoring
the St. A loysiou s School in Lisbon w h ere all
his children attended school.
Johannes Trangsrud
Johannes Hanson T ran sgrud
cam e here
from N orw ay in 1874, w ith b is w ife B erth a
M aria Christianson and three sm all children—
one girl, B erth a and tw o boys, H arold and
Jacob.
One little b oy died w h ile on the
boat, so he w as buried in the ocean, and
the second b oy died right a fter th ey landed
T h e y liv e d n ear K in d red until 1881 w h en
Johannes w en t out seeking land, and took
a hom estead w h ich w as in L ib erty Township,
S E ¼ Section 28-136-55.
T h e only p roperty
and m eans o f farm ing consisted of a yok e
of oxen, a w a lk in g plow and a seeder, 5 or
6
feet w ide, w h ich broadcasted the grain.
W hen h arvest tim e cam e, the grain w as
cut w ith a scyth e and tied w ith straw .
T h ere w ere eight m ore ch ild ren bom to
this union.
T h e y w ere H arold, Josie (Mrs.
A lfre d Sjorbotten ), Jacob, B ern h ard , A nna
(Mrs. C h arles Christianson), Hans, Clara (Mrs.
H en ry Severson), and Eddie w h o died w hen
only nine months old.
(Note th a t H arold
and Jacob w ere nam ed a fter the boys that
d ied).
W ith the excep tion of H arold and Josie, w ho
w ere born at K indred, the rest o f th e ch il­
dren w ere born on the hom estead.
O f the
73
eleven children, only three are still liv in g:
Hans, w ho lives in M inneapolis and B ern h ard
and Anna, both livin g in Enderlin.
M rs.
Johannes T ran gsrud died at a v e ry young age
of 47. H er husband n e ve r rem arried bu t lived
w ith his children on the farm u n til he died
M ay 17, 1911.
It w as at this tim e that B ern h ard bought
the farm . In spite of hard times, raising a
fam ily of eight children, losing the farm , etc.,
he bought it back and it still rem ains in the
Trangsrud name, in the third generation, w ith
B u rn ell T ran gsrud as ow ner.
B ern h ard re ­
tired w ith his w ife and M yron w ho w as still
at home in 1952.
B ern h ard m arried C lara Gunderson, A pril
10, 1912. T h ey w ere blessed w ith eight ch il­
dren: M yrtle, (Mrs. H arold Iverson), E velyn
(Mrs. A rn old S ved jan ), Cora (Mrs. H arold
V ee), G lad ys (Mrs. W allace H am re), Edna
(Mrs. R ay M arkel), M arlys (Mrs. W ayn e Muhlenberg
) and two sons, B u rn ell and M yron.
Johannes Transgrud w as one of the fa ith ­
fu l ones who helped build St. O laf Church
and records show th at B ern h ard w as the
second child to be b aptized there.
T h e w hole fa m ily has at one tim e belonged
to W est St. O laf L u th eran Church.
G eorge Card
G eorge W. Card, born in London, England,
on A p ril 5, 1850, origin ally im m igrated to
Kippen, Ontario, w h ere he w as an em ployee
on the railroad b efore he cam e to the States.
He m arried Sarah Iveson O ctober 23, 1879,
in Kippen, and th ey w ere among the early
pioneers of H ill Tow nship, com ing in 1880.
T h e y had nine ch ildren : W illiam , John, A l­
b ert and Charles, all deceased; Jam es of
Compton, Calif.; Robert of Fargo; Mrs. Oscar
(Fannie) Dagm an; M rs. Jam es (M ary) Wold;
and Mrs. G eorge (Ruth) W adeson.
George and Sarah w ere m em bers of the
E piscopal Church in K ip pen , and attended the
M oravian Ch u rch of A lice w h en th ey set­
tled here.
T h ree of the C ard children have m ade th eir
hom es in E nderlin: Charles, who is now livin g
in Montana; Mrs. O scar (Fannie) Dagm an;
and Mrs. Jam es (M ary) W old.
A grandson, J a ck Card, still lives on the
original homestead.
K n u t G reen
In the y e ar 1886, at the age of nine years,
K n u t Green came w ith his parents, Ole and
Ingeborg Gronna, to M oore Tow nship, where
th ey hom esteaded on the NW qu arter of
Section 15. T h e y cam e from Nas, H aalingdar,
N orw ay, to Iowa and then to M oore T o w n ­
ship.
Ole G or r na had three brother, Ole
K ., Asle, and Elling, and fou r sisters, Mrs.
M artinson, M rs. A n d rew Fryd enlun d , Mrs. Ole
Am undson, and Mrs. P eter Solom.
Some
came to the new land before Ole and In g e­
borg, some later, but all settled in the nearby
com m unity.
On this hom estead q u arter the Ole Gronna
74
fa m ily bu ilt a sod house and barn.
They
join ed Fillm ore Church w h ich w as already
founded. K nut, at an early age, helped to
b reak the sod w ith oxen and a w alkin g plow.
His education consisted of attending the one
room school house in the w in ter and N or­
w egian parochial school in the sum m er w hen
he w as not needed to help w ith the farm
w ork.
A fte r some years K n u t’s fath er bought the
q u arter of land ju st north of the present
Moore school site and the fa m ily m oved into
m ore m odern w ooden buildings.
A lon g in
the years the nam e “ G ronna’ ’ w as changed
to the m ore A m erican name of Green.
K n u t and fiv e brothers and tw o sisters
grew up h erdin g cows, sacking grain, and
doing other farm w ork . The grain w as h auled
to B u ttzv ille.
O f his brothers and sisters,
John, E n gval, and Christie have passed aw ay.
K asper is livin g in Lethbridge, Canada; G ust
in Enderlin; Oscar in W ashington state; and
G ertru d e in Texas.
W hen he w as a you n g man, K n u t w ent to
Iow a to seek livelihood. H ere he m et Am anda
Hove, a farm girl.
T h ey w ere m arried at
N orthwood, Iow a, on D ecem ber 17, 1902. T h ey
returned to M oore Tow nship w h ere th ey set­
tled on a farm one m ile north of the M oore
school.
Here th ey raised a fam ily of nine children.
Freem an, Ernest, and M arvie are still farm ing
in the tow nship. Mrs. B a rn ey B e rg is livin g
on a farm in the N ome com m unity.
T h eir
other children, M orris and M errell (twins)
live in F argo, N. D.; G la d ys in Santa A na,
Calif.; Stella in A n a h eim, Calif.; and K enneth
in Enchant, A lb erta,
Canada.
K n u t served as trustee of Fillm ore Church;
as township treasurer for tw en ty years, and
as tow nship supervisor for nine years.
A fte r the fa m ily was grow n, K n u t and
A m anda m oved b ack to the farm , w h ich is
presently farm ed b y Freem an.
T h e y lived
here u n til K n u t died D ecem ber 15, 1949, and
Am anda Jan uary 26, 1962.
Th e Pierce F am ily
P a trick and M ary Cronin Pierce and th eir
fam ily of fiv e children w ere among the first
residents of Enderlin. Both parents w ere bom
in Ireland, P atrick at Craig, County K e rry,
in 1836, and M ary at Tallow in County Cork,
in 1834. A s youn g people th ey em igrated to
Canada, and
th ey w ere
m arried at S ilver
Creek, O n tario, * about 1860. Soon afterw ard
they came to
the United States w h ere th ey
lived first at Ishpem ing and later at M ichigam m ee, M ich.
P a trick found w o rk w ith a
m ining com pany, but he loved the land and
w as not h appy in his occupation. So in 1878,
w hen their second son, Thom as, w as tw elve,
the fam ily m oved w estw ard.
T h ey liv e d for a time in B arn esville, Minn.,
w here P atrick
and Thom as w orked w ith the
crew s building
the G reat Northern R ailw ay.
Thom as rem em bered that, as w aterboy, he
once brought a drink to Jim Hill, visitin g on
an inspection tour, and that
q uarter, a m un ificen t rew ard
he received
in the 70’s
a
E arly in 1879 P a tric k cam e to D akota T e r ­
ritory and hom esteaded near the M aple R iver
in Cass County, on the S E 1/4 of Section 10
in H ighland Tow nship.
He prepared livin g
q u arters and the fa m ily cam e to th eir new
home in O ctober.
T h e y traveled b y land
to Pem bina, then up the Red R iv er by
steam er, and to Casselton b y rail.
Thom as
started w alkin g in the general direction of
the farm , a sk in g directions along the w a y
and som etim es getting a lift. He found his
fath er bu sy w ith preparations for w inter,
and th ey w en t to m eet the rest of the fam ily.
F o r the n ext tw e lve years the fa m ily
shared the bu sy life of the pioneer com m unity.
A school w as established n earb y in 1881.
Edm und earned m oney b y w o rk in g on a farm
not far a w a y . Thom as helped b re ak prairie
land, using a team of oxen.
W hen asked
later about hardships of the early days,
Thom as said th ey had “ su ffered no h ard ­
ships. ”
T h eir house, b y pioneer standards,
w as room y and com fortable. T h ere w as al­
w ays plen ty to eat, and there w ere neighbors
w ithin a fe w m iles w ith w hom th ey exchanged
visits and shared r eligious and social affairs.
(Som e of th eir n eighbors w ere the H ealys,
the Keenans, the Cosgroves— o b vio u sly the
Irish had foregath ered ! )
Thom as rem em bered takin g a loaf of bread
of his m other’s b ak in g as a gift to a band
of Indians travelin g along the riv er, and
b ein g told b y the squaw w h o accep ted it,
“ Y o u m other good w om an ! ”
He also told
of going along in the o x -d ra w n w agon on
a trip to Casselton to b u y supplies, and tryin g
to m ake the storekeeper’s gift of a soda
cra cker last all the w a y hom e b y takin g v ery
sm all bites— quite a feat w h en the trip of
some tw e n ty m iles m ust have taken several
hours.
T h e eldest son, Edm und, settled in Sheldon
w h ere he read law in the office of an attorney.
He passed the bar exam inations, and as a
you n g attorn ey he acted for the Soo L ine in
the purchase of land for rig h t-o f-w ay.
He
b ecam e interested in the developm ent of the
n ew tow n, and at his urgin g the eld er P ierces
and the four ch ild ren still at hom e m oved
to the new settlem ent.
T h e house w hich
th ey built, n ow at 124 D ew ey Street, w as the
first d w ellin g con structed in the tow nsite.
Later th ey m oved to the house at 138 D e w e y
Street, and th ey lived there until Mrs. P ie rc e ’s
death in 1901.
T h eir youn gest child, F ra n k , had died in
M inneapolis w h ere h e w as attending school
in 1896. T h eir old er daughter, Charlotte, m ar­
ried B. I. K ea tin g and soon afterw ard m oved
to F argo.
Th e yo u n ger daughter, Johanna,
m arried S. T. W olfe and a fter liv in g fo r some
years in Kansas, spent the rest of h er life
in St. Paul.
C harlotte died in 1952 and
Johanna in 1960. E dm und becam e a prom ­
inent attorney of the Sheldon com m un ity and
w as a ctive in state and local politics, servin g
for several years in the state legislature. He
m arried M argaret Doran, w ho w as post­
m istress at Sheldon, and th ey m aintained
a home there until his death in 1927.
Thom as P ierce rem ained a resident of E n­
derlin the rest of his life. He first operated
an elevator, and in 1897 becam e cashier of
the Enderlin State B ank. He rem ained w ith
the b an k u ntil his retirem ent.
He had an
interesting sideline, the m anagem ent of the
W agner and L o w e M anufacturing Com pany,
m aker of L o w e hoof nippers, w hich had a
w orld -w id e reputation.
He died in 1955,
aged 89 years.
Mr. P ie rc e ’s w ife, Trena Selvig, whom he
m arried in 1900, cam e to Enderlin from her
hom e in P rairie F arm , Wis., in 1899, and for
a tim e m ade her hom e w ith her sister, Mrs.
Ed F alkenborg, the w ife of one of the early
Soo Line roadm asters.
Trena Pierce w as interested in the religious,
civ ic and social life of E nderlin until her
death in 1935. Besides being a b u sy m other
£nd hostess, she w as an active m em ber of
the Catholic Church and the A lta r Society,
and a m em ber of the Clio C lub to w hich she
contributed m uch tim e and effort in the
C lu b ’s project, the P u b lic L ibrary.
T w o of the P ie rc e ’s fou r children now live
in E nderlin: T hom as Jr., and his w ife Edna
W ahl P ierce and th eir tw o sons, Thom as W il­
liam and P a trick Jam es; and M arie Pierce.
F rancis Pierce, th eir oldest child, lives in
W inter H aven, F la.
T h eir tw o sons, F rank
and Jerry Pierce, are practicing la w in O r­
lando, Fla.
K atherin e Pierce m arried Jerry
E rickson in 1935 and th ey now live in Fargo,
as does th eir son, Peter, sports reporter for
The F argo Forum .
* T his inform ation is from the fa m ily record
in a B ible.
The
Trapp
F am ily
In 1881, at the age of 17, H enry T rapp , his
brother, Paul, and sister, Johanna, le ft th eir
home in Stolp, Pom erania, G erm any, for
the United States, com ing to C haffee, N orth
Dakota, w h ere th ey had acquaintances.
Jo­
hanna m arried C arl Dehn at C h affee that
year. P au l and H enry found w ork ; P au l in
F argo in a harness m a k er’s shop, H enry on
th e L u th e r farm at C h affee.
T h ey saved
m oney and w ere soon able to b rin g their
parents, Mr. and M rs. K a rl T rapp and their
tw o you n ger sisters, Ida (Mrs. B iem ueller)
and Em m a (Mrs. F red rich Holter) to this
country.
Pau l set up his ow n harness shop in B ig
Stone C ity, South Dakota, and in 1885, when
he reached legal age, H enry filed on a
hom estead in Section 30, Pontiac Tow nship,
w h ere his parents lived w ith him fo r the
rest of th eir lives. K a rl Trapp died in 1905
but Mrs. Trapp lived until ju st short of
her hundredth b irth day.
In 1891, H en ry ma rried Emma Pett, w ho
had com e to A m erica w ith her parents, M r.
and Mrs. A u gu st Pett. in 1889. Their story
75
is th at of the usual struggle of the pioneers
to establish them selves on the D akota prairies.
This th ey did su ccessfu lly, establishing a
com fortable and m eticulously cared -fo r farm
home.
The saddest ch apter of the story w as the
death of
th eir tw o oldest children. C lara
and Siegfried, in the scarlet fe v e r epidem ic
of 1903.
Mr. and
Mrs. T rapp lived to celebrate 66
y ears of m arriage on that hom estead, their
deaths
com ing
only
three
m onths
apart
in 1957. W hile Mr. Trapp took part in com ­
m un ity affairs in his earlier years, holding
tow nship and school offices, th eir greatest
interest w as th eir church, and M r. Trapp
served as secretary of the T rin ity con grega­
tion fo r 44 years.
O f th eir six su rv ivin g children. Em m a
(Mrs. A . W. Ringw ald) lives in Fargo. A m an ­
da (Mrs. F red H artson) in Norco, Calif., and
M artha in Chicago.
Th ree sons, W illiam ,
F red and
Otto, farm in the Enderlin
com ­
m unity.
A d o lp h Ihm e
H enry Ihm e, Sr., cam e to the U nited S tates
in 1832 w ith his parents and settled in Scott
C oun ty, M innesota. He w as one of the troops
sent to D akota to subdue the Indians at the
tim e of the S iou x rebellion, and served in
the 4th R egim ent, Co. F d urin g the C ivil
War.
In 1871 he m arried Jeanette Engel and in
1878 th ey cam e to N orth D akota and hom e­
steaded on Section 8 in W atson Township.
M r. Ihm e often told his children that the
reason he settled in N orth D akota w as that
the prairies w ere alive w ith birds, ducks,
geese, and prairie chickens, as the troops
m arch ed across this area, and the green grass
and fragran t flo w ers m ade it the most b eau ­
tifu l cou n try he had e v e r seen.
O nly one of th eir eight ch ild ren survives.
He is Adolph Ihm e, now retired and livin g
in Enderlin.
Mr.
Ihm e recalls v iv id ly the w in ter of
1887-88. T he snow started early in the w in ter
and accum ulated to a great depth.
W hen
spring cam e his fa th er started out to see
if the neighbors had su rvived the w inter.
A t the nearest neighbor, the fath er had died
during the w in ter. Since there w as no w ay
of gettin g out, his body had been w rapped
in a b lanket and placed in a snow bank b y
the house. A t the n ext farm , th ey had all
com e through the w inter, but had burned
the fu rn itu re and partitions of the house
to k eep w arm .
T he Ihm e’s had no kerosene and no coffee.
His m other m ade candles, roasted b arley for
coffee
and brew ed oat-straw tea. T h e y had
m ilk so th ey cam e through the w in ter fa irly
w ell.
Mr. Ihm e recalls several severe storms,
in clu d in g the tornado of 1886 that took the
C obu rn elevator.
T he w in d w as so strong
that it tw isted the steel rails of the tracks.
He also rem em bers seeing an artesian w e ll
76
northeast of A lice w h ich w en t “ w ild ” th row ­
ing up m ud, rocks, and w ater that buried
trees and form ed a lake w here the farm stead
had been.
Mr. Ihm e m arried Elizabeth K a lles in 1914
and has had a varied career w h ich included
farm ing, coun ty treasurer, gen eral store m an­
ager, grain buyer, county auditor, and m an ­
ager of an Old People’s Home. T h e y raised
th eir fa m ily of ten children in m any towns
in N orth D akota and M innesota, retu rn in g to
E nderlin in 1959 w hen M r. Ihme retired. T h ey
are m em bers of the T rin ity L u th eran congre­
gation.
E ric Gunderson
E ric Gunderson w as bom at Solar, N or­
w a y in 1844. He cam e to A m erica at the age
of 17 w ith his parents and lived in Wisconsin,
Iow a and C h ipp ew a Coun ty, M inn., before
com ing to N orth D akota.
He becam e d iscouraged w ith farm ing pros­
pects in the w ooded lands of M innesota and,
in 1878, took a tree claim near B u ffalo, N. D.
He returned to M innesota and, sellin g his
tree claim right, he cam e to L ib e rty T o w n ­
ship in 1880 w ith $33 as capital. He b u ilt a
sod shanty and b a m and, in 1881, his fa m ily
joined him.
W orkin g for others and im proving his own
place, he acquired m ore land.
He built a
com fortable farm hom e w h ere he and his
w ife, the form er Sarah Everson, raised nine
children.
He served in the N orth D akota
Legislatu re and w as an early m em ber of W est
St. O laf Church.
T h ree of his children still live in this area:
M rs. E arl H itchcock, Lisbon; M rs. B . J.
Tran gsrud, Enderlin; and Ed Gunderson, L is­
bon.
A grandson, E lm er Gunderson, also
farm s in Moore Tow nship.
George, Charles,
A lfred , Lida, Emm a, and Ida are deceased.
The Ross W arner F am ily
Ross W arner w as born in Ontario, Canara in 1869. W hen he was seven his m other
died and his father em igrated to the United
States, lea vin g Ross and his sister w ith their
grandparents.
A fte r some years his fath er purchased a
farm east of Sheldon and in 1888, h avin g re ­
m arried, brought his son to live with him.
Ross w orked fo r other farm ers, and w h en
his fath er’s health failed, farm ed w ith his
father.
In M arch of 1896 th ey m oved to a farm
north east of Lucca in Clifton Township. Tw o
years later his father died and his step-m other
and sister kept house for him. The N orthern
P a cific R ailroad branch line cam e through
in 1900, cu tting through his land and for a
tim e it looked as if th ey w ou ld b e livin g near
a m etropolis, for the tow nsite of Elizabeth w as
laid out ju st a h a lf m ile aw ay. F o r a fe w
years there w as a post office, store and e le­
vator on the site.
He helped organize and build the Clifton
School, D istrict 85, and w as its first clerk.
In 1903 he sold his farm and w ent to Cana-
da, bringing his sister b ack w ith him. A year
later she m arried M r. B ayliss and lived in
this com m unity m any years.
Mr. W arner w as a carpenter as w ell as a
farm er and w orked about the area for some
years u n til he m arried M abel B ayliss in 1913,
w hen he again purchased a farm n ear Lucca.
S even children w ere born to them ; V iolet
(Mrs. H alvor Larson) St. A nsgar, Io w a ; V era
(Mrs. C u rtis Stoddord) Flasher, N orth Dakota;
V ern a (Mrs. Ernest Johnson) Lucca, North
Dakota; V irgil, Lucca, N orth Dakota; John,
Sheldon,
N orth
Dakota;
Deloris,
M idland,
M ichigan and Ilene, now in the Philippines.
A fte r Mr. W arners death in 1947 M rs. W ar­
n er m oved to Enderlin, w ith her youngest
children. Since th ey are grow n she has acted
as h ousekeeper fo r M rs. R oy Rasmussen.
The Fern ow F am ily
Herm an J. F ern ow w as born in G erm any
in 1847. A stone mason b y trade, he served
in the G erm an A rm y durin g the FrancoPrussian W ar. In 1874 he m arried M athilda
T rapp and in 1887 th ey em igrated to D akota
T errito ry w ith their fiv e children, w h ere Mrs.
F ern o w ’s brothers and parents w ere already
settled in this area. T h ey lived first on a
farm n ear Sheldon. A fe w years later th ey
m oved to the farm in Pon tiac Tow nship
w hich was th eir home for the rest of their
lives.
F iv e m ore children w ere born here and most
of them have farm ed or w ork ed in the E n d er­
lin com m unity at some time. Th ere w ere f ive
sons; V ern er, w ho died in infancy, Ernest,
Carl, Paul, all n ow dead and A rth u r still
livin g north of Enderlin; fiv e daughters; B e r­
tha (Mrs. W illiam Cole) n ow deceased; M ary
(Mrs. M ark B a y) and A nnie (Mrs. Charles
Cole) of Seattle, W ashington; Louise (Mrs.
Ed Sullivan ) Redding, California, and L yd ia
(Mrs.
Leonard
Anderson)
of
E nderlin.
M an y grandchildren still live
in the com ­
m un ity also.
Mr. F ern ow m et his death acciden tally
in 1912, w hen he w as throw n from a horse.
M rs. F ern o w died in 1918.
W illiam Fernow , a b roth er of H erm an, cam e
from G erm an y in 1892, w ith his w ife and four
ch ild ren .
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John
Fernow , accom panied them . T h e y came d ir­
e ctly to Enderlin, liv in g both in town and
on a farm north of the city.
A tailor by
trade, Mr. F ern ow did tailoring for n eigh ­
bors, w h o often bought lengths of goods from
travelin g p a ck p ed dlers. He also m ade o v er­
alls for Soo Line w orkers and for a tim e w as
em ployed on the railroad.
A fe w years later he bought a farm b e ­
tw een E nderlin and Lucca. Th ree m ore c h il­
dren w ere added to the fam ily, brin gin g the
total to seven. Mrs. F ern o w died in 1908 and
Mr. F ern ow in 1929.
T w o of th eir children are still livin g in E n­
derlin w ith their fam ilies; M argaret G race
(Mrs. Hanson) and E dw in. T h e y are active in
com m unity affairs and the w o rk of the T rin ­
ity Lu th eran congregation.
Th e others are;
M ary (Mrs. Charles Hall), H attie (Mrs. Gust
Janz), Ernest (Lew) all deceased, Ida (Mrs.
Z u m ach) and G ertru d e (Mrs. M cCorm ick).
Th e Anderson F am ily
A b ou t 1885, John Anderson and his w ife
Jessie settled on the SE'/4 of Section 10, P o n ­
tiac Township, four m iles north of Enderlin.
Th eir first concern w as to plant 10
acres
of trees, for this w as a tree claim .
Here
th ey raised a fa m ily of eight children, e x ­
periencing the jo y s and hardships of pioneer
life, w hen Sheldon and B u ffalo w ere the n ear­
est m arkets, gra d u a lly im proving their farm
and fin d in g life a little easier.
In 1920 M rs. A nderson died. Mr. Anderson
re-m arried and m oved to Spring V alley, W is­
consin, selling the farm to F red Tim m . He
died in 1931. His w ife still lives in Spring
V a lley and a d augh ter of the second m arriage
lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Of th eir children, two are still livin g in this
area, W ilson and V io let w en t to Bow m an,
N orth D akota, G erald and Isaac m oved to
O regon, M ilton to Spring V alley , W isconsin,
w h ere he still farm s. Russell ran a variety
store in E nderlin b efore m oving to Brem erton,
W ashington. T w o sons, Ernest of Nome and
John, n ear Sheldon , are still farm ing in this
com m unity.
G austad F am ily H istory
Th e R ev. G austad fa m ily m oved to E nderlin
in the fa ll of 1906. A rrivin g in Enderlin, the
fa m ily w ere guests in the farm hom e of Mr.
and M rs. E ver G ullickson, w ho lived on top
of the h ill northw est of Enderlin.
Mr. G austad had purchased the house oc­
cupied b y the form er pastor, the R ev. Jahren.
In a fe w days the fam ily m oved into this
house and liv e d there during the lives of the
pastor and his w ife. In this fa m ily w ere tw o
daughters and one son, w ho passed a w a y two
years a fter com ing to Enderlin. A n other son,
V ictor, w as bom a y e ar later.
The three children entered grade school here
and the two girls and V ictor finished high
school.
B efore com ing to Enderlin, Rev. Gaustad
w as a pioneer pastor in the w estern part of
the state. He traveled exten sively from B is­
m arck as far w est as M iles C ity, Mont., doing
pastoral w ork .
Com ing to Enderlin, Mr. G austad’s parish
consisted of fou r congregations.
O ftentim es
he w ould also conduct services for con grega­
tions in O w ego and another south of E n der­
lin, called the M aple R iver congregation.
Sundays w ould find him cruising over the
snow in a cutter d raw n b y tw o beautiful b lack
horses, at tim es in v e ry cold w eath er and over
trails m arked on ly b y bob sled tracks; there
w as no b la ck top nor ca refu lly laid out roads
in those days.
E ven w alk in g in E nderlin in the early days
w as follow in g a w ell trod path, since there
w ere no sidew alks excep t a fe w high wooden
77
ones around the business places, but soon a
cre w of m asons cam e to tow n and began
w ork. Th e m inister w as alw ays interested in
im provem ent and m ade friends w ith the m em ­
bers of the crew , m ore especially since Mr.
Standal, w ho w as the forem an, w as a m em ber
of Ms ch urch.
He show ed his interest and
hospitality b y in vitin g the w h ole cre w in for
coffee w h ile th ey w ere w o rk in g nearby, or
also anyone else w ho m ight be dow n the
street at the tim e.
Th e parsonage w as also a h o m e-aw ay-from hom e fo r several you n g people w ho had come
to Enderlin to w o rk and often for several who
cam e to entertain, such as a Miss O livia Dahl,
a concert singer; a prom inent attorney from
G rand F orks w ho had com e to speak at a
“ S even teenth of M ay ” celebration; another
singer, a M r. R eim stadt who ga ve a concert
here. M rs. G austad w as asked if she could
entertain these people, since other accom oda­
tions in tow n w ere ra th er scarce. H ospitality
in those days w as practiced m ore gen erally.
Life becam e a little easier as this pastor
g re w older; his house w as the first in E n d er­
lin to be w ired for electricity, then cam e cars
and better roads. He served one con grega­
tion here for thirteen years, others for nine­
teen years. He and his w ife, together w ith
the tw o sons, are buried in the W est St. Olaf
Cem etery. One daughter still lives in E n der­
lin, and the other in D elray B each, Flordia.
— M rs. Edw in M atthes
Th e B an gert F am ily
W hen Charles B angert cam e to Sheldon in
1904 at the insistence of Ed P ierce to do some
abstracting w ork , he intended to stay two
w eeks. Mr. B angert, w ho w as born at Sabula,
Iow a in 1879, had com pleted a business a d ­
m inistration course at W estm ar College, and
w o rk ed as a law clerk and abstractor. Th e
tw o w eeks stretched to six years, during
w h ich tim e he continued reading la w and
stu dying through correspondence.
In 1906
he passed his b ar exam inations and w as a d ­
m itted to practice la w in N orth Dakota.
Jan u ary 1, 1910, Mr. B angert opened his own
law practice in E nderlin w h ich he continued
un til retirem ent in 1962. A lon g the w a y he
has been in volved in num berless other v en ­
tures.
He m aintained offices in Fargo, in
partnership w ith his son H arold. He helped
organize the Peoples B an k , w hich later m erg­
ed w ith the Enderlin State B an k , to form
the Peoples and E nderlin State B ank, he w as
the first president. He served in the L e g ­
islature and as A ssistan t A ttorn ey G eneral, as
w ell as takin g an active role in N . P . L. P a r­
ty affairs in the 30’s. He served as C ity A t ­
torn ey fo r m any years and w as one of the
group w ho organized farm er-ow n ed business­
es in Enderlin, such as the F arm ers Elevator,
of w hich he w as S ecretary for 5 years.
Mrs. B angert, the form er Sarah W allace,
w hom he m arried in 1903, has been eq u ally
active. A form er teacher, she served 12 years
on the E nderlin School Board, w as one of
78
the group of w om en w ho organized E n derlin ’s
first lib ra ry and still m aintains a keen in ­
terest in both local and national affairs.
T h eir children are, Harold, a F argo at­
torney, Constance, n ow M rs. C. E. Cam pbell,
a teacher in M cA llen, T ex as, and, still livin g
in Enderlin, D orothy, Mrs. S. C. Bacheller,
w ife of the local doctor.
The Opheim F am ily
M rs. N ick Opheim (Constance Skog) w as
born at Ibestad, N orw ay, A p ril 10, 1883.
W hen she w as seventeen she w ent into N urses
train ing at the Deaconess Hospital in Oslo.
M any people w ere seeking m ore opportunity
in the United States and the adventu re ap­
pealed to her. She first cam e to L a k e G a r­
vin, M innesota in 1903, w here an aunt w as
livin g. In the fall of that year she w ent to
M inneapolis, w h ere she w orked in the C ity
Hospital, now G en eral Hospital.
In A u gu st 1907, she came to Lisbon w here
she m arried N ick Opheim , w ho had come
from N orw ay at the same tim e she did. Mr.
Opheim had started w o rk in g for the Soo Line
and th ey settled here and raised a fam ily of
nine ch ildren.
Seven are livin g in Flint,
M ichi gan; M abel, (Mrs. G. Johnson) H enry,
E dw in, John, K eneth, H elena (Mrs. Hugh W il­
son) and B etti (Mrs. E. Hazzard). A lm a (Mrs.
F red Bohm) lives in Seattle, W ashington. Olaf,
the oldest son, is m arried to the form er M ary
E llen Lincoln and m akes his home in E n d er­
lin.
Carin g fo r the sick has alw ays been her
greatest enjoym en t and the doctors of the
area relied on her for assistance w hen the
stork w as im minent.
A fte r M r. O pheim ’s
death in 1947 she ran a m aternity home for
eigh t years and included in her adventures
a trip b y plane w ith Dr. H endrickson, w hen
roads w ere im passable. She counts as “ h e r”
babies, 117 b oys and girls now scattered all
over the country.
Mrs. Opheim says, “ There are m any changes
in Enderlin— all for the best for town and
com m unity. I h ave m any good friends and
neighbors and m any now h ave gone to their
rest. Enderlin has a lw ay s been a good home
to m e. ”
The Robertson F am ily
Robert Robertson, a native of N orw ay and
Ms w ife M ary A n n e (Houson), born in D en­
m ark, w ere m arried at LaCrosse, W isconsin.
A b ou t 1883 th ey m igrated to N orth Dakota,
settling on a claim in Raritan Township.
T h ey lived the first years in a sod shanty,
as did m any of their neighbors. A fte r a tim e
th ey com m enced w o rk on a n ew fram e house,
liv in g in the gran ary that sum m er w hile they
w ere building. Before it w as com pletely done,
the n ew house burned dow n and th ey w ere
com pelled to start all over again. The farm
house w here th ey raised th eir fa m ily of fo u r­
teen children now stands em pty on the Roy
G illund farm .
In 1916 M r. Robertson retired and m oved
to Enderlin, where he b u ilt the house now
occupied b y Mrs. H elena W estphal. He died
in 1922, w h ile Mrs. Robertson lived until 1941.
O f th eir children, Robert, Sam, A lfred , H en­
ry, B etsy (Mrs. Oscar Anderson) and M innie
(Mrs. P ete Sonsteby) all lived in the E n d er­
lin area before m oving to Saskatchew an. A n ­
drew , M yrtle (Mrs. Ja k e G arvin) and To ny
live in Portland, Oregon and H enry in Ogden,
Utah.
Robert and A n d rew M elvin died in
infancy, the latter b elieved to be the first
child buried in the E nderlin Cem etery, w hile
M ary and Esther are both deceased.
Lynn,
the only m em ber of the fa m ily still livin g
in E nderlin, is m arried to the form er Lena
Lew and oski and th ey have tw o sons, C arroll
and L arry.
Hans Skramstad
Hans Skram stad w as born in H arm ony, M in­
nesota in 1864. His first trip to North D akota
w as in 1886, w hen he and his b rother accom ­
panied a w agon train to M oorhead, M innesota,
and thence w est to the Sh eyen n e. His brother
took a claim but Hans retu rn ed to Minnesota.
T w o years later he cam e b ack to N. D. by
train, w alkin g from railroad at G w in n er to his
broth er’s home.
He took a hom estead and built a sod house
where, the n ext y ear he b rought his bride,
Lena Christiandotter, to live. T he Skram stads
w ere charter m em bers of St. P etri Lutheran
Church and he w as one of the original organ­
izers of Raritan Tow nship.
T h e y had fou r daughters: M innie, Hanna,
Alm a, and Helen; and three sons: Palm er, M elford, and Oscar. A ll three sons farm ed west
of Enderlin. M elford, now liv in g in V alley
City, had one son, C arlyle. Oscar, w ho still
farm s near Nome, had six daughters and one
son, L eR oy Skram stad, of En derlin. C. P a l­
m er Skram stad, n ow retired, liv es in E n der­
lin.
He farm ed n orthw est of E nderlin for
m any years. A son, A rn e, owns the original
S kram stad hom estead and the sod house is
part of their home.
A n other son, Lester,
ow ns the farm next door.
T he third son,
M erlin, is in business in Enderlin.
There
are also tw o daughters in the com m unity:
C larice (Mrs. W illiam Schlecht) and V ivian
(Mrs. Sim on B je rk e ).
Fredrich J. Glaesemann
F red rich Ju liu s G laesem ann w as b om in
G erm an y in 1857, com ing to Enderlin in 1882,
w here he took a hom estead on the SE q u ar­
ter of Sec. 20. A few years later he acquired
the farm now owned b y G ordon Lund, w hich
w as the fam ily home u n til 1961.
In 1887 he m arried H ulda Balau. The G laesem ann’s w ere charter m em bers of the T rin ity
N orth Congregation. T h e y raised a fa m ily of
three sons: C a rl and A rth u r, both deceased,
and Otto.
A fte r the death of his w ife, he m ade his
home in E nderlin
w ith a d augh ter-in -law ,
Mrs. H ulda Glaesem ann, and his
son Otto
farm ed the fam ily farm .
A lm ost
until the
time of his death in 1948, he continued to
spend m uch of his tim e at the farm in the
summ er, helping to keep every th in g hoed and
trim m ed and w eeded.
Otto Glaesem ann served in
W orld W ar I
and on his return, m arried D aisy B artel at
A lice
in 1919. In 1961, th ey retired in E n ­
derlin. T h ey
are the parents of fiv e ch il­
dren:
June; deceased, Joyce,
and F rances
(Mrs. M ark Burton) G rafton, G ilford, G reat
Falls, Mont; and W ilbur, Enderlin.
Gordon W. Mason
Gordon W. M ason w as born in W auke, Iow a
in 1883. His father w as a contractor, b u ild ­
ing homes and elevators at G len w ood and
K enm are.
W hile G ordon w as w ork in g for
his fa th er at K enm are, the late H arry Rice,
a Soo Line Conductor, persuaded him to go
to w ork for the Soo Line.
He started ru n ­
ning out of Enderlin as a brakem an in 1909
and rem ained in the Soo Line service as a
conductor until his death in 1947.
He m arried Ethel Parsons in 1912 at San­
born, Minnesota.
T h e y have one daughter,
M axine (Mrs. K en n eth Peterson) of Tucson,
A rizon a and Garrison, Minnesota.
Mrs. Mason, who still m akes her hom e in
Enderlin, is an avid h orticulturist and a v e t­
eran m em ber of the E nderlin P a rk Board.
Mrs. Jacob (Martha) Kurtz
Mrs. Jacob (M artha) K u rtz is the only su r­
vivin g child of the A lb ert Salzw edel fa m ily
w ho homestead northeast of E nderlin in the
early 80’s. Three brothers, Robert, F rank, and
G u stave, w ho lived all of their lives in the
area, are now deceased.
M artha rem em bers, as a child, that when
th ey w en t to E nderlin, the road ran across
the section from the Em il G esk e farm to the
present E rw in U tke farm .
She rem em bers
too, a cle rk at the Burtness store, Otto Redetzke, w ho w as alw ays kind to them and gave
them candy.
He w as the father of Judge
Roy Redetzke.
M artha m arried Jacob K u rtz in 1919 and
th ey farm ed until their retirem ent in 1953,
w hen th ey m oved to Enderlin, w here Mr.
K u rtz died. Th e home farm is now owned b y
th eir son A lvin .
T h eir other children are
A lfred, Fargo; H ow ard, E nderlin; Leona (Mrs.
Law ren ce Fern ow ), A lexan d ria; and Lu cille
(Mrs. L a rry E lrite) Coon Rapids, M innesota.
William Froemke
W illiam F roem ke and his w ife, the form er
Elena
Schm idtke,
hom estead
in
Shenford
T ow nship in 1880 w here th ey raised a fam ily
of ten children, several of whom live in this
com m unity.
T h ey w ere ch arter m em bers of
the T rin ity Lutheran Church.
T h eir children w ere Am elia (Jaster), B e r­
tha
(Seelig),
Pauline
(Curtis),
M athilda
(K ru eger), Em m a (Callahan), Ellen (M ona­
han), Elsie (E ldridge), Lou, Paul, and A lfred .
Th e later tw o farm in L ib erty Township.
79
The Galbreath Family
In 1882, W allace G albreath shipped horses
and equipm ent to D akota T erritory, w here
he took a hom estead 4 ½ m iles w est of the
present town of E nderlin. T h at fall he sold
his horses and returned to Chatfield, M in­
nesota fo r the w in ter.
In the sprin g he returned to Ransom Coun
ty, accom panied b y three brothers and three
sisters.
T h e y unloaded at B row n s V alley,
M innesota, driving for m iles along the Red
R iver and then strikin g w est.
T h e y forded
the S h eyenne n ear the present site of L is­
bon, an ordeal w h ich frigh ten ed the sisters.
W ill and Sam Galbreath settled near Lucca,
L izzie m arried Dan Conan, w ho settled near
Nome, w h ile her sisters F lo ra and K ate taught
in the rural schools of the area. A n oth er sis­
ter, Jane, m arried Lu te Stew art, w ho was
an early d ay depot agent at Enderlin. B e n ­
ton took a claim w est of his b rother Wallace,
W ith so m an y of the fa m ily livin g in the
area, fa m ily gatherings did m u ch to re ­
lieve the rigors of pioneer life. H ow ever, only
two of the fam ily w ere destined to leave de­
scendants in this com m unity.
B enton G albreath m arried Lottie T u rn er at
B u ttzville, then the n earest town. T h eir ch il­
dren w ere: A rchie, B eatrice, (Mrs. Wm. Cald
w ell) H oward, Mae, (Mrs. J. W arren) Sacram
ento
, Calif., and H elen, (Mrs. A lb ert Gust)
Leonard. T he last tw o are the only children
living.
W allace G albreath m arried Ruth Labaree in
1884. A daughter, Ruth, m arried Hans A n ­
derson, of B uffalo, N. D.
T w o sons, W ard
and Clarence, spent th eir liv es on farm s in
the E nderlin com m unity and have several
children still livin g here.
W ard and L izzie B reu m G albreath raised
seven children: M arjorie (N eff), B ism arck;
V ivia n (B o xru d ), W allace, and W ym an, all of
Enderlin; Lois, (H artigan) W atertow n, S. D.;
G en eva (M attox), Massillon Ohio; and Ward,
W est Fargo, N. D. The fam ily homestead is
farm ed b y W allace, his gran d fath er’s n am e­
sake.
C larence G albreath and Nera A gn es H an­
son
G alb reath had tw o daughters; B e tty
(B artz) of E. A m h e r s t , N. Y . and Clarice
(W eber) of B ism arck, w ith w hom Mrs. G a l­
breath now m akes her home.
The Gram Family
B . F. and A lta G ram settled in the S h el­
don area in 1883, w h ere his father, H enry
G ram , w as an early day M ethodist M inister.
A lta G ram tau gh t in the old O wego school.
In 1899, M r. G ram w ent to w o rk on the
Soo Line.
He w orked as an E ngineer for
m an y years, out of both H arvey and E nderlin.
He died in E nderlin, in 1950, at the age of 86.
M rs. G ram now 96,m akes her hom e here
w ith her son Fred.
F red G ram started as a Soo Line firem an
a fter a y e a r of teaching school. He had serv ­
ed w ith the 1st N orth Dakota Infan try on the
M exican border and fo r 18 m onths in the
80
A m erican E xpedition ary F orces during W orld
W ar I.
He m arried Alm a Jones at Enderlin in 1917.
T h ey are m em bers of St. A n d re w ’s Episcopal
Church and h ave one daughter, M arjorie (Mrs.
R. L B at tleson) B u ffalo, N ew Y ork .
F red Gram is a past m aster of the M asonic
Lodge in Enderlin, and a m em ber of the B roth ­
erhood of Locom otive Firem en and Engineers.
He retired from the railroad in 1962, after
43 years of service.
Jens Anderson
Jens Anderson w as born Jan. 15, 1881, in
Sogn, N orw ay, com ing to this country as a
you n g m an to find w ork . He cam e to E n­
derlin in 1903 to w ork on the Soo Line.
In 1914, he m arried Ragna Husemoen, w ho
w as b o m on a homestead in Ransom C oun ty
in 1888, and whose m other died w hen she
w as nine, leavin g three you n g children.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson lived all their m ar­
ried life in Enderlin, raising a fam ily of fiv e
sons and one daughter.
One of th eir sons,
Norm an, died in W orld W ar T w o
M argaret
(Mrs. R euben B oxru d) lives in Fargo; Elm er,
in St. Paul and H enry, Vernon and Elwood
in Enderlin.
The Foss Family
G ust J. Foss w as born in Bran dvol, Solar,
N orw ay in 1863. W hen he w as seven, his fa ­
th er brou gh t the fa m ily to A m erica b y sailing
boat, the trip takin g thirteen w eeks. The fam ­
ily settled in London, M innesota, w h ere G ust
grew up.
In 1887, he cam e to the Enderlin area, w o rk ­
ing for Ole Christianson and M ajor Bu ttz for
a time. He homesteaded in M oore Tow nship,
later trading th at land for a farm fou r m iles
w est of E nderlin w here he spent the rest of
his life.
In 1900, he m arried Emm a Carlson, w ho had
em igrated from Sw eden to T exas in 1884. She
had w ork ed in M ankato and St. Paul, M innes­
ota before com ing to w o rk at the new Hilton
Hotel in E nderlin. T h eir only child, Edwin
Foss w as raised on the farm in Moore T o w n ­
ship.
Edw in m arried G lad ys Cam pbell of E n der­
lin in 1926. He w orked b riefly on the w est
coast and th ey lived for some years at Tappan,
N orth Dakota, before co m ing back to the farm
near Enderlin. T h ey m oved into Enderlin in
1944, w h ere E d w in w orked fo r the Soo Line
until retirem ent.
The Fosses h ave fou r children; John, M erle,
M ary Lou and N an cy (Mrs. Douglas L in d e­
m ann).
Frank Kellerman
F rank K ellerm an w as born in Highland
Tow nship in 1884, one of the sons of a pioneer
fam ily. A n oth er brother, Emil, still lives at
Leonard and a brother W illiam , now deceased,
w as also a long-tim e resident of the com ­
m unity.
F ran k K ellerm an m arried Emma M anske in
1911. T h ey raised a fa m ily of nine children:
L aw ren ce, Clarence, and Robert, A lice (T org e so n ), E sther (A rntson), V iolet (Erbstoesser),
L o rraine (Hanson), Iren e (Luther), and Eloise
(B aarstad), m ost of w hom liv e in the Enderlin-Sheldon
area.
A life-lo n g m em ber of the T rin ity Lutheran
C h u rc h, M r. K ellerm an died in M ay, 1960.
His w ife m akes her home in Enderlin.
The Benson Family
Ju liu s Benson w as born in Sw eden in 1848.
He had w o rk ed as a forem an on a farm in
G erm an y and as a railroad m an in N orw ay
before com ing to the United States. In 1885
he c ame to Sheldon, w ork in g at various jobs
until 1891 w h en he return ed to Sw eden for
a visit. On h is return, he purchased the first
railroad tick et from M inneapolis to Enderlin,
tellin g the agent he w an ted to go as far w est
as the Soo Line ran.
H e w o rk ed around Enderlin and in Fargo
until 1896, w hen he bought the T aylor farm
in L ib e rty Tow nship w h ere he lived u ntil his
death.
In 1889 he m arried Caroline A nderson and
their fa m ily num bered tw o sons; W illiam and
Carl (deceased) and tw o daughters; Vendla
(Mrs. Lee) and A lm a (Mrs. L. C. Sorlien).
Mr. Benson w as an organizer and V iceP resident of the Sheldon State B a n k and P res­
ident of the Sheldon Farm ers E levator fo r
some years.
T he fa m ily w ere m em bers of
the F irst Lutheran Church.
M rs. Sorlien and M rs. L ee both live in E n ­
d erlin and a grandson Robert Lee, and his
w ife, the form er Janice F raedrich, still live
on the fa m ily farm .
H. A. Johnson
H. A . Johnson cam e from N orw ay in 1905,
com ing first to Fillm ore County and then to
E nderlin, in 1907, w h ere he w ork ed on the
E dw ard Storli farm .
He m arried Hanna
B aardson in 1910.
H anna’s fa th er had com e from N orw ay in
the hope of earning enough to b rin g his
fam ily over, one-by-one. He lived on oatm eal
and v e g e ta b le s , savin g eve ry th in g he could
m ake as a laborer on the Soo Line tracks.
Hanna a rrived in 1906 and before his death
he b rou gh t tw o m ore daughters to this
country, but his w ife and tw o sons rem ained
in N orw ay.
His only recreation w as the
“ Sons of N o rw ay Lodge, ” and all his m oney
w en t to support his fa m ily in N orw ay.
Hans and Hanna farm ed for a fe w years
before m ovin g to E n derlin w ith three teams
of horses w hich he used to haul m ail to
Sheldon, transport doctors to farm s, haul
coal, and plow gardens; fin ally purchasing
a tru ck in 1929. In la ter years he w ork ed
for the Soo Line. Mr. Johnson low lives at
H illcrest Manor.
T h ree children grew up in E nderlin: L es­
lie, an attorney in Logan, Ohio; G ladys
(Mrs. Ralph W avra) Rolla, N. D.; and Ida
(Mrs. H en ry Freitag) Enderlin.
Gus Luther
G ust L u th er w as born in G erm an y in 1876,
com ing to A m erica w hen a young boy. He
came to the Casselton area and then to E ldred
Tow nship, northeast of E nderlin, in 1892.
In N ovem ber 1901, he m arried A ugusta E ck elburg. T h e y had tw in daughters w ho died
in in fancy and tw o sons, E dw in and Harold,
w ho took over their fa th er’s farm ing interests
on his retirem ent.
Mrs. L u th er died in 1919. A form er m em ­
b er of St. Joh n ’s Lutheran C hurch, he tran s­
ferred m em bership to T rin ity L u th eran in
E n derlin in his later years.
His death oc­
cu rred in 1965 at the age of 89 years.
John Johnson
M r. and Mrs. M artinus Johnson and son,
John, cam e from Taten, N orw ay, to Fillm ore
County in 1879.
T he follow in g year, Mr.
Johnson came to V alley C ity in charge of a
car of cattle. He found w o rk n ear Hastings
and w alked each w eeken d to the home of
relatives n ear Nome, w h ere he filed for a
hom estead.
H avin g bu ilt a sod house, he
sent fo r his w ife and son in 1881. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson w ork ed out on farm s the
first sum m ers and lived on th eir own farm
in w inter. T h e y lost a son, Peter, in infancy
and later adopted a daughter, Dena.
E a rly church services w ere held in the
homes. Confirm ation instructions w ere given
at D aly, a settlem ent north of the present
site of K athryn, and John w alked the eight
m iles to attend. The first Ladies A id was
organized at the Johnson home. A fe w years
later the St. P e te r’s Lu th eran Church was
built. John m arried Hansine L ib ak in June,
1911, and th ey celebrated their golden w ed ­
ding ann iversary in 1961. Dena m arried H er­
man Johnson and now lives in Fargo.
T h e Johnsons got their m ail at H ackett, a
post office south of the presen t town of
Nome, but in the early days, V alley C ity w as
the nearest town and m any times in the
w in ter th ey m ade the trip on foot. One time
Mr. Johnson bought 100 pounds of potatoes
and carried it home, not daring to set it
down to rest fo r fear he couldn't lift it to
his shoulders again.
John Johnsons h ave fiv e ch ildren : M artin,
w ho farm s the home farm ; H elen (Mrs. A lvin
Johnson) V a lle y C ity; Hope (Mrs. Don K ock )
Scapposse,
Ore.;
Jeanette
(Mrs.
M aynard
Lindem ann) Enderlin; and Pearl (Mrs. Ralph
O ehlke), both of Enderlin.
The Oehlke Family
Freidrich and A u gu sta O ehlke lived in F erstenau, G erm any, w h ere he w as a carpen ter
and contractor. Though th ey w ere fa irly com ­
fortable fin ancially, among their friends and
neighbors there w as m uch talk of the free
land in Am erica. E arly in 1881, th ey offered
th eir hom e fo r sale and sailed up the Elbe
to Ham burg, w here th ey w aited fo r the n ec­
essary papers and the boat th at w ould take
them to Am erica, hoping fo r opportunities
for their children. It w as sad-hearted jou r-
81
ney, fo r the Utkes and Sch atzkes had not
yet sold their farm s and m ust follow later.
R eachin g Fargo, th ey filed for a hom estead
in the area north w est of Sheldon, and, p u r­
chasing a cow, a yo k e of oxen, a w agon and
some lum ber, set out fo r Casselton and b e ­
yond. A 14 x 16 shanty w as built on their
claim and plastered w ith cla y to house them
and their three ch ild ren : Herman, G ustav
and Anna.
In 1892, Mrs. O ehlke becam e ill and diagnos­
ing it as cancer, an early Sheldon doctor, Dr.
A ylen , undertook to operate. T h is n ew v e n ­
ture was perform ed w ith the assistance of
tw o m ale nurses, on the dining room table
in the home of her d aughter Anna, M rs. Wm.
Fraedrich.
Th e operation proved to have com e too late,
but Mrs. O ehlke read of some plasters, su p ­
posed to cure cancer.
T hese w ere applied
fo r nine days, eating into the flesh so that
w hen rem oved, the cancerous flesh w as p u l­
led a w a y w ith them . In spite of the pain,
she continued tryin g to destroy the cancer.
In the fall, when it becam e obvious that she
w as not getting better, the fam ily, as a last
resort, sent her, w ith her young son G ustav,
to Chicago. A t times the pain w as so severe
she could not talk, and G u stav w as an in ex ­
perienced boy. T h ey fe ll into the hands of a
rapacious landlady and a quack doctor until
R ev. M elchert, their local pastor, heard of
their situation and w rote to frien ds w ho se­
cured a m ore reputable doctor. He told her
the truth— th at she could not be cured and
th ey took the n e x t train home.
In an im provised am bulance— a lum ber w ag­
on tank, saw ed in h alf and filled w ith straw
and blankets, th ey took her to the hom e of
her daughter w here she died in 1906.
A fte r her death, her husband w as n ever
w ell. T h e hardship of life on the prairie and
the m an y tim es his feet had been frozen took
th eir toll.
He w as bedridden m uch of the
tim e and died in 1906.
H erm an O ehlke w orked as a farm hand
about Casselton a fter com ing from G erm any
w ith his parents. Th e first year he lost three
days because of illness and had to m ake them
up out of his y e a r’s w ages of $120.
He hom esteaded across the road from the
present tow n of E nderlin, w o rk in g on the
grade as the Soo Line w as built into E n der­
lin to earn extra cash. A t one tim e he w as
forced to b orrow $300 and it w as predicted
that he w ould n ever be able to p ay it off.
Since little land w as available for expansion
in his neighborhood, he traded his farm for
that of his father, northeast of Enderlin. Y ear
by year, he added to his holdings until, at
the tim e of his death, he owned over seven
sections of land.
Mr. O eh lk e m arried Hulda U tke in 1888.
E ight ch ild ren w ere born to them, only three
of w hom su rvived to adulthood. T w o sons,
E rw in and Reinhard, died in a scarlet fever
epidem ic; Em ilie died at birth, Clara at the
age of fiv e and D orothy at sixteen.
Three
82
sons grew to m anhood in the Enderlin com ­
m un ity: Fred, of Enderlin; F rank, Minneapolis;
and Herm an Jr., w ho lived at D evils L ak e
and died in 1964.
F red G. O ehlke attended the N DSU and
took over m anagem ent of the fam ily estate
on the death of his father. His share of the
p roperty w as the home farm and he operated
it until 1921, when a serious illness caused him
to qu it farm ing.
He w ent to w ork in the Peoples and E n der­
lin State Bank, and rem ained there for 33
years, as cashier and president, until retire ­
m ent in 1954.
F red has been active in all phases of com ­
m un ity life, servin g as the treasurer of T rin i­
ty Church for 35 years, as a council m em ­
ber for 27 years. He was a charter m em ber
of the K iw a n is Club, Corn Show chairm an for
ten years, President and Secretary of the
Farm ers E levator for a com bined total of 46
years, a m em ber of the city council and a
m em ber of the E nderlin School board for 37
years.
He m arried M argaret Sm ith in 1913. Th ey
raised a fam ily of three: L yn n and Lucille,
(Mrs. M elford Tyssland) both deceased, and
Ralph of Enderlin, the fourth generation to
farm the O ehlke hom estead.
G ustav Oehlke, the other son of Fraedrich
O e h lk e , lived for m any years on the farm
just across the road from the city. He m ar­
ried H attie W alters of Lucca and this m ar­
riage ended in divorce.
T he son, Richard,
farm s in the E nderlin com m unity.
Som e years later he m arried Anna O ’Leary,
a w id ow w ith one son, A rth u r.
W hen her
sister died, the O ehlkes took her three ch il­
dren, Jess, Jeanette
(Mrs. W ade B ailey)
Washington, and Clara (Mrs. Enockson) E n ­
derlin, into th eir home and raised them as
their own.
The Fraedrich Family
W illiam F raed rich Sr. w as born in M adi­
son, W isconsin, and although he was a fa rm ­
er w ith a large fam ily, he served in the C ivil
W ar. Sh ortly a fter he cam e back to the farm
from the w ar, his w ife died, leavin g him w ith
eleven children.
In 1880, his son, W illiam Jr., cam e to North
Dakota w ith some neighbors. The n ext year,
his father loaded his children and all his
possessions into three covered w agons and
set out from W ausau for D akota Territory.
T he trip took six w eeks and because of high
w ater that spring, m any bridges w ere w ashed
out, one collapsing as the last w agon passed
over it. He took a hom estead fo u r m iles east
and two m iles north of Enderlin.
F our of his children m oved to Canada; A u ­
gust, Emil, Herm an and A nna (M iller). G a r­
ret and A lv in a (Behnke) settled at H arvey,
N orth Dakota; M arie (Retzlaf) at Cooperstown
and A ugusta (Frohm ) at Salem , Oregon. Three
sons W illiam , Julius and Albert, rem ained in
this com m unity.
W illiam Fraedrich homesteaded five miles
east of Enderlin, on the farm now ow ned by
L eon H euer. He w as active in m any com ­
m un ity affairs, servin g as director of the
State B a n k of Sheldon, of the Peoples B ank
of E n derlin and as President of the Peoples
and Enderlin State B ank; served on the board
of the A n selm Farm ers E levator, the Sheldon
F arm ers E levator and w as a charted m em ber
of T rin ity Lutheran Church.
He m arried Ana O ehlke in 1882 and their
three daughters w ere; A lv in a Lindem ann, Ida
K aatz and Pauline H euer, all of w hom live
in E nderlin.
A lb ert Fraedrich m arried M artha Lonz. He
rem ained on the hom e farm and of their nine
children, some still live in this com m unity.
T he children w ere Irvin, Theodore and Anna
(M ichalski)
all deceased; L yd ia
jRife)
in
Oregon, A m elia (Ulness); Tacom a Wash.; Orien, w ho recen tly m oved to the w est coast,
Loren and M arvin, of Enderlin.
Julius F raed rich m arried B arth a Danelt.
T h e y had fo u r children; A lb ert and E m il, who
m oved to the w e st coast; Emm a (Mrs. P eter
B u ttke) who spent m uch of her life here and
now lives in G rove City, Minnesota, and
Em ilie (Mrs. R. T. Petrich ) now deceased.
The Shelver Family
T h e first of the Sh elvers to come to North
D akota w as P eter S h elver, w ho filed a hom e­
stead in Section 34, L iberty Tow nship, in
1880. His gran dparen ts had come to N orw ay
from G erm an y and had accum ulated large
holdings of tim berlands, but hard tim es and
bad investm ents had dissipated the fam ily
holdings and the fu tu re looked v e ry b leak.
He set out for A m erica and the prom ise it
held, n ever to look b ack w ith regret.
P eter first found w ork on the railroads in
W isconsin, liv in g fru g a lly and saving all his
m oney. In 1881, he b rought his parents, Mr.
and M rs. John Sh elver, to this country. T h ey
filed on the qu arter adjoining his and bu ilt
a house on the line b etw een the quarters so
that each had a room on his land, thus fu l­
fillin g the hom estead law.
T w o oth er sons,
M artin and Jacob, w h o had em igrated to
W isconsin in 1879, n o w join ed them and filed
on the rem aining quarters of the section.
Eventually, tw o more of Johan S h elve r’s sons,
Iv e r and Nils, took farm s in the com m unity.
Thorval, the rem aining son settled at D evils
Lake.
PE T E R SH E LV E R m arried M artha G u llic k ­
son and they raised a fam ily of ten children.
His e arly years m ade a m ark on him and
he alw ays paid cash and avoided bills. He
was handy at fix in g things and careful in
his care of livestock. He prided him self that
his was one of the rare farm s that had never
had a m ortgage.
W hen the Soo Line cam e through, it cut
across his original hom estead. The paym ent
for the right of w ay w as $100 an acre, a
generous sum for those days.
O f their ten children, only one son, Oscar,
still lives in E nderlin. M arried to the form er
Dorothy Cam pbell, he farm ed, w as a grain
b u yer and has w orked for a succession of
hardw are stores: B jo rk and Standal, B orstad’s, L u id ah l’s and H ong’s.
T he other of P eter S h elve r’s children are
Jean, M inneapolis; Ida (Mrs. L. Schneider)
W interhaven, Fla.; Helen (Mrs. A. Swanson),
M oorhead; F lorence (Mrs. K . Cunningham ),
Cam arilla, Calif.; Edna (Mrs. B. Landsem ),
K etch ikan , A laska; M ildred (Mrs. Earl G or­
don)
Moorhead; E dw ard, V an cou ver, W ash.;
and Milton, Chicago. One son died in infancy.
J A C O B SH E L V E R m arried Hulda Olson,
daughter of Hans Olson, another early settler
in L ib erty Township.
T h ey raised a fam ily
of thirteen children on the homestead w here
th ey lived until their deaths.
A ll the Sh elver fa m ily w ere loyal m em bers
of the W est St. O laf C h u rch and Jacob built
the original church.
S ix of th eir children
still live in the E nderlin area: John and
T h o rv al on the fa m ily homestead; N evelle;
Minnie( Mrs. F. Anderson): A lm a (Mrs. Ingvold Moe)- and Ina. W illiam is at Staples,
M inn.; G len is at Dunseith, N. D; Ruth,
H enry, Louis, and P h ilip are now deceased.
N ILS SH ELV ER m arried O live Anderson.
He had attended L u th er College but cam e
b ack to Ransom Coun ty to farm .
He re ­
tained his interest in education and w as v e ry
active in school and civ ic affairs.
O f their
nine children: Norton, L aw ren ce, R ay, Ernest,
Sidney, Lester. Pearl, E thel and Ruby, only
one daughter, Ethel (Mrs. N. H. Severson)
still lives in the E nderlin areas.
M A R T IN SH E LV E R m arried Anna H an­
son. T h ey lived on the hom estead in L iberty
Tow nship until he retired, m oving into E n­
derlin w h ere he died in 1927. O f their fiv e
children, W alter and Esther are deceased;
A gnes, M yrtle, and A lice no longer live in
the area.
IV E R SH E LV E R m arried Berth a C h ristian ­
son, d aughter of another L ib erty pioneer,
Ole Christianson.
T h eir ch ild ren are no
longer livin g in the E nderlin area. D orothy is
deceased, G lad ys (Mrs. M orris Aasheim ) in
Iowa; Clifford, Billings, Mont.; and M erlin,
M inneapolis, Minn.
Ole Christianson
Ole Christianson w as born Jan uary 20, 1848,
near K on gsvin ger N orw ay. He cam e to A m e r­
ica and settled n ear Mona, M itchell County,
Iow a. There in 1878, he m arried B elle T h o r­
son, w ho died in 1884. Three children w ere
born to them : Charles B., Bertha (Shelver)
and Josephine C. (Mrs. O. C. O lson). A ll are
now deceased. In the fall of 1881 he and his
fa m ily m oved to Ransom County, Dakota. He
pu rch ased a h alf section of land in L iberty
T ow n sh ip and the follow ing spring m oved
onto the place for perm anent residence. He
had ten head of cattle and six horses, but
b y 1900 he owned 1600 acres of land; 1400
acres he cropped, and raised stock on the
rest.
On Decem ber 9, 1886 Ole m arried Miss
Christina G olberg and to this union A lfred ,
83
W illie, and Claren ce w ere born. W illie, E n ­
derlin, is the only one surviving.
W est St. O laf congregation w as organized
on D ecem ber 12, 1898 and services held in
the new church on Christm as D ay 1898. Ole
w as one of the building com m ittee.
A ction
w as tak en to secure a bell for the church on
O ctober 12, 1902. It w as decided to purchase
one w eighin g 1200 lb s and costing $295. R ev.
Jahren and Ole w ere to act as a com m ittee to
secure finances.
A special m eetin g had to
be held later to decide how the bell w as to
be used at funerals. Th e ru le was m ade as
follow s: The rin gin g w as to begin w hen the
funeral procession w as about h alf a m ile from
the church, and to continue until the coffin
w as carried into the church. A fte r the ser­
vices the ham m er w as to be tolled w hen the
coffin w as borne to the grave.
A fte r the
com m itm ent the bell w as to be rung again
w hile the grave was filled in. To com plete
the story of the bell, an attem pt to steal it
w as m ade during the w ar. T he bell w as taken
out of the ch urch and hidden w ith a fe w
chosen to know w h ere it w as.
A fte r peace
was established and the price of m etal d rop­
ped to a point w h ere all tem ptation to steal
it w as rem oved, the bell was again replaced
w h ere it belonged.
T he organization m eeting of W est St. O laf
Ladies A id w as held at the home of Mrs.
Christianson on Jan uary 13, 1898.
A ll of his fam ily lived in this com m unity.
Charles,
m arried
Anna
Trangsrud.
T h eir
children are: Orlando, A lice (Mrs.
A . D. N el­
son), A rd elle
(Mrs. Clarence Paulson), and
Esther (Mrs. L a rry T hilm ony).
A lfred m arried Am anda Disdahl. T h ey had
tw o children:
Ralph of Grafton, and V ivian
(Mrs. R obert B aribeau) Lusk, W yom ing.
W illie m arried Lena Fosse, and th eir ch il­
dren are: Leslie, Donald, G race
Mrs. Jim
H e n d ric k so n ,
all of Minneapolis, and W ilm a
(Mrs. Pu rl Larson) of Jam estow n.
Clarence m arried Emma A asheim .
Th ey
h ave one son, Conway, of R ockville, M a ry ­
land.
Th e fam ilies of Josie (Olson) and B ertha
(Shelver) are listed elsew here in these pages.
an artificial lim b.
T h ey attended church
services in the R ailroad depot, not having the
churches built at th at time.
In 1915 he took over the farm ing operations
from his father, M r. S. P. Benson, w ho re ­
tired then m oved to E nderlin.
On June 24,
1916 he m arried Miss Lillian W iden at M in­
neapolis, M innesota.
M rs. Benson taught school for a w hile in
R aritan School.
M r. Benson w ork ed
for
Charles N ewton, a bu ild ing contractor in
Sheldon.
He continued to farm until 1957,
w h en ill-health forced him to retire. H is son
K en eth is still a ctively engaged in farm ing.
Mr. and Mrs. Benson brought 2 sons and 5
daughters into the w orld.
K en n eth
and
E verett, Joyce, Marion, Crystal, Mrs. L. D.
(Bernice) Rood, and Mrs. D. (Betty) K orstad.
T he Bensons are m em bers of the E van gelical
F ree C hurch in Enderlin and he has been a
trustee in the same church.
Hjalmer Benson
The A m eson Family
H jalm er Benson w as born M arch 6, 1880, in
Skane, Sw eden. He came to the United States
about in 1882 w ith his parents and an older
sister, Dena. T h ey first settled n ear W heat­
land and about fiv e years later th ey m oved
to w h ere Mr. Benson, his w ife, and son K e n ­
neth n ow live. T h e y brought a 14 foot by
2 0 foot building to use as a house w ith them.
T h ey b rought their possessions and belongings
in ox d raw n wagons. His father, a form er
sailor in Sw eden, bought 80 acres from a
Miss Lundahl, who had hom esteaded the
land.
Mr.
Benson first attended school at a
little
school
about h alf
a
m ile
east
of tow n and finished in Pontiac. His teacher
w as a Mr. D avis w ho w as teaching to b u y
M artin A m eson cam e to L ib erty Tow nship
in 1882, having m igrated from N orw ay the
y e ar before and spent the first m onths in
W isconsin. He w as a charter m em ber of the
W est St. O laf C hurch. A carpenter and ca­
binet m aker, he helped Jacob S h elve r to build
the church and enclosed the cem etery at his
ow n expense.
His daughter, M artha, later
Mrs. Theodore B jo rk , w as the first child b ap ­
tised in the church. His w ife died in 1895, and
M artha took over the care of the household.
In 1901, he m oved to Enderlin and follow ed
his trade until his health failed.
He spent
the last years of his life in the B jo rk home.
In addition to Mrs. B jo rk , there w ere fiv e
children.
H arold and C lara died as sm all
children.
H enry is a dentist in L a k e City,
84
The Wold Family
Jam es O. W old w as b om in B ergen , N or­
w ay, in 1842. He w ork ed out b y the year
in N orw ay until h e w as of age and then
set out for A m erica and the opportunities
it offered, com ing first to Dane County, W is­
consin, w here a cousin w as livin g. He m oved
to M innesota, Where he farm ed until the
spring of 1882, when he sold out and came
to Dakota territory.
He spent a month in
Cass County and then filed on a homestead
in L ib e rty Tow nship.
His assets consisted of seven head of cat­
tle and three horses but no cash, so he and
his tw o sons w orked out b y the day to get
started on their claim.
He m arried Orine Anderson in 1863 and th ey
w ere the parents of eight children: A n d rew ,
Maria, John, Annie, Christian and James.
Jam es J. W old m arried M ary Card, of Alice,
N. D. in 1910. T h ey h ave one son Iveson,
w ho now lives in Compton, California. Jim
W old farm ed for m an y years and w orked for
H arper’s G rocery departm ent and for Pete
B erg. He sold his farm to the Dagm an fa m ­
ily, w ho farm the original W old homestead.
His w ife, M ary, still lives in Enderlin.
Minnesota, Ella (Dawson) lives in Chicago and
M inie (Allison) in Sturgis, S. D.
Theodore B jo rk w as born in Mona, Iowa
and clerked in a store before com ing to E n­
d erlin in 1903. He w as em ployed by the
C ham berlain -W allace com pany w hen he first
arrive, the
firm at
that tim e operating a
hardw are store as w ell as a lum ber yard.
He m arried M artha A m eson in 1905 and
the n ext year, he and Mr. Standal bought
the hardw are store and the business operated
in the same spot until his death in 1944.
The B jo rk children w ere: Arnold, w ho died
in 1926, M argaret (Vieg), Clarem ont, Califo
rnia; K en eth of Northfield, Minn., now on
s a b b a t ic a l leave in N airobi, K en ya, A frica;
Harold, Kenosha, W isconsin. M rs. B jo rk con­
tinues to m ake her home in Enderlin.
Iver Neros
Ive r Neros w as bom in Romsdalen, N orw ay
and cam e to E nderlin w ith his w ife, the fo rm ­
er S yn o ve Strand, whom he m arried in M in­
neapolis in 1903.
A tailor b y trade, he w ent into business
w ith Ed O yaen.
W hen their shop burned,
each opened his own shop, since they were
busy m aking suits for conductors and b rake­
men on the th rivin g Soo Line.
Mr. Neros used to tell that as he w alked
home along the tracks to his house on the
outskirts of town, he carried a club, because
the w olves w ere so tam e and fearless that
th ey w ould w alk along beside him.
He w as a m em ber of the Zion Lutheran
Church and the Sons of N orw ay Lodge. He
died a fte r a long illness in 1931. M rs. Neros
died in 1924.
Th ere w ere fiv e children in their fam ily:
K laire, now of M inneapolis and fou r sons: I r ­
w in and A llen of Enderlin, Jerom e, M innea­
polis, and Berdon, Glenw ood, Minnesota.
Herman Bohm
H erm an Bohm w as born in G erm an y in 1852
and cam e to this country at the age of about
18. He settled at St. Charles, Minnesota, com ­
ing to the Enderlin area about 1880, w here
he settled in H ighland Township.
He m arried Ida Lindem ann at F argo in
1884. T h ey raised a fam ily of two sons and
fo u r daughters, most of w hom spent m ost of
th eir lives in the E nderlin com m unity. T h ey
are: M ax, A lm a, and Cecelia (Mrs. H enkel),
all deceased.
M argaret (Mrs. B ra d y), Fred,
in W ashington and Hartha (Mrs. F ra n k Sallen) of E nderlin.
Carl Dehn
Carl Reinhard Dehn w as born in G rum kow ,
Stolp, G erm an y in 1851. In 1878, he cam e to
A m erica w ith a brother, Frank. He w orked
at the D alrym ple and Cass farm s at Cassel­
ton and then filed on a hom estead half a m ile
w est of Chaffee.
In 1881 he m arried M athilda Trapp, w ho
had com e from G erm an y with her brothers,
P au l and H enry Trapp.
In 1898, the Dehn fam ily m oved to E n d er­
lin w here th ey bought the M alette farm , north
of Enderlin, from A . R. Smith. Mr. Sm ith,
who lived at Springfield, N ew Y ork , often
stayed w ith the fa m ily on
his
y early trip
to N orth Dakota.
Th e old Pontiac 100 School stood w here the
present house now stands, the school being
m oved north and w est of the farm a few
years a fter th ey bough t it.
Th e Dehn fam ily grew to tw elve.
T h ey
w ere m em bers of the Salem
Evangelical
C hurch north of Enderlin.
Mr. Dehn w as
active in tow nship and school affairs, se rv ­
ing as treasurer and clerk.
Of their children, W illiam , Charles, A lfred,
Lily, and Emma,
(Mrs. Otto Oeder) are d e ­
ceased.
The su rvivin g children are Fred,
G rand Forks; A d elaid e (Mrs. K ron k ), B la ck
R iver F alls Wis.;
Paul, A rthur,
Eugene, and
W alter, all of Enderlin.
Ed Fraase
Ed Fraase w as born A pril 23, 1877 in G e r­
m any and came to A m erica at 16 years of age
w hen his uncle, H enry Fraase sent him a
pass.
A fte r livin g for several years w ith
his uncle at B u ffalo, he w orked for Wm.
F raed rich for some time and then started
farm ing for him self.
In 1902, he m arried Augusta K u n st in the
Pontiac Church, the first couple m arried in
the church by R everend Elster. T h ey lived
on the old L iest farm for a few years, then
bought the N. W. quarter of Section 24 in
L ib e rty Tow nship w here they lived for fortyseven years, adding to their holdings from
time to time.
Mrs. Fraase w as born in Malin, Russia and
cam e w ith her parents to this area when she
w as 11 years old. W hen they first arrived
in the Dakotas, the children w ere farm ed out
to w ork for
their room
and board.
Mrs.
Fraase stayed w ith the Adolph K u rtz fam ily
at L u cca and often felt lonely
so far from
her fam ily.
She later w orked at Sheldon,
nearer her home.
W hile w ork in g for W illiam Fraedrich, Ed
Fraase experienced a h a p p y m oment w hich
affected his entire life.
He and W illiam
Schm idt w ere friends and schoolm ates in
G erm an y. M rs. Schm idt em igrated w ith her
fa m ily to live w ith a brother at S tew art, M in­
nesota w hen her husband died.
The boys
wept at parting and vow ed that one day they
would be re-united. Ten years later, Schm idt
and his uncle cam e to D akota to find w ork.
B y some coincidence th ey stopped at the
F raed rich farm , and after ten years separation,
the boys m et at the breakfast table on Su n ­
day m orning. The friendship lasted through­
out their lives.
Mr. Schm idt m arried Anna Schm idt, daugh­
ter of A u gu st Schm idt, in 1902 and began
farm ing on the farm n ow ow ned b y K enneth
Kellerm a.
Th e tw o m en bought th eir first
threshing m achine, a straw fed steam er, to­
gether and their w ives helped each other
85
during the busy seasons. O ccasionally the two
friends w ould tak e tim e from th eir chores
and m ake a fishin g trip to Minnesota.
E d Fraase passed a w a y in 1947 w h ile his
w ife lived u n til 1963. T h ere are fiv e su rv iv ­
ing ch ildren : A lm a, (Mrs. P e te r B u n n ), S h el­
don; E rw in , and A rnold, Enderlin; Elm er,
Sheldon; and Reuben, F argo.
W illiam Schm idt died in 1956. His w ife
m akes her home w ith her daughter, Mrs.
E vely n K ru e ge r, at Venlo. F ou r other c h il­
dren su rv ive : Mrs. Julius Bunn, Sheldon; A l­
vin, California; B ert, Idaho; and M elvin, L a ­
M oure.
A son, V ictor, of Enderlin, is d e­
ceased.
His w ife Lila and her fa m ily live
in Enderlin.
Ole Nygaard
O le P. N ygaard w as born in N orw ay and
came to A m erica through the aid of uncle,
K . J. Taralseth, a pioneer m erchant of the
W arren, Minn., com m unity
In 1893, he m arried Tilda M yrom at W ar­
ren. T h e y m oved to T h ie f R iv er Falls, w here
th ey m ade th eir home u n til com ing to E n­
derlin in 1909.
Mr. N ygaard w as a b lacksm ith on the Soo
Line in the days w hen all the w eld in g w as
done b y hand. The repair track w h ere box
cars w ere fix ed had a crew of about ten men.
The N ygaards raised a fa m ily of ten ch il­
dren; three sons and seven daughters. T w o
of the sons, Ole and P eter still liv e in E n ­
derlin.
B oth w ere baseball p layers and en ­
thusiasts. B oth w o rk ed fo r the Soo Line.
P eter N ygaard has also served as M ayor
of the tow n and is cu rren tly an alderm an.
The Cavett Family
John Dean C a vett w as born in Ohio in
1845.
A s a you n g man he served on the
frontier in the arm y and k n ew B ill Cody
and other pioneer figures. In 1872, his p a r­
ents settled in M itchell C oun ty Iow a, w here
he m arried Sarah Sherm an, and farm ed u n ­
til 1904, w hen the fa m ily m oved to Moore
T ow nship w here he lived until his death in
1928.
T w o of his sons, C h aun cy and Charles
tau gh t in Ransom County, C hauncy serving
as Ransom C o un ty Superintendent fo r some
tim e.
H arriette, the only daughter, taught
all of her life, as w ell.
A ll three sons farm ed in Moore Tow nship,
F re d farm in g the home farm and Charles
settling across the road.
This farm is now
ow ned b y his son, A lden C avett.
John, Ed and Peter; and the girls’ names
w ere Julia (Mrs. Leist, n ow
livin g in L is­
bon and w ho is 93 years old),H enrietta, Rose,
M adge (Mrs.
Joe W aldhalm of
Enderlin),
M ary and K a ty .
M ary and
K a ty died b e­
fore th ey grew to w om anhood. Mr. and Mrs.
S u llivan also raised tw o grandchildren, Leo
Anderson and P earl R igger.
T h at fall, F red w ho was 14, and Leo, who
w as 19, w ere sent ahead of the fam ily to
do the fall plow ing.
T h ey left home in a
box car w ith ten horses and some of their
farm m achinery w ith strict instructions not
to get out of the rail car until they reached
Enderlin. The trip proved to be a three-day
jou rn ey, so th ey w ere forced to disobey their
fa th e r’s orders.
On arrivin g in Enderlin,
th ey had to
seek directions to
the farm ,
w hich w ould be the fa m ily ’s fu tu re home.
East of their farm , a w id o w er b y the name
of O eder and his three sons lived in a sod
house.
Leo and Fred spent the entire fall plowing
the ground, getting it ready fo r the n ext
year's crop. T h ey slept in the gran ary until
the rest of the fa m ily arrived two days b e­
fore Christm as.
The fam ily had plen ty of help w ith their
ow n six boys, so even tu ally two of the sons
w ent to Minot to hom estead. B y this time,
E nderlin w as fa irly w ell settled.
Fred re ­
m em bers b reak in g lots of sod, including that
w h ere M iller’s
S ervice Station now
stands,
and on the H erm an O ehlke farm near Lucca.
B ein g one of the few Irishm en in a strong
G erm an com m unity, the question w as raised
if the fam ily felt out-of-place.
T he answ er
w as a firm “n o” w ith one exception— “ at tow n ­
ship m eetings
Germ an w as the language of
the day, and so the Irishm an felt “ on the
outside. ”
F red rem em bers voting in the T aft-B ryan
election of 1908 as it w as his first tim e to
exercise that privilege.
A t that time, you
placed an “ X ” at the top of the ballot and
that indicated your choice for the entire
ticket.
In 1917, J e rry Sullivan sold out and m oved
to E nderlin. He died at the age of 88 in 1935.
His w ife, nee Rosean M eighan, w as born in
Yellow stone, Wis., in 1851. She passed aw ay
at 91 y ears of
age in 1942.
F red left the farm in 1908 to w ork for
the Joe W iper D ra y Line. He also w orked a
short tim e for the Soo Line.
In 1913, he
m arried Ethel M artin and th ey m oved north­
w est of Lisbon, w here th ey spent their m ar­
ried life farm ing, until retiring in 1958, w hen
they m oved to Lisbon.
Jerem iah O. Sullivan
In the spring of 1902, J e rry Sullivan, bom
in Castle Tow n C o u n try C ork, Ireland, and
now of Edgerton, Minn., bought a farm in
P on tiac T o w n sh ip from M atilda H aynes and
M ary R. Vance.
H is fam ily consisted of six boys and six
girls. Therefore, he w as interested in m oving
to the w ide open spaces w h ere land w as still
a bargain. The b oys w ere Leo, Jerry, Fred,
86
Gerald B uss F am ily
M y father, Herm an Buss, lived in Germ any
during his childhood until he grew to m an­
hood
(age 21) com ing to A m erica from
Berlin,
G erm an y,
in
1884.
My
grand­
father and grandm other and m y mother, A n ­
nie M oldenhoer, came to this country from
Germ any in the y ear 1872. M y m other w as
tw o years of age w hen she cam e across.
In 1889 m y m other and fa th er w ere m arried
and shortly th erea fter started a farm of th eir
ow n near Leonard, N. D. From this m arriage
there w e re born seven children, of w h ich
only fiv e are now living.
In 1900 m y Dad
sold the farm near Leon ard and bought an ­
other farm south of Sheldon.
T h e first
y e ar m y dad had the farm n ear Sheldon
w as a d ry y e ar and no crop at all w as had.
In the fa ll of 1900 I started school at age
nine in a little one-room school house. Of
course there w ere no school busses at th at
time, so I w as forced to w a lk tw o m iles to
school e v e ry d ay along w ith m y sister.
School w as d ifficu lt fo r m e fo r the only
lan guage I spo ke w as G erm an and I had to
learn English during the first year of school.
T he n ext spring (age 10) I did all of the
h arrow ing w ith two horses on a three-section
drag and w alked all day, part of the tim e
barefooted.
T h at y e a r w as a p len tifu l year
fo r m y fam ily. In the fall I b ucked straw
fo r B ill F rid ay. Dan Froem ke and I threshed
for about tw e n ty -fiv e days rid in g horses and
bu ckin g straw . W e w orked from six in the
m orning u ntil eight in the even in g for w hat
w ould seem lik e ch icken feed to the young
generation of tod ay— 13 hours at $1.50.
I w ork ed on m y fa th e r’s farm u n til I w as
23. M y w ife (T illie Ihm e) and I w ere m ar­
ried N ovem ber 4, 1914.
D urin g the w in ter
m onths w e lived w ith m y folks and in the
spring of 1915 w e rented a farm . In the fa ll
w e w e re able to b u y some farm land. The
agreem ent w as that I p u t up all the buildings,
w ith a crop paym ent com ing due e v e ry fall.
Th e valu e of land at that tim e w as $30 an
acre.
Th e first year w e lived on that farm a
son, C lifford, w as born. In 1919, a daughter,
Inez (Mrs. M erle Schm idt) w as born. E v e r y ­
thing w as going fine until 1926 w hen our
house and all of our belongings w e re lost
in a fire w hen our cook stove exploded.
T h en cam e the 30’s w h en fo r fo u r years
straight there w as no crop at all.
I
sold
m y spring pigs one fa ll for 50 cents apiece
and sold some stock cow s and some m ilk
cow s ranging from $10-$20 apiece.
D uring
this time, w h en F ra n k lin D. R oosevelt w as
President, I w ork ed for the W P A building
dam s and b rid ges in Shen ford T ow nship
I w o rk ed on tw o d ifferen t shifts, m aking
$80.
H ow w ere w e to know that a cold
freezin g w in ter w as ahead of us. T h at w in ter
w e cut green wood to k eep from freezing.
From the y e ar 1937 to 1960 w e had some
good years. In
1958 I rented m y farm out
fo r tw o years and in 1960 I sold it to m y son,
C lifford Buss.
Thus ends m y story of h o w life w as in
general fo r m e and m y fam ily.
W e now
live in E nderlin in a hom e of our
own
(purchased from
J. G . (Buster) M artin).
My
w ife and I are
proud of our home and of
the frien d ly com m unity of E nderlin.
The Severson Family
T h e Hans Severson
fam ily w as another of
the fam ilies com ing to this area from N orth­
ern Iow a in the early 1900’s, to settle in L ib ­
erty Tow n sh ip. He and his w ife, the form er
Gena Knutson, raised fou r children; a son
N ehm ie, and daughters Hilda, W ilm a and N or­
ma.
Th e Seversons w e re m em bers of the W est
St. O laf Ch u rch and Mr. Severson w as a
m em ber of the L ib e rty School Board, and the
Farm ers E levator B oard. M r. Severson died
O ctober 24, 1954.
Hilda (Mrs. R. F. Sh elver) now lives in
A uburn, W ashington and N orm a (Mrs. Elvin
Barreson) in Fargo, N orth D akota.
N ehm ie
and W ilm a (Mrs. N evelle Sh elver) still live
in the Enderlin com m unity.
The Hoffman Family
E rnest H offm an, one of E n derlin ’s early
bu tch ers w as apprenticed to a b u tch er in
H am burg, G erm an y as a young boy, w h ere
his first job w as d eliverin g m eat w ith a dog
d raw n cart. A fte r learning his trade he w en t
to sea to see the w orld. A fte r m aking fifty three trips and n ever getting off the A tla n ­
tic, he ju m p ed ship in N ew Y o rk and ap­
plied fo r citizenship.
D eciding it w as safer to go to sea in the
P acific, w h ere G erm an ships w ere few er, he
began w ork in g his w ay w estw ard.
A t W ycoff, M inn, fate in terven ed and he acquired
a w ife. In 1909 the fam ily cam e to Enderlin,
w h ere he purchased a b utcher shop from
Jam es W alsh.
He operated the shop until
1919, w hen he sold out, deciding to m ove to
M ontana. Som eh ow th ey found it im possible
to leave, and discarded the w estern plains for
a farm ju st north of E nderlin w h ere the
fa m ily of fiv e children grew up; Theodore
E r n a M arguerite, Helen, and Ernest Jr. T he
second son, Richard, died at the age of six.
In 1942, the fam ily sold the farm and m oved
to R ich ville, Minn., w h ere Mr. Hoffm an died
in 1950, at the age of 81. His w ife is still liv ­
ing and active, k eep in g house fo r her son
Theodore.
His daughter, Mrs. N oble D oeling (Helen)
in another section has contributed a w ord
pictu re of an early day G erm an-trained b u tch ­
er and his shop.
The Pribbenow Family
John P ribb en ow and his w ife,
the form er
Ida Iverson, w ere another of the fam ilies to
com e to this area through the m eans of the
Ransom
County
Im m igration
Association,
purchasing a h alf section of land in L iberty
Township, all virgin prairie, from them in
1905.
Mr. P ribb en ow arranged fo r C h arlie Ch rist­
ianson to b reak som e of the sod that year
and in 1906 they and th eir sons, Harold and
L loyd started for North D akota. He
loaded
tw o em igrant cars at th eir hom e in N ora
Springs, Minnesota, w ith household
goods
m achinery, livestock and supplies and billed
them to B u ttzville, N orth Dakota.
Good neighbors m et them w ith team s and
w agons and assisted in building a 16x24 foot
87
tar sh ack to house the fam ily. In this sm all
house a third son, Rollo, w as born.
T h e first year the crop w as good and John
P ribbenow , Hans Severson, G ilbert Halstad
and Ole M oe bought a threshing outfit to­
gether. H alstad q u it farm ing, but the other
three partners threshed together for m any
years.
T h e y w ere soon able to en large the house
and build a barn and other buildings.
A
daughter, Lorna, w as added to the fam ily.
T h e fam ily w ere all active m em bers of the
M ethodist Church in Enderlin.
M r. P ribben ow died in 1925, w h ile his w ife
lived until 1951. One son, Lloyd, died in 1920.
H arold P ribb en o w and his w ife (Carletta
Lohr) live on the home farm . Rollo in E n ­
derlin, and Lorn a (Mrs. V ernon Johnson) lives
northw est of Enderlin.
The Erbstoesser Family
T h e farm in W atson T o w n sh ip w h ere E d ­
w ard Erbstoesser lives w as the fam ily hom e­
stead, settled about 1879. T he hollow w h ere
the first sod shanty stood is still visible. A f ­
ter some years, the fa m ily m oved to W is­
consin, w h ere th ey operated a m eat m arket.
About 1895, th ey m oved b ack and bought
the farm again. T h ree sons; Theodore, A u ­
gust and C harlie bought farm s in the n eigh ­
borhood.
A u gust Erbstoesser m arried Ida M olden hauer
in 1895 and brought her to his parents farm ,
w here she still lives w ith her son E dw ard.
T h ey had tw elve children, fiv e of w hom died
in infancy.
T w o sons: E d w ard and Frank,
farm in Wa tson Tow n sh ip. A nother son, Gus,
w as a contractor in E nderlin until his death.
M rs. Erbstoesser is a m em ber of St. P e te r’s
Lutheran Church. She rem em bers that it w as
built in 1887 by Adolph Massani, a local carpenter.
W hen the ch urch w as dedicated he
stood at the door w ith the k ey in his hand,
handed it to the deacons and told them it w as
all paid for. E veryth in g in the church w as
handm ade-altar, pulpit, etc. A lth ou gh it has
b een rem odeled, the handm ade parts w ere
left undisturbed.
M rs. Erbstoesser’s parents homesteaded near
C h affee in 1879. She recalls, “ M y m other and
older sister w ould w o rk in the fields and I
would take care of the y o u n ger children.
M other w ould peel potatoes and I w ould put
them on the stove before noon. W hen they
cam e from the field the potatoes w ould be
done and she w ould go to the cellar and get
a crock of m ilk, skim off the cream, and put
it on the table. W e w ould have our potatoes
and sour cream and w e w ere h appy w ith it. ”
Theodore Erbstoesser m arried M innie G ersonde in 1895, the same y ear his b rother A u ­
gust w as m arried. He bought a farm across
the M aple R iver from his parents farm and
here th ey raised th eir fam ily of ten children,
one b ab y dying in infancy. Th ere w ere six
daughters; Ella, A nn, Selm a, M argaret, L il­
lian and M arie; and three sons, W alter, T h eo ­
dore and John.
88
In 1930 the farm w as sold and the family
m oved to E nderlin. O nly one m em ber still
lives in Enderlin, John Erbstoesser has been
Police C h ief for the past tw enty years. M ar­
ried to the form er A lice Groth, th ey have tw o
daughters, Carol and Connie (Mrs. B artholo­
m ay).
Eberhart Fausett
A sm all area on the M innesota-Iow a border,
including the towns of Mona and St. Ansgar
in Iowa, and L y le in M innesota, furnished
a large num ber of the early settlers of L ib ­
erty and M oore Townships.
A m ong these settlers w ere E berhart F au s­
ett and his w ife, the form er O line G olberg,
who hom esteaded in L ib e rty Township in
1882 and lived there until death.
Mr. Fau sett w as particu larly interested in
the w elfare of the com m unity and in civ ic
affairs and served in several school and tow n ­
ship offices, helped organize the M oore and
L ib erty Telephone Com pany, the W est St.
Olaf church and the Citizens State Bank.
He took particu lar pride in being the first
president of the Ransom Coun ty F arm er's
A lliance.
The Fausetts had three ch ild ren : Rosine,
Olaf (A n dy) and Nora, w ho now lives in
San Diego, Calif.
Joseph Kapaun
Joseph K apaun w as born in Portage, W is­
consin, in 1883. A s a young man, he farm ­
ed w ith his fath er in an area w here all the
farm land had to be cleared from tim ber and
m uch of the h ayin g w as done b y hand, w ith
scythes, and cocked in piles w hich w ere ca r­
ried on poles to the stack.
In 1903, he m oved to the A lice vicin ity and
purchased a half section of land in Clifton
Tow nship, livin g the first years in one-room
cabin.
He m arried Ida W avra in 1916, at Alice.
T h ey are m em bers of St. H en ry’s Catholic
Ch u rch and Mr. K apaun has served on the
school and township boards.
The K apaun s h ave three daughters: M il­
dred K in zler, Lisbon; Lorraine M cKinnon,
Colorado and F loren ce McMahon, A lice.
The Roe Family
Mr. Paul Roe, w ho now lives in Enderlin,
was born in 1886 in a log house w h ich still
stands on section eight of Preston Tow nship.
He w as one of six ch ild ren born to P e te r J.
and B ertha Roe who cam e from N orw ay to
Fillm ore County M innesota in the 1870’s. T h ey
stayed there over the w in ter and then came
to the V alley C ity area because th ey knew
fam ilies w ho had settled there. The jou rn ey
from M innesota took about tw o w eeks b y
covered w agon because there w ere so fe w
bridges for crossing. Th e Roe fam ily cam e
through St. Paul w h ich w as called Seven
Corners and then crossed the Red R iver at
M oorhead. The fam ily consisted of the m oth­
er and father and tw o v e ry sm all children
w ho had been born in N orw ay. A son, T h e o ­
dore, was b om in the A u s hom e in 1880 but
the rest of the ch ild ren w ere born in the
log house w h ere the fam ily lived until 1900.
Paul Roe w as m arried to T h eresa Nielson,
w ho w as born in Redsbyn, Sw eden. She came
to A m erica in 1914 and they w ere m arried in
1924. T h ey had one daughter, Phyliss, who
is now Mrs. M aurice Langland.
She Still
lives in the home built by her father. P au l
Roe farm ed from 1906 until 1957. In 1902, he
pitched h ay during all the daylight hours for
seventy fiv e cents a day. In 1903, he earned
fifty cents a day w ork in g for his uncle. Paul
Roe built his home com pletely b y him self and
w hen he w as digging the foundation, he un ­
earthed th iriy fou r Indian skeletons w hich
he v ery ca refu lly re-b u ried in another area
on his farm .
Mr. Roe has m any v ivid m em ories of life
in the early days of D akota Territo ry.
He
rem em bers w hen S tanding R ock w as eight
fe e t high. He says that about the year 1900,
a road crew of Italians w as helping to build
a spur on the railroad from F argo to M arion
and th ey dynam ited the rock to see w hat
was beneath it. T he sm all stone w hich stands
today is all that rem ains.
The Shaw’s
W hen Mr. Sh aw 's parents came to Canada
from Scotland in the e arly eighteen six ty ’s,
th ey had three children and thirteen cents.
In the early days, Canada, as w ell as the
United States, raised reven ue fo r road m ain­
tenance c h iefly by the collection of tolls. The
fa th er w as soon em ployed as a toll-gate op­
erator in Fergus, O ntario, and it w as there
that W illiam Shaw w as bom .
He attended
school there, learned telegraphy and then w as
em ployed by the Canadian P a cific R ailw ay as
an operator and agent.
W hen the Soo Line extended its line to
H arvey, N orth D akota in 1892, he w o rk ed as
an operator. B usiness w as dull and u n in ter­
esting and not v ery lu crative so this en ter­
prising Scot sought other means of acquiring
revenue. F o r a tim e he operated a restau r­
ant at H arvey and also did sign painting.
F ollow in g the w re ck at H arvey in 1894, Mr.
S haw w ent to the scene to v iew the situa
tion.
Mr. B atch eler, Soo Line Su perin ten ­
dent, a rrived with a w reck er to clear the
tracks but with an in su fficien t crew . H aving
training in telegra p h y and railroad experience,
Mr. S haw offered his service and as a result
he w as offered a jo b w o rk in g for the Soo
Line R ailroad.
He w orked first as a fire ­
m an betw een E nderlin and H arvey and then
as a freight b rakem an for fou r years.
In
1894 a passenger brakem an received a fifty
dollars a m onth and served as brakem an,
operator, coach cleaner, baggagem an and as­
sisted in coaling the engine en route.
F ew
trainmen have lived through eight w reck s
but such Was the exp erien ce of Mr. Shaw .
His life w as spared even in the w re ck of
D ecem ber 23, 1906 w hen nine people w ere
killed and tw enty seven w ere injured.
He
w orked as a passenger conductor from 1894
until 1937 when he retired.
M r. S haw w as an avid gam e hunter and
baseball player. H ere he displayed m any of
the sterling traits w hich characterized the
people of the land of hills and heather. Steady
nerves, and physical agility developed the
lea d -o ff b atter who u su ally played left field.
B ill Shaw, with Eli P ow er, W alt Loomis, H ar­
ry Gibson, P e rry Spellm an and Cook com ­
prised the first baseball team in Enderlin.
W illiam S haw w as a m em ber of the E n­
derlin school board and the city council for
m any years.
He was also a past W orthy
G rand Patron of the O rder of Eastern Star
and a past G ran d H igh Priest of the Royal
A rch Masons.
Mrs. W. W. S h aw (Beat Austad) is the first
born d au gh ter of Ingri Holien A u stad and
P eter A u stad w ho w ere early pioneers in
this area.
She cam e with her fa m ily from
Cresco, Iowa, to Dakota T e rritory in 1882.
H er father P eter homesteaded land over w hich
the new railroad w as being b u ilt and she,
w ith her brother and sister, sat on the banks
of the hill and w atch ed as the railroad was
being constructed past th eir land.
In 1892
the fam ily disposed of the farm and m oved
to Enderlin w h ere her father bu ilt and oper­
ated a general store.
S h e attended public
school here and then Concordia College w hen
there w as but one building on the cam pus.
G irls w ho attended Concordia lived upstairs
in the building and the classes w ere held
downstairs.
She taught school in Liberty
Tow nship and the Preston school in Ran­
som County in 1899. She and Mr. Shaw w ere
m arried in 1901. She has lived in the E n d er­
lin com m unity for 84 years. She is the only
livin g charter m em ber of the O. E. S. and
served as its secretary fo r forty tw o consecu­
tive years.
T h eir fam ily includes: Russell Shaw (d e ­
ceased); Lt. Col. L. D. Sh aw , U SAR , Tam pa,
w ho served th irty years in the United States
A rm y; Lt. j. g. Curtis J. S haw who served
tw en ty years in the United States N av y and
Helen Jean Shaw.
The Darelius Family
A u gu st and Johanna Staffnel D arelius w ere
farm ers in Sw eden. T h ey had three children,
Jennie, C arl and Anna.
In 1887, the D ar­
elius
fa m ily
cam e
d irectly
to
Ransom
County w h ere Mrs. D arelius had a brother.
The
fam ily
lived
on th e farm
of Mr.
G u staf Staffnel in L ib e rty Tow nship w hile
Mr. D arelius w ork ed on the section gang
for the N orthern P a cific railroad at B u ttzville.
He was em ployed during the sum m er months
and earned a $1.15 p er d ay.
In 1893, the
fa m ily m oved to E nderlin. Mr. D arelius w as
then em ployed b y the Soo Line railroad for
several years and also w orked for the city of
E n derlin for m any years.
T h eir three children w ere Jennie (deceas­
ed); Carl, Enderlin; and Annie (Mrs. LeR oy
S. Crane, M inneapolis, M inn. ).
89
M r. C arl D arelius attended school in E n ­
derlin w h en th ere w ere ju st fo u r room s in
the w hole school. He has cle rk e d in m any
of the stores in our c ity and has also w o rk ed
as a carpenter. He w en t to w o rk w h en he
w as fourteen; delivering, splitting w ood and
doing chores for people. W hen he w as c le rk ­
ing, he w o rk ed tw e lve hours a d ay and re ­
ceived fo r ty or fifty dollars a month. C arl
has lived in the same home in E n derlin since
1893.
In 1903, he attended A k e rs B u sin ess
C ollege in F argo and fo r m any years w as
em ployed
by
Cham berlain-W allace
L u m b er
Com pany in A lice. He is n ow retired.
The Torbenson Family
John Torbenson cam e w ith his parents to
the U nited States in 1847, from Lillerm askene,
N orw ay.
T h e fa m ily settled in M uskegon,
W isconsin. In 1856 h e m oved to M innesota,
taking a claim in M cLeod County, liv in g on
this farm until 1864, w hen he enlisted in C o m ­
pan y C.
H atch ’s Independent B attalion of
M innesota C a v alry .
T h e y w ere q uartered at
P om m e d eT erre until 1865, then m oved to
F ort A b ercrom b ie, and to F ort W adsw orth,
w h ere he w as m ustered out June 22, 1866.
He m arried C a rrie Enerson in 1868 and th ey
raised a fa m ily of nine children.
In 1696, th ey m oved to N orth Dakota, liv ­
ing first south of V a lley C ity and then com ­
ing to M oore Tow nship in 1900.
T h e ir son, Oscar, m arried M ary Syverson .
On th eir farm in M oore Tow nship th ey ra is­
ed fiv e children: Richard, w ho has farm ed
the fa m ily farm since his parents retired;
Donovan, of P ayn esville, M innesota;
Cora
(Mrs. A rn o ld P etrich ), of G ran d Forks; M il­
dred, Spokane, and Osman of Renton, W ash­
ington.
Mr. Torbenson died in 1965.
His
w ife m akes h er hom e w ith her daughter,
Cora.
Fred Maley
It w as a hot J u ly day in 1898 w h en F red
M aley arrived
in Enderlin. He w as tw enty
tw o and eager to learn a new language and
trade.
W hen he left K ristain sun d, N orw ay,
his trip cost $58 and took eleven days, b y w a y
of E ngland, to M ontreal.
D urin g his first years, h e w orked on a farm
for $2 a day, and did carpen ter w o rk . In 1904,
he w ent to w o rk for the Soo Line as a m a­
chinist, a job he held u n til his retirem ent in
1945.
In 1904 he m arried Sena Olson, w ho had
com e h ere from Egersund, N orw ay. T h ey had
th ree ch ildren : O laf, Enderlin; B eatrice (Mrs.
F lo y d Lu d tke) of E nderlin; and Glen, Long
Island, N. Y .
B oth M r. and Mrs. M aley w ere able to re ­
visit th eir n ative land, M rs. M aley m aking
the trip w ith O laf and B eatrice in 1908 and
M r. M aley in 1947.
Mr. M aley is a m em ber of F irst Lu th eran
C h u rch and has been a w o rk er in other com ­
m un ity activities, servin g on the c ity council
d urin g the tim e th at the E nderlin city h all
w as built.
90
The George Nelson Family.
Doctor G eorge A . N elson, a w ell know n E n ­
derlin dentist, practiced d en tistry in E nderlin
fo r fo rty one years. He w as born at Kasson,
M innesota, and w as graduated from the U ni­
v ersity of M innesota C ollege of D entistry. He
cam e to Enderlin in 1906 and m arried the
form er M ary K lin g b e il in 1909. T h ere w ere
fiv e sons born to this fam ily:
L aw ren ce, Enderlin; George, J „ Enderlin;
Paul, F ort Lauderdale, Fla.; Robert, V a n ­
couver, W ash.; and Ross, H arleyville, S. C.
D r. Nelson served the com m unity in various
official capacities. He w as m ayor from 1911
to 1914, and it w as during this adm inistration
that the present w ater and sew age system
w as installed. He w as also an alderm an for
several term s and a m em ber of the school
board for a num ber of years.
Dr. N elson w as a m em ber of L ib e rty Lodge
No. 49 A F . & A . M., of w h ich h e w as a past
W orship M aster, and of Chapter 19, Royal
A rch M asons, of Which he w as High Priest.
He had been a W orthy Patron of the O rder
of E astern Star and w as Associate Patron at
the tim e of his death in F eb ru ary, 1947. He
w as also the first president of the local K i­
w anis club.
D uring the Golden Ju b ilee Celebration, Dr.
Nelson served on the pageant com m ittee and
the program com m ittee.
The Scheie Family
Nels A n d erson w as born in F jaerlan d, Sogn,
N orw ay in 1883. He cam e to A m erica in 1903,
at the sam e tim e as his brother, Jens A n ­
derson. L ik e so m any Scandinavians, he w as
bothered b y duplication of nam es.
B ecause
th ere w as another Nels Anderson livin g in
Enderlin, he changed his nam e, in 1922, to Nels
Scheie.
In 1907, A nna B erge cam e from his home
tow n in N orw ay and th ey w ere m arried. T h ey
raised a fam ily of seven children: A n d rew ,
B ernard and O rrin, all of Enderlin; Sigrid,
(B lan ch ard), M abel (W alters), Helen (H ill),
and N orm a (Olson).
T h e Scheies w ere m em bers of Zion L u th ­
eran C h u rch u n til its disbanding, and now
attend F irst Luth eran .
He is a long-tim e
Soo Line em p loyee.
John Carlson
J ohn Carlson w as born at F ergu s Falls and
cam e to Enderlin in 1905 from G lenw ood, as
a Soo Line engineer.
In 1908, he m arried M aude F u rtn ey, daugh­
ter of Joe F u rtn ey, w ho w as an engineer on
the Soo L in e w hen the railroad w as built
into E nderlin and w ho w ork ed on trains 107
and 108 u n til his retirem ent.
John Carlson w as a m em ber of the B roth er­
hood of Locom otive Engineers, of the M asonic
Lodge in Enderlin and of E l Z agel Tem ple
and Scottish Rites M asons in Fargo. He lost
his life in a w reck at Venlo, N ovem ber 4.
1943.
His Wife now lives at W hite B ear
L a k e, M innesota.
Th e Carlsons had four children; L loyd , a
Soo Line engineer at Enderlin, John Jr., of
Los Angeles; M arjorie (Jaeger), W estchester,
Pa.; and F lorence (R arick) of Enderlin.
The Henderson Family
Ch arles and L u c y B e n w a y Henderson m i­
grated from N ew ark, N ew Y ork , to Fargo,
in 1887. In 1889, th ey hom esteaded the farm
now occupied b y Jam es N ord. Charles often
recalled p u llin g a hand sled to B ingham ton
for supplies b efore the tow n of E nderlin w as
built. T h e y lived on this farm until 1928.
Th e Hendersons w ere the parents of three
sons. E d gar m arried C lara Nord. T h ey farm ed
on the place now ow ned b y Leo F ern ow un­
til his death in 1941. T h e y had fou r children,
tw o of w hom died in infancy; Loren, who
farm s south of Enderlin, and L u cille (Red­
mond) of Enderlin, w ith whom Mrs. H ender­
son m ade h er hom e until her death.
P e rry m arried R ik k a Helgeson.
B oth are
now deceased. T h e y had tw o ch ildren : H el­
en, of A uburn, W ashington; and Robert, w ho
lives in E nderlin.
Th e third son, Ernest, died w h ile he w as
a student at NDSU.
Martin and Matia Thoreson
(Parents of Goldie Olson)
G oldie Thoreson, her m other, M atia and her
two sisters, R agn hild and Cam illa, a rrived
in the U nited States in 1907 after a storm y
overseas crossing. H er father, M artin T h o re ­
son, arrived in 1906, intrigued b y the tales
of a great and w on derfu l A m erica, as related
b y his tw o brothers, Pete and C arl S u n by,
w ho had m ade the v o ya
g e prior to Mr. T h o m ­
son's great adventure.
The Thoreson's first hom e in E nderlin w as
in the residence now occupied b y L y d ia
Geske.
M artin started to w o rk for the Soo
L in e at their treating plant in 1906. E ve n tu ­
a lly he w ork ed into the m achin ist’s trade
and in tim e becam e a skilled w ork er in that
craft.
M artin obtained his citizen’s papers in 1910.
He passed a w ay in 1928.
G oldie Olson, the eldest daughter, w as 21
y ears of age at h er tim e of a rriv al in N orth
Dakota. S h e had p reviou sly had tw o years
of n u rse’s trainin
g in N orw ay, and at the time
of her dep artu re from the “ old C o u n try” w as
engaged to a ship’s captain. G oldie rem ained
in
E nderlin for a tim e and e ven tu ally w ent
to
Chicago w h ere she w as em ployed as a
seam stress w ith Hart, Sch affner and M arx.
She returned to E nderlin in 1909 and w as
m arried to E m an u el Engstrom P eterson that
same year.
Mr. Peterson w as em p loyed in
the Soo Dine roundhouse at E nderlin.
He
passed a w ay in 1918.
T h ree children w ere
born to this union, Edith, E rvin and G ladys.
In 1922, G oldie rem arried, to G eorge Olson,
an d th ey m oved to L ib e rty
Tow nship.
Mr.
Olson died in M ay, 1935. G oldie continued
to
resid e on the farm u n til 1944, w h en she
m oved to E nderlin since h er son E rvin entered
m ilitary service at that time.
Mr. Olson and Goldie w ere the parents of
one child, Ramona. D urin g the first year of
their m arriage, Mr. Olson w as a represen ta­
tive in the N orth D akota state legislature,
representing the 14th legislative d istrict. He
w as a m em ber of the N onpartisan League.
In later years G oldie w as v e ry active in
politics.
She w as instrum ental in helping
to organize the “ Inger B ronson, ” an Inner
M ission church organization, affiliated w ith
the F irst Lutheran church.
In rem iniscing, G oldie recalls that the fa m i­
ly savings w ere allotted to the tender care
of the “ T h orson ’’ Bank.
She also notes that “ b ack in those d a y s” the
more afflu en t and im portant m ales in the
com m unity w ere M ayor Ole G olberg, B an k er
Thorson, Doctor O vergard, the S torekeeper
Harper, and a T h ird W ard A ld erm an — B e rt
E pker.
F. P. Stowell
M y father and m other (Mr. and Mrs. F. P.
Stow ell) and three children, Rachel, Susan
and E dythe, arrived in T o w er C ity on M arch
12, 1883, from C onw ay, Iowa. T h e y cam e on
the N orthern P acific. T h e train w as two days
late because of bad storms. T h ey w ere d is­
appointed to see snow three or four feet
deep on the prairie, as th ey had le ft the
green fields of e arly spring in Iowa. M y fa ­
ther hired a liv e ry m an w ith a sleigh to take
the fam ily to J. P. Lidd le farm , tw enty m iles
to the southwest.
T h e y stayed there a fe w w eeks u n til th ey
could get into their own house. T h is fiv e
room house had been bu ilt on the northeast
co m er of Section 9, T ow n sh ip 137 (Raritan)
in the fa ll of 1882.
It w as our home for
tw e n ty years. Section 9 w as know n as “ ra il­
road ” land. It belonged to m y fa th e r’s aunt,
R achel Stow ell Sm ith, (Mrs. P orter Sm ith)
of Springfield , N ew Y ork .
M y fath er broke the sod of about 25 acres
that sum m er, and sow ed it to w h eat and
barley.
A gard en w as planted. T h ey w ere
w ell pleased w ith the w on derful grow th of
vegetab les on the n ew soil.
A sm all b am
and granary w ere built.
D uring the next seven years, three d au gh ­
ters w ere born in this hom e: Bessie, Helen
and Ruth. A ll six daughters attended school
No. 1, D istrict No. 83. T h ey later attended
the State N orm al School at V alley C ity and
fou r graduated.
T h e six sisters all becam e
teachers.
M y m other w as one of the charter m em bers
of the Bingham ton P resbyterian church started
Jun e 16, 1883.
M y father w as an officer in the school
district and a m em ber of the township board
fo r n early tw e n ty years. H ow happ y e v e r y ­
one w as in 1891 w hen the Soo L ine railroad
w as com pleted to Enderlin. L u cca w as start­
ed.
E n derlin becam e the big tow n w here
people could go to trade.
M y fath er rented the farm in 1903, and
w e m oved to V a lle y C ity. He died in M ay,
1911.
M y m other died in 1940.
A ll six
daughters are still living.
91
T w o of the S to w ell d augh ters have lived in
E nderlin. E d yth e taught here and M rs. Susan
V an ce is a long tim e resident.
A n early day teach er in the schools of the
area, Susan V an ce w as supervisor of C . W.A .
w o rk during the depression years, w o rk ed in
th e Red Cross d urin g W orld W ar I, and in iti­
ated the hot lunch program in the Enderlin
schools.
In addition to this she has done
and still continues to do uph olstery and
tailoring.
H er son, C yril, now lives in M ilw au kee.
H er daughter, H arriet
(K apaun)
lives at
P illsbu ry, N. D. Som e years ago, Mrs. Vance,
h er d au gh ter and h er granddaughter, Susan,
w ere recognized as the first three generation
fa m ily at V a lley C ity State College.
The Loomis Family
W a lte r Loom is cam e to B uffalo, N. D., in
1891 from P rairie du Chien, W is. He estab­
lished E n derlin ’s first harness shop in the
spring of 1892. In 1901 he sold the harness
shop and b ecam e a grain dealer, owning
elevators here until he retired in 1931.
In 1898 he m arried Hattie K lin gbiel and
to their fam ily three d augh ters w ere b o rn :
Mrs. M artin (W ilma) Peterson, Chicago; M rs.
A rnold (Esther) G ilm er, B em idji, M inn., and
Ruth, Escondido, Calif.
Th rou gh the years, Mr. Loom is w as in­
v o lve d in e v e ry facet of com m unity life, fill­
ing c ity offices from villa ge m arshall to
m ayor. A n avid baseball player, he m anaged
several early ball team s and, in la ter years,
insisted that th ey n e ve r lost a gam e w h ile
he w as at the helm .
Mrs. Loom is w as a charter m em ber of the
M ethodist Church and w as an a ctive m em ber
of the Eastern Star, and Mr. Loom is w as
also active in the M asonic Lodge. Mr. Loom is
died in 1960 and M rs. Loom is rem ained in
her hom e here un til 1963 w hen she m oved
to B em id ji, passing aw ay there in 1965.
E nderlin. E xcep t fo r short residences in M in­
neapolis and W ashington, M r. and Mrs. P ett
m ade their home here until th eir death. Mr.
P ett died sh ortly after their 50th w edding
anniversary in 1961 and M rs. P ett died in 1963.
Matthes Family
A u gu st M atthes, Sr., and his brother, W il­
liam first came to W isconsin from G erm any,
but lured b y the prospect of free hom esteads
m oved on w est to D akota. T h ey cam e to L a ­
M oure county w h ere W illiam took up a
hom estead, but A u gu st w as not im pressed
w ith the area and fin a lly settled in Pontiac
Township. He m arried a girl from the L ebus fam ily and a son, Edwin, w as two w hen
his m other died. M r. M atthes later m arried
A u gu sta Stange, a w id ow w ith fou r children.
To the second m arriage, eight children w ere
born.
D uring their years on the farm th ey acq u ir­
ed th ree sections of land as w ell as property
in Enderlin. Mr. M atthes w as active in the
T rin ity C hurch and served in Tow nship and
school board offices. School board m eetings
w ere a must, regardless of the w eath er. The
m eetings had a social side too, for m em bers
of the fam ily often w ent along.
He purchased one of the first autom obiles
in the township, but on his first tim e at the
w h eel, found it did not respond to “ W hoa” ,
as the horses did.
It kept on going until
it hit a large wood pile w h ich fin ally stopped
it. Though he ow ned several cars after that,
he never again took the w h eel him self.
W hen his sons w ere old enough to take
over the farm he and his w ife retired to E n­
derlin, w h ere Mrs. M atthes died in 1926. Mr.
M atthes died in the farm home of his son
W illiam in 1937.
O f th eir children, A u gu st is still liv in g in
Fargo, a daughter in Seattle, W ashington and
Edw ard lives in E nderlin.
Nels Olson
A u gu st P ett
M r. and M rs. A u gu st P ett cam e to North
D akota in 1899 w h en their fa m ily w as par­
tia lly grow n.
A son, Otto, had preceded
them and w as w orkin g as a mission pastor
of the Iow a Synod in this area, organizing
ch urches at L itch v ille, A sh ley, Fessenden, and
other
N orth
D akota
com m unities.
T h ey
bou gh t a farm in Pontiac Tow nship w hich
is now owned b y a grandson, Otto Trapp.
M ost of th eir children soon m arried and
le ft the area. Ernest served various pastor­
ates in Kansas; A nn m arried R ev. B ru n and
follow ed him to Colorado; A ugusta, m arried
A u gu st K ottke and th ey farm ed in Pontiac
Tow nship b e fo re m ovin g to St. Paul.
Only
Em m a (Mrs. H enry Trapp) and Richard, the
youngest son, rem ained in the E nderlin com ­
m unity.
M r. P ett died in 1905 and R ichard took
over the farm .
He m arried M atilda A sh brenner and th eir children, Em m a (Mrs. Selm er Larson), E sther (Mrs. Sherw ood B rady),
and A rn old w ere all raised and educated in
92
Nels Olson and his w ife, Banta Tykanson
and son, Richard, cam e from M alm o, Sw eden,
w here he was assistant to the veterinarian
to the king, to Dakota T erritory in the spring
of 1880. T h e y had to fe rry across a flooded
Red R iver at Fargo to homestead on w hat
is now the Eldon P ip er farm , east of E n ­
derlin. Nels w alk e d to Casselton and w ork ed
in a feed m ill fo r a time.
On this farm w ere born Emma (died in
in fancy), Hannah, Nels, Anna and O scar C.
A ll these children attended En derlin school,
Nels renting a house in Enderlin during the
cold w eath er w here the children “ batched. ”
B an ta passed a w a y and N els m et Ingred
Nelson w ho w as here from Sw ed en visitin g
her brother. T h e y m arried and Adolph and
Tena w ere born.
A b ou t 1898 Nels m oved his fam ily to a
farm n ear the Sheyenne R iv er south and
a little east of Lisbon. There a son, Johnnie,
w as born. W hile farm ing along the Sheyenne
R iver, Nels cased a spring, w h ich w as rather
am using to the Indians because the river
w as rig h t there, but on seeing the w ater
com e from the w e ll they, too, began using
it. F or this fa vo r the Indians began b ringing
food to the Olson fam ily.
O f Nels Olson’s children, only three are
still livin g: Nels, and Tena Olson E lijah, of
Lisbon and Anna Olson A bbott in Oregon.
A grandson, Raym ond, is sh eriff of Ransom
C ounty.
One son, Oscar, w as a long time
resident of the E nderlin com m unity.
Oscar C. Olson and Josephine C. Christian­
son w ere m arried in E nderlin A pril, 1912, the
w edd in g takin g place at the old S tow ell
house, now occupied b y Mr. and Mrs. Tom
B aribeau.
T h e y settled in M oore Township,
SE 1/4¼ Section 12-136-56, and liv ed in w hat
is now a gran ary until th eir hom e w as
com pleted.
O scar w as active in com m unity
affairs, servin g on the tow nship board for
several years.
T h e y retired from Farm ing
in 1944 and m oved to E n derlin at w hich tim e
th eir son, Dale, bought the farm .
Oscar
served on the city council for a fe w years.
Josephine passed a w a y M ay 24, 1965, and
O scar on F e b ru a ry 14, 1966. To this union
w as born a son, Dale C., N ovem ber 11, 1919.
He m arried Florence Sveum and th ey have
tw o sons, T e rry Dale, Fargo, and K u rt D avid,
E nderlin, w ho farm s w ith his father.
The Beard Family
Reuben B eard w as born in Castle D ow nington, England in 1841. O rphaned at an early
age, he w as cared fo r b y an older sister and
apprenticed to a shoem aker as a v e r y young
boy. W hen he w as 12 he came to the United
States, liv in g in N ew Y o rk , Portland, M aine
and M assachusetts. D urin g the C ivil W ar he
served in the 16th and 18th M assa ch u setts
Regim ents, and w as seriously w ounded d u r­
ing one of the last battles of the w ar.
He m arried Jennie B ra tt and w ith their
son, A d elbert, th ey cam e to Clifton T o w n ­
ship in 1881 and filed on a hom estead in the
¼
of Section 29 and the N W ¼ of Section
32. His w ife died in 1886 and in 1899 he m ar­
ried A lic e W arner, a w idow w ith one d au gh ­
ter, Nellie, w h ose form er husband, John W ar­
ner had settled n ear Sheldon in 1888 and later
m oved to C lifton Tow nship.
In 1904 the B eards m oved to Enderlin, w here
he built h o u s e s in B eards addition and sold
them . S evera l of these are still occupied. A t
the tim e of his death in 1932, he w as the only
rem aining C iv il W ar V eteran in Ransom
County.
M rs. B eards d aughter N ellie m arried George
Co w an and th eir daughter Inez (Mrs. Arnold
Fraase) still lives in Enderlin.
T h ey farm ed in L iberty Tow nship u n til Mr.
S ve d ja n ’s death in 1935. M rs. Sved jan m oved
to E nderlin and lived here until h er death
in 1962. B oth w ere active m em bers of the
W est St. O laf Congregation.
T h ere are fou r children, three liv in g in
the Enderlin com m unity; A rnold, G je rdi s (Mrs.
E rnest Green) H azel (Mrs. F. W . P etrich)
and Ralph, of Fargo.
The Gullickson Family
E ver G u llickson cam e to D akota T erritory,
from M ona, Iowa, in a caravan of covered
wagons. A t B uffalo, N orth Dakota he located
on a q u arte r south of the village and built
a sm all house and barn and broke some sod.
He returned hom e that fall and in F eb ru ­
ary, 1880 brought his bride A gn es to North
D akota, livin g w ith friends u n til spring,
w hen th ey m oved to their claim . His m other
Ranvei, brothers and sisters join ed him and
filed on adjoin in g land.
Used to the hills and shrubs of Iowa, E ver
looked for another hom estead, a w ay from the
flat p ra irie , and in that sam e sum m er he
took a claim on the h ill overlookin g the
present site of Enderlin. His m other and fam ­
ily follow ed and filed on adjoining land in­
cludin g the present w a te r tow er hill, w h ere
th ey first discovered the spring w ith its generous
w ater su pply which the town w as to
utilize.
W hen the Soo Line cam e through, R an vei’s
sons, G ust and G u llik, w anted to m ove on,
and she sold her property, w hich becam e
p art of the E nderlin tow nsite.
Her son E ver, h ow ever, continued to m ake
his home here. He helped organize L ib erty
Tow nship and served on its board and on the
school board. T h eir six children w ere raised
and educated here. T h ey w ere Edw ard, K nut,
Severt, Otto, B erth a and M abel. A ll are now
dead, but a grandson, Edw ard is still livin g
in the vicin ity, pastor of a rural Lutheran
Parish n ear Leonard.
A most in terestin g story is told of h ow E ver
G ullickson, before his m arriage, w o rk ed on
the construction of the N orthern P a cific R a il­
road in w estern D akota.
T h ere he m et a
young m an w ith thick-len sed glasses w ho w as
ran chin g in the territory. M any years later,
the young m an now the nationally know n T e d ­
dy Roosevelt cam e through Enderlin on a
special train. Secret S ervice m en q u ietly lo ­
cated E ver G ullickson and after the crow ds
had heard him , G u llickson w as in vited aboard,
to dine w ith T ed d y and give him first hand
inform ation about conditions in N orth D akota.
Fred Kelm
The Anton Svedjan Fam ily
A n ton Sved jan w as born in Lavan ger, N or­
w a y in 1872 and cam e to E nderlin in 1901.
He w o rk ed for Charles U rham m er, in L ib e rty
Tow nship and for oth er farm ers in the area
until 1909, w hen he m arried Jennie Iverson.
R ex Lindem ann d rove them across the prairie
to Lisbon, in his first autom obile, w h ere the
cerem ony took place.
F red K elm w as b om to parents of G erm an
descent in a covered w agon som ew here in
Cass County.
T he fam ily w as en route to
the E nderlin v icin ity to homestead.
The
year was 1882. T h e y settled on land located
two m iles east and fiv e and a h alf m iles
south of Enderlin.
W hile he w as a v ery young boy his father
died, leavin g a youn g w id ow w ith fiv e sm all
93
children. F red w as raised b y some other old
settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Schellberg. T h ey lived
in the same v icin ity.
In 1903 E lise Lade of G erm any came to
live w ith her aunt and uncle, the Schellbergs.
She cam e alone and w as the only from her
fa m ily ever to com e to Am erica.
Elise and
F red w ere
m arried
this tim e he purchased the tract of land w h ich
becam e home to the fa m ily fo r 58 years, until
the land was bought b y th eir son, E rich, and
th ey m oved into E nderlin.
T he first hom e the K e lm ’s had w as a tw oroom house w h ich is still on the farm site.
It becam e a garage w hen the present home
w as built in 1918.
E ight children w ere born to this couple.
T h ey, as m any of the pioneer fam ilies at
that time, shared sorrow w ith jo y in raising
their fam ily.
T h eir first child, a little girl nam ed Irma,
died from the dread killer, polio, on her
third birthday. She w as ill three days. The
doctor w as called and cam e w ith horse and
b u ggy, but at that tim e there w as nothing
th ey could do for that disease. Emma, Mrs.
P a u l B ord t of Enderlin, w as second, then a
set of twins. T h e girl, Mrs. A rth u r (Irene)
Johnson, liv es in P a lm er, A la sk a , the little
boy died at birth.
T he first son born w as
Erich, w ho n ow lives in Fargo, then Ernest
of M ilnor, N. D., E rvin , who died at the
age of tw elve years from diabetes and com ­
plications, and Leslie of A nchorage, A laska.
Th e K e lm ’s w ere ch arter m em bers of the
A n selm Lu th eran church of w h ich R ev. O. H.
Schaible is present pastor.
T h e y celebrated their fiftieth w eddin g an­
n ive rsary in 1955 and had Fred lived until
January, 1965, th ey w ould h ave had their
sixtieth an n iversary.
He passed a w a y N o­
vem ber 7, 1964.
Mrs. K elm is still livin g in Enderlin w ith
a daughter, M rs. Bordt.
Mrs Hilda Larson
The daughter of M ary H agen and John Lee,
she c ame to N orth D akota in a covered wagon
train from F illm ore County, M innesota. Nine
fam ilies cam e together. T h e y w ere a fa irly
prosperous group, fo r all of them had horses.
Som e fam ilies had a fe w chickens, some a
pig or two.
Th e L ees had tw o sheep, and
from them h er m other got w ool w h ich she
corded, spun and knit into stockings, w hich
she sold in V a lle y C ity.
T h e y brought little furn iture; just a trunk,
kettles, pans, tools and a sm all camp stove.
T h ey settled in Nelson Tow nship, Barnes
Counity. T h e y stayed at O pperuds until th ey
had sodded up a stable. A lon g side of it th ey
bu ilt a sm all shanty to cook in but the first
w in ter th ey slept in the stable w ith the liv e ­
stock. T h e ir chairs w ere tree Stumps, a slab
from a big log m ade a table top and the bed
fram es w ere m ade of the same construction,
covered w ith tick s filled w ith hay.
T h ey bu ilt a two story sod house. In w in ­
ters th ey often had parties, w ith dancing
94
dow nstairs and cards upstairs. T h e y had a
plank floor. In the houses w ith dirt floors,
w et sacks w ere placed on the floor to keep
dow n the dust. One night a t the height o f
the m errim ent, the ceiling cam e down.
No
one w as seriously h urt except the fid d ler,
w hose bow w as broken.
in The
1904. first
A t tim e she cam e to E nderlin w as
w ith her first b oy frien d. T h ey both w ork ed
fo r G u llick Strand n ear Lucca.
His nam e
w as N els Rud and he had ju st come over
from N orw ay. He a sked countless questions,
fo r he w as tryin g to learn English. Th e first
thing he had to learn w as to talk to the
horses, for in the old country th ey had d if­
ferent sounds for “ giddap” and “ w hoa” , and
these horses paid no attention to him.
T h e y w orked from 4 a. m. to 10 p. m. in
sum m er. A man got $10.00 a m onth and a girl
$1.00 per w eek. On Sunday, he hitched up a
horse to the su lk y and th ey drove to Ender­
lin, w h ere th ey had ice cream in a little re s­
taurant w h ere G eeslin ’s bookkeeping service
is now.
H er first teacher was Clara B u tterfield , an
aunt of Mrs. G eorge Adam s.
Th ere w ere
about ten pupils and they had tw o term s a
year of about three m onth s. In the spring
th ey used to go to the Sheyenne R iv er to
w ad e at recess. O nce she w as standing on
a rock w h en she noticed the other children
w ere gettin g farth er and fa rth er aw ay. H er
rock was a huge turtle, w h ich w ere num erous
along the rivers.
In the w in ter of 1884 a terrib le diphtheria
epidem ic cam e. Th e Stonhoffs lost tw o ch il­
dren; the B arstads lost three. Three of the
L ee children had it.
There w as no doctor
near, b u t her m other saw a w agon passing
fa r off on the prairie.
She jum ped on a
horse and rode to intercept him , asking that
he bring m edicine.
He brought cranberries and brandy.
The
cranberries w ere cooked and the tart ju ice
w as one thing th ey could get down.
She
dipped a stick w rapped w ith cloth into the
b rand y and used it to swab out their throats.
A ll of them recovered.
In 1901, she m arried Em il Everson.
Their
three children w ere; Joe, of St. Paul, M in­
nesota, Ernest of Carson C ity, N evada and
M abel. Mrs. C arl Hulet, w ho lived in E n der­
lin until Mr. Hulet retired a fe w years ago.
A ll of the H ulet children, C harlotte (Mrs. V e r­
non Shorter, F ergu s Falls, Minnesota) A rd ell
(Mrs. Holte, Seattle, W ashington) Howard,
Charles and Robert w ere raised in Enderlin.
H ilda’s husband died w h ile her children
w ere sm all and in 1919 she m arried Leonard
Larson. D uring the thirties, Mr. Larson, who
was a Soo Line em ployee, becam e m uch w o r­
ried about b an k closings. He determ ined to
tak e his savings to M inneapolis, w h ere he
thought the banks w ere safe. He drew out
his m oney b u t n ever reached a M inneapolis
bank.
Despite efforts of the Soo Line and
law enforcem ent officials to find him, no trace
w as e v e r found, and she believes he w as
robbed and disposed of in some w ay.
M rs. Larson for m an y years operated a
room ing house and is still active and alert.
She w as 88 on N ovem ber 4, 1965.
Saunder J. Saunders
S aun der J. Saunders w as born O ctober 9,
1886, in V a lley C ity, N. D., the son of A . M.
Saunders and C harlotte Johansen Saunders,
w ho came to V a lle y C ity in 1884. T h ey came
from N o rw ay in 1882 to M ills City, Iowa.
A . M. Saunders w as the first photographer
in V a lley City.
S au n w as a graduate of V a lle y C ity high
school and graduated from V alley C ity State
T eachers Co llege in 1906.
A fte r graduation
he taught in Lidgerw ood. On June 16, 1908,
he m arried Clara Pierce of V a lley C ity, and
in Septem ber of that y e a r th ey cam e to E n­
derlin w h ere he taught seventh and eighth
grades and athletics in the c ity schools until
the end of the school year in 1916.
In the fa ll of 1916, Mr. Saunders becam e
p rincipal of M oore Consolidated School lo­
cated in M oore tow nship w est of Enderlin.
In June of 1917 the Saunders fam ily re tu rn ­
ed to Enderlin w here Mr. Saunders entered
the service of the Soo L in e railroad, w orkin g
as cle rk in the o ffice of G. S. B axter, su p e r­
intendent of this division of the Soo Line,
u n til his death in D ecem ber of 1934.
W hen the railroads organized an a g ric u ltu r­
al departm ent, Mr. Saunders w as one of the
first m em bers chosen for the agricu ltu ral
departm ent of the Soo Line.
T his d ep art­
m ent w as established to interest farm ers in
p urebred stock and better seed grains, p ota­
toes, and oth er agricu ltu ral products.
T his
com m ittee traveled over the state in special
trains and w ith the help of local com m ittees
h eld m eetings in the towns to show w h at
could be done to raise the standards of fa rm ­
ing.
M r. Saunders w as
interested
in young
people. He w as a Scoutmaster, taught Sunday
school, and w as a leader in organizations to
b enefit youth.
He w as a m em ber of the
B oard of Education, the K iw a n is Club, M a­
sonic Lo dge and the M ethodist Church
T h e re w ere fo u r children in the Saunders
fam ily, F ran k , Robert, M ildred and John.
M rs. Saunders m oved to F argo, N. D „ in
Ju ly, 1938. M rs. Saunders, w h o is a form er
N orth D akota “ M other of the Y e a r, ” n ow lives
in Fargo.
The Fetcher Family
E. A . F etch er spent his boyhood on an 80
a cre “Stump" farm near Owatonna, M innesota.
W ith three boys and a girl in th eir fa m ily his
parents realized th at there w as not enough
w o rk or incom e to raise them there, So, in
1880, th ey loaded th eir possessions into a
covered w agon d raw n b y tw o yo k e of oxen,
and leavin g Edw ard and his brother to put
in the crop in Minnesota, Started the long trip
to D akota T errito ry w h ere a frien d, the R e v ­
erend Joseph Zim m erm an, had taken a claim
in E ldred Township, Cass County.
T h e jo u rn e y took the entire m onth of
A pril, but th ey w ere fortunate to secure a
claim in Section 28, E ldred Tow nship, ju st
a m ile from their friends. T h ey put up a
claim shanty and broke six ty acres of sod
that first sum m er.
Th e father return ed to
M innesota for the h arvest and then, loading
an em igrant car, m oved the rest of th eir pos­
sessions to B uffalo.
E dw ard F etch er lived on this farm until
his m arriage to A nna K ra ft in 1891, w h en
th ey m oved to a n earb y farm . During this
time, the people petitioned for a post office
and one w as established near the site of the
present tow n of A lice. It w as nam ed “ P e t­
erson” after a local man and Mr. Fetcher
w as the first postm aster. Th e only pay w as
the fees received fo r m oney orders and such
services.
In 1898 the fa m ily m oved to Enderlin, where
Mr. F e tch e r ran a d ray and liv e ry barn.
T h ree daughters w ere raised in this home;
Rose (Mrs. H arry Paulson) Ella, and V iolet
(Mrs. Reuben T eichm an).
A fou rth d au gh ­
ter, Sadie, died at the age of six months.
Mrs. F etcher died in 1947 and Mr. Fetcher
lived in his home here until 1955, w hen he
w ent to liv e w ith his dau gh ter Rose.
His
death cam e in 1956.
The Olous Austad Family
Olous Austad, the son of Lars and Ranghilde
Austad, w as b om on a farm n ear H ylla, N or­
w ay.
He m arried M artha K je rsta n Hellem
and th ey e m i g r a t e d to A m erica in 1880,
com ing first to Jackson, M innesota and then
to Enderlin, w h ere th ey took a homestead.
Tim es w ere d ifficu lt and th ey had to borrow
m oney from the bank at Lisbon, but im p ro v e­
m ent of the hom estead slow ly progressed.
Then, one night, tragedy struck, in the form
of horses thieves, w ho stole th eir horses. This
w as the end of farm in g for them .
The fam ily m oved into E nderlin. M r. A u s­
tad started an ice business and continued
this w o rk until his death about 1817.
T h e A u stads had seven children: M rs E.
W. Landt, Pasco, W ashington; Leo, deceased;
A n n a (South) Lee, S. D.; Chris, Los Angeles;
Carl, N am pa, Idaho; Ralph, Boise, Idaho; and
M aude (Christianson) Spokane, W ashington.
Rena A u stad Landt, w ho is retired from the
Red Cross, entered the prim ary departm ent
of the E nderlin school in its first y ear and
w as one of the fou r first graduates. She is
the on ly liv in g m em ber of the class of 1906,
of w hich she w as Senior class president.
Emil Utke
Em il U tk e farm ed n ear A lice fo r som e
years; later purchasing a farm n ear F argo
w h ere the fam ily liv e d fo r some tim e. Their
fa m ily consisted of eight ch ildren : P a u l and
Arnold, Fargo; A gnes, (Mrs. A . J. K apaun)
and Edith, (Mrs. R obert Card), both form erly
of A lice and now livin g in Fargo; Howard,
who form erly lived at E n derlin and w ho died
this spring; Hans and an infant, both deceas­
ed; and V iolet, (Mrs. R a y F ritz) of E nderlin.
95
The
Dagman Family
The first of the Dagm an fam ily to com e to
the United States w ere John and
Christine
Dagm an, w ho sailed from Sw eden in 1881,
bringing
w ith them
th eir ch ildren : Carl,
G u stav and E rich Oscar.
T h ey cam e first
to Casselton, w h ere th ey had friends; then
purchasing horses, a w agon and lum ber, set
out for their hom estead in L ib erty Township,
located w h ere the Richard W olfs now live.
T hat first
night they
slept on
the open
prairie, then proceeded to build
a sm all
shanty and started b reak in g the sod.
On this hom estead th ey raised eleven sons
and three daughters.
Th e first school w as
built on the corner of their land w here the
golf course now stands. T h ey w ere d eep ly
concerned that th eir children should have
religious training as w ell and w ere among
the group who organized w h at is now the
E vangelical F ree Church.
One of these e arly pastors w as the R e v ­
erend John Thom pson, whose daughter Ella
w as to becom e the b rid e of their son, Paul,
the only su rv ivin g child of the fam ily.
A
long time
street and
w ater superintendent
for Enderlin, Paul, and his w ife celebrated
their golden w edd in g the past year.
Mr. and Mrs. Dagm an both died in the
1920’s.
T h ree grandsons still farm in the
Enderlin com m unity: W esley, V ern on and
Harold.
G u sta v Dagm an had graduated from the
U n iversity of Upsala, and the N aval A cadem y
and served as a captain in the Sw edish M er­
chant M arines before he succum bed to the
“ A m erica” fever and follow ed his brother,
Johan, to D akota Territory in 1882.
His first em ploym ent w as w ork in g tor the
Olson sisters, w here he herded sheep on the
E nderlin townsite.
T h at fa ll he w ork ed on
the D alrym ple farm for 75 cents a day until
freeze-up.
He selected a claim in Section 32 in Raritan
Tow nship and in 1883 brought his w ife W ilhelm ina and dau gh ter (Mrs. V icto r Peterson)
to the sod shanty he had built. He w as one
of the group of pioneers w ho m et at the
Stow ell hom e to organize the tow nship g o v ­
ernment.
T h ree m ore children w e re born in A m e ri­
ca; Linnea (Mrs. O le O urenhagen) deceased,
A x e l, w ho farm s w est of Enderlin, and A m an ­
da (Mrs. A d olph Skram stad).
B oth A x e l Dagm an and his cousin, Oscar,
son of John operated threshing rigs fo r m any
years, and boh m ade a hobby of photography.
A s a result, the fam ilies h ave m any interest­
ing pictures of the old tim e rigs and thresh­
ing crew s.
Karl Ufer
K a rl U fer and his w ife, Ernestine Wendt,
both em igrated from G erm an y.
T h ey w ere
m arried at B a rrett Junction, Wis., and cam e
w ith th eir fa m ily to W alburg Tow nship w h ere
they hom esteaded on Section,4 in 1879. In
1890 th ey m oved to W atson T ow nship where
th ey spent the rest of th eir lives.
96
The Ufers had 11 ch ild ren : Emm a, Robert,
Ernest Paul, M ary, Lena and Annie.
Four
of these children rem ained in the Enderlin
a re a :
R O B E R T UFER farm ed n ear Sheldon and
in W atson T ow nship most of his life. A s a
you n g man he w orked on the L an ger farm
at Casselton and rem em bers cutting bands
on the early steam pow ered threshing rigs
and the first self-feed in g m achines. His w ife,
the form er M yrtle Forrest, died in 1951.
Robert lived in Enderlin fo r some tim e be­
fore m oving to the Sheyenne M anor in V alley
City.
His daughter, H azel (Mrs. C. E. Omdahl) lives at Sheldon and a grandson, Harold
Froem ke is in business in Enderlin.
C H A R L E S UFER m arried C arrie Rischow
and th ey farm ed in W atson Tow nship for
m any years.
Charles and his w ife had no
children of th eir own, but raised several
foster children.
A n adopted daughter, L u ­
cille, lives in M inot and tw o foster daugh­
ters live in the com m unity: Mrs. Ralph
Schatzke and M rs. Eldon Sch atzke.
Am ong the v ivid m em ories of the early
days, he rem em bers the w in ter of 1896-97
w h en the snow w as so h eavy that m any
barns and lean-tos w ere broken b y the
w eight of the snow.
B etw een Christm as and
N ew Y e a r a h eavy rainstorm m ade a crust
of ice o v er the snow. Th e Maple R iver was
com pletely covered and you could w a lk or
d rive anyw here, looking down on houses from
the high drifts.
Mrs. U fer died in 1948 and he has m ade his
home in E nderlin since then. A lw a ys in ter­
ested in com m unity affairs, he served as
S ecretary of th e W atson School and Tow n
Boards for 46 years and as the Secretary
of the St. P e te r’s Congregation for 28 years.
A fter m ovin g to Enderlin he served two
term s as Ransom County Commissioner.
L E N A U FE R m arried Ernest Fern ow and
th ey farm ed w est of E nderlin for m any years.
A lte r his death she m oved to Las Cruces,
N ew M exico, w h ere a d aughter lives.
Of
the fiv e Fern ow children, Alm a, Laura, C e­
cilia and Leo, tw o rem ained in the Enderlin
area.
Cecelia (Mrs. Sterlin g Oliphant)
lived in Sheldon and Enderlin and now lives
in W est Fargo. Leo farm s w est of Enderlin.
AN N IE UFER m arried M anfred Ham re and
th ey farm ed in W atson Township. A fte r his
death she taught school fo r several years.
N ow retired, she still lives on the farm , near
h er son, Glennis. A daughter, Mrs. M arvin
U tke, also lives north and east o f Enderlin.
Hans L ibak
Mr. and Mrs. Hans L ib a k cam e to this area
from Ham ar, H edm arken, N orw ay, w ith their
three daughters, Anna, Laura and Hansine.
T h ey hom esteaded in Preston Tow nship, liv ­
ing w ith neighbors until th eir sod house was
built.
Mr. L ib a k w as a carpen ter b y trade and
did m uch w o rk fo r neighbors.
He helped
m ove a building in for a school and helped
to build the Preston Church. He also acted
as the song leader until th ey w ere able to
purchase an organ.
M rs. L ib a k w as also a ctive in the w o rk of
the ch urch as w ell as caring for h er fam ily
and h elpin g w ith field w o rk w hen needed.
Tw o m ore d augh ters w ere b o m to them,
L illie and H ilda w ho died in infancy.
In the early years Lisbon and F ort R an­
som w ere the tradin g centers.
W ith the
com ing of the railroad Lucca, E nderlin and
Nome w ere closer.
T h eir d au gh ters w e re all educated at Con­
cordia College, e x cep t A nna w h o w as not
w ell enough to stay a w a y from home. Mr.
and Mrs. L ib a k are now deceased as are
th eir daughters, Anna and L au ra (Mrs. P. J.
M yklan d). L illia (Mrs. Jam es M eeker) lives
at Aberdeen, S. D „ and Hansine (Mrs. John
Johnson) is at Nome.
The Jaster Family
F erd in an d Jaster cam e to the U nited States
som etim e b etw een 1865 and 1870 from H am ­
m er, S an d kru g, G erm any, crossing the ocean
in a sailboat. D urin g the v o yage th ey w ere
becalm ed fo r m an y d ays w ith the hot sun
beating dow n on them . T h ey took the sails
down and m ade a shelter o ver the boat. The
w ind fin a lly began to blow again and they
w ere able to land in the southern part of the
United States, m an y m iles o ff course.
T h ey
w ere then transported to a port of en try in
N ew Y o rk .
He found w o rk in Rochester, M innesota, sa v ­
ing m oney to bring his w ife and children tc
the U. S. F in ally, h avin g earned the amount
needed, he sent fo r his fa m ily in 1870. His
em ployer w as to send m oney to E llis Island
so th ey w ou ld h ave it on arrival. T he fam ily
arrived to find there w as no m oney for them .
Louise Jaster w rote h er husband, but w hen
the letter arrived, the em ployer tore it up and
Ferdin an d did no receiv e it. W eeks passed and
Louise Jaster w as stranded on Ellis Island
w ith h er fam ily of three g ir ls : Sophia, P a u l­
ine and A lvin a, and three boys: Ferdinand,
A u gu st and G ustave. She fin a lly asked som e­
one h ow she could be sure her letter w ould
reach her husband and w as told to send a
special d e liv e ry letter.
Ferdinand received
the letter and w as fin ally able to get his em ­
p lo yer to send the m oney to his fam ily.
T h e fa m ily liv e d at Rochester for nine years
before m ovin g to N orth D akota. T h e y came
in w agons w ith all of th eir possessions.
It
w as the job of the boys to d riv e the livestock
behind the w agons.
W hen th ey reached
W ahpeton the riv e r w as flooding and horses
and livestock w ere w ad in g in deep w ater.
T h e w agons w ere too h e a v y to pu ll through
the m ud so th ey unloaded bags of feed at the
railroad station to be shipped to a tow n n ear
w h ere th ey intended to hom estead.
B efore
it w as shipped, m ules found it and ate some.
T h e rest got w et in the rain and b y the time
the Jasters p ick ed up the feed at K indred
it w as ruined.
Ferd in an d and Louise Jaster bought 160
acres of land in Shenford Tow nship from the
governm ent for $377 on Septem ber 16, 1881 and
built a sod house and barn ju st north of the
present bu ild ing site. In 1885, G u stave Jaster,
w ho w as then 21, bought the land from his
parents for $625.
In 1888, he m arried E liza Nohr. She had
come to the A nselm com m unity from G reen leaf W isconsin to stay w ith h er brothers, who
had hom esteaded land n ear the Jaster farm .
G u st and E liza had fiv e b oys and a girl,
W illiam and W alter of E nderlin and L evi,
of Sheldon. T w o boys died at birth and a
d augh ter died w hen she w as four.
T h ey
adopted a b ab y girl who died tw o w eeks a fter
th ey brou gh t her home and also raised a
you n g girl, M ary F eldm an.
G ust farm ed until 1923, w hen he retired
and died in 1935. His sons, W alter and L ev i
farm ed the land until 1945, w h en L e v i bought
the farm .
A ll of the Jaster sons liv e in this com ­
m unity. W illiam Jaster, a retired rural m ail
carrier, m arried M innie Doeling.
T h eir two
daughters are: Sharon (Mrs. K e n Urbach)
W est Fargo and Coral (Mrs. Francis Gibson)
T w in V alley, Minn. W alter m arried Anna F r y ­
denlund and now is retired in Enderlin. L evi
m arried F rances L u d tk e and still farm s the
home farm . T h eir three children are Gene,
of G reensboro, Pa.; LaR ayne (Mrs. Robert
R eim er) C arrington and P riscilla (Mrs. Ste­
phan Groth) of Enderlin.
LeClaire Family
B enjam in L e C laire w as b o m in L a k e C ry s­
tal, M innesota, in 1884. He cam e to Enderlin
in 1905 and has m aintained his home here
e v e r since, although as a Soo L ine conductor,
he has w orked on m any divisions of the ra il­
road.
He is a life m em ber of the M asonic Lodge
in Enderlin, a m em ber of the K . T. No. 8 at
Lisbon and Ell Z agel Tem ple of Fargo.
An
a vid sportsman, he is a long-tim e m em ber
of the N. D. W ild L ife Federation.
In 1910, he m arried Jennie H ughes of M an­
kato. Jane, as she is m ore fam iliarly know n ,
w as the d au gh ter of a W elsh Presbyterian
m usic director and had studied voice under
her father, u n der M rs. F raed rich Sn yder and
O scar Siegel. She had tau gh t voice and p u b ­
lic school m usic at L ak e Crystal, in the Jam es­
town schools and Jam estow n A cadem y.
D urin g her years in Enderlin, she has given
m uch tim e and talent to m usical activities
of the com m unity, teaching voice and con ­
d ucting choruses in the public schools, d ir­
ecting choirs in the M ethodist, Presbyterian
and Luth eran churches. A m em b er of F irst
L u th eran church, she served as organist for
tw en ty years and w as aw ard ed a L ife M em ­
bership in the Am erican L u th eran Church
W omen.
She has been a m em ber of H arm ony C h a p ­
ter of the O rder of Eastern Star for 55 years
and its organist for 30 years, receiv in g a L ife
M em bership pin and guard in 1961.
A m em ber of the Clio Club since com ing
to Enderlin, she w as one of the w om en who
97
organized the first lib rary and w orked d ili­
g en tly in its support over the years.
She
w as N orth D ak ota’s d elegate-at-large to the
G en eral
F ederation ofW omens Clubs
1939
convention in A tla n tic City.
A c tiv e in Red Cross and other com m unity
activities, her talent has enriched the cultural
life of the tow n. A t the M ankato Centennial
and the
Centennial of the W elsh P resb y te r­
ian ch urch she w as cited for givin g so gen ­
erou sly of her talent in the service of her
ch urch and com m unity.
N ow retired, Mr. and M rs. L eC laire m ain ­
tain th eir hom e in Enderlin. T h e y h av e two
children :
B en jam in Jr. of M inneapolis and
Jean (Mrs. D. J. A une) of B rain ard. A daugh­
ter, Lorraine, died in 1919.
L e w is Larson
W hen L ew is Larson got off the train at
E nderlin A p ril 14th, 1904, he found a ten foot
snow bank in front of the depot. If he had
had enough m oney to bu y a ticket back to
southern Minnesota he probab ly w ouldn ’t be
here today.
Born in St. An sgar, Iowa in 1883, he lived
at L y le M innesota before com ing to Enderlin,
seeking w o rk in an area w h ere m any acqu ain ­
tances had settled. In 1910 he w en t to w o rk
fo r the Soo L ine and w orked as a brakem an
and conductor until a broken hip forced his
retirem ent in 1952.
D u rin g his y ears in Enderlin he has been
active in the Brotherhood of R ailw ay T ra in ­
men, the O rd er of R ailw ay Conductors and
the F irst Lu th eran C hurch.
He served as
E n derlin ’s m ayor from 1938 to 1942.
M rs. Larson, the form er Selm a Nottestad,
m arried him in 1916 and their two daughters
w ere raised and educated here and at Con­
cordia College. T h e y are Doris, (K aushagen)
of B u ffalo, N ew Y o rk , and M arlys, (U nkenholz) of W ashington, D. C.
The Utke Fam ily
A u gu st U tke w as a tailor by trade in his
n ative G erm an y.
M an y of his friends and
relatives had left for A m erica and, in 1881, he
and his w ife, the form er A ugusta S alzw edel,
joined the em igration.
T h ey had tick ets to
som ew here in Pen n sylvan ia, w here he p la n ­
ned to w o rk as a tailor. Th rou gh some e r ­
ror, th ey w ere landed at B u ffalo , then sent
to D uluth. H ere th ey d ecided to b u y tickets
to Casselton, w h ere th ey k n ew th ey w ould
fin d some of th eir relatives and acqu aintan c­
es. W ith th eir fiv e b oys and two girls, th ey
stayed fo r a short tim e at the W m. K ru e g e r
farm near C haffee, then filed on a claim north
east of the present site of Enderlin. T h e y dug
a ca ve into a side h ill for sh elter until a
house could be bu ilt and broke a fe w acres
to raise food for the w in ter.
In 1883, tw o m arried children, Wiilhelmina
(Mrs. H. Golz) and H erm an, cam e to the area.
T h eir oth er children w ere Lu d w ig, Frank,
Emil, F red and W illiam , H ulda (Mrs. H er­
man O ehlke) and M ary. A ll of them except
98
L u d w ig rem ained in the com m unity, takin g
farm s and raising fam ilies near their parents’
farm
Mr. U tke w as noted for his en ergy. He
w ould start for Casselton at 4 a. m. and re ­
turn at 10 p. m „ carryin g fifty pounds of flour,
coverin g the distance in a fa st w a lk in g trot.
Fred Utke
F red U tke w as nine years old w hen his
parents cam e from G erm any.
In 1896, he
bu ilt a house and b arn on the land now fa rm ­
ed by his son Elm er, since he w as to be m ar­
ried to Susanna W olsky. Th e crop w as good
that year, so the new house was filled w ith
oats, and the n ew bride could not m ove into
her home until N ovem ber w h en the oats w ere
sold.
F red and Susanna raised a fa m ily of 11 ch il­
dren: fiv e sons; Otto, A rizona; M artin, (de­
ceased); H erbert, O riska; E rvin and Elm er,
E nderlin; and six daughters; A lm a and Olga,
(Mrs. S. Joachim ) both now dead; Emma,
(Mrs. W alter Fraase) Buffalo; Caroline, (Mrs.
T. K . H erbener) W isconsin; Ella, (Mrs. Elm er
Geske) Enderlin, and Leona, (Mrs. L ero y B u t­
tke) Lucca.
F red and his fa m ily w ere all faithful m em ­
bers of the Pontiac congregation of T rin ity
L utheran, w h ere he served on the council for
more than fo rty years.
William Utke
W illiam Utke m arried M innie F ritz on Jan.
31, 1907. T h ey farm ed in Pontiac Tow nship
all of their lives, w h ere th ey raised a fam ily
of ten children. L ik e his brother F red , the
W illiam U tke fam ily w e re active m em bers of
the T rin ity congregation. He also served on
school and tow nship boards.
T h eir children w ere: sons A lb ert, M arvin,
Law rence, Reinhold, E lroy and Dallas; daugh­
ters, Palm a, M artha, Louise, M yrtle and L u ella. O nly M arvin now lives in the Enderlin
area and still farm s his parents’ land. Rein­
hold operated a business in E nderlin for sev­
eral years and now teaches in the M oorhead,
M innesota schools.
Frank Utke
F ra n k U tke m arried Anna W estphal, daugh­
ter of a pioneer H ighland tow nship fam ily. Mr.
and Mrs. U tke farm ed in E ldred Township
as long as th ey lived.
Three children still
live in the E nderlin area: Reuben, Clara,
(Mrs. V ern er Lindem ann) and Lillian, (Mrs.
Edw in L u th er). T h e F ran k U tke fam ily w ere
m em bers of the Salem E van gelical Church
w h ich later m erged w ith the EU B Church.
Herman Utke
Herm an U tke m arried M athilda Burrow .
T h eir farm north east of Enderlin is owned
by one of the tw o livin g sons of the fam ily:
Fred W. U tke. A n oth er son, Ernest, also farm s
north of Enderlin. T h eir other children w ere
Anna, Emil, Hulda, (Mrs. Otto Hanson) and
Elizabeth, (Mrs. Jess Cam pbell).
L ik e the
F ran k
Salem
U tk e fam ily, th ey w ere
E van gelical church.
m em bers
of
Nora Huseby
N ora H useby w as born in Oslo, N orw ay,
Jan uary 6, 1879 and cam e to A m erica with
her parents, Elof and Inger Anderson and
Andrew Jerdee
her sister.
T h ey arrived in B u ttzv ille in
A n d rew Jerd ee and his w ife Ingeborg LeiM ay, 1892, w h ere th ey m et two brothers who
dal cam e to E nderlin in 1907 from M adison,
had com e a few years earlier.
W isconsin. He had lived there since coming
H er father w as a carpenter and interior
from N orw ay. He found w o rk on the Soo
decorator and her m other w as a dress m aker.
L ine at a tim e w h en the w o rk in g d ay w as 10
The couple had decided to try farm ing in
hours, and the w o rk in g w eek
w as six and
this country. T h e y settled on the SE quarter
som etim es seven, days.
His starting w ages
of Section 11 in Preston Tow nship.
w e re 14 cents an hour.
In the fall of 1893 she m oved to E nderlin
M r. Jerdee loved gardening, often propow ith the P ete Burtness fam ily, w here Mr.
gating and crossing fruit trees and w on a
Burtness started a store. She did the house­
num ber of aw ards from the A gricu ltu ral C o l­
w o rk for them and her brother, A u gu st E loflege for his w ork w ith fru it trees.
son, w ho w orked in the store.
T he Jerd ees w ere
m em bers of the F irst
Christm as E ve in 1893 h er brother and
Lu th eran C h u rch and he w as an active m em ­
she borrow ed a cu tter from Mr. Burtness
b er of the Sons of N orw ay Lodge. Mr. Jerdee
and started for home, about ten m iles w est
w as proficient on the accordion and violin.
of E nderlin. It had snowed all day and about
His children and grandchildren inherited his
fiv e o’clock, w hen th ey got up on the prairie,
interest in m usic.
it started to storm.
T h e storm intensified
His w ife died in 1927 and he in 1940. The
and darkness cam e and th ey got lost. There
Jerdees had fiv e children. Engel, now of A n w as nothing to do but k eep on d riving, h op­
nandale, M inn., and E dw ard, (deceased), Mrs.
ing
to fin d some farm stead. A fte r some time
W illiam F ischer, M adison, W isconsin; Mrs.
th ey saw a light and cam e to a farm . She
Peter N ygaard and Mrs. G eorge Jan kow ski,
doesn’t rem em ber the nam e of the people,
both in Enderlin.
but it w as the farm w here Lorne Lund is
now livin g. T h e y had about fou r m iles left
Fred Carter
to go and got hom e about 1 o’clock in the
F red C a rte r’s parents cam e to this country
m orning.
A fte r being in a storm for eight
from London, England, in 1895 w ith tw o sons
hours, w alkin g m uch of the time to keep
and settled in
O w ego Tow nship. S ix m ore
warm, th ey w ere v e ry glad to get home
sons w ere born
in this country.
M arch 17, 1899, she m arried Ole H useby.
T h e first job Mr. C arter had w as w ork in g
He
w as born in N orw ay in 1862 and cam e
on the section crew for $1.00 a day. He w a lk ­
to this cou n try in 1869 w ith his parents. T h ey
ed six m iles to w o rk each m orning and home
cam e b y sail boat and w ere at sea six w eeks
again at night.
and landed at Quebec, Canada. A fte r livin g
A son, P e rc y
C arter, lost his
life
inin
W orld
F illm ore County, Minn., he cam e to P res­
W ar I and fo r him the Sheldon
A m erican L e ­ton Township, D akota T erritory in the 1880’s.
gion P ost is named. H is m other w as Ransom
He
passed aw ay in 1939.He w as a
great
C o u n ty ’s first G old Star m other.
nature lover and planted m an y fruit trees
Mr. Carter died in 1924 and his w ife in 1956.
and he lived to en joy the fruit.
F red Carter m arried H attie Zittelm an and
T ogeth er th ey raised a fam ily of ten ch il­
th ey h av e m ade th eir hom e in E n derlin since
dren, the oldest of w hom passed aw ay at
1923. He ow ned a b arber shop and is now
the age of eight
It w as in F eb ru ary and
sem i-retired.
it w as b itterly cold.
He becam e v e ry sick
and they took him to Enderlin with horses
George Solom
and sled. T h ey heated stones to take along
George Solom is one of the m em bers of the
to keep him w arm . He w as operated on for
com m unity who helped to put on the 1941 F if­
appendicitis im m ediately, but died the next
tieth A n n ive rsa ry celebration.
Th e son of
day.
P eter Solom and his w ife, w ho cam e to Moore
T h e ir daughter, E velyn (Mrs. W alter Zaeske)
Tow nship in 1881 from F illm ore County, M in ­
died in 1958.
The rem aining children are:
nesota, he still farm s the original homestead
Inez (Mrs. A u gust Z aeske), Leonard; Helene
in addition to other holdings. He credits his
(Mrs. Lars B irk lid ), W est Fargo; W alter, F a r­
go; A lfred , Jam es, Edgar, M arvin and Vernon,
good health and long life to good fortune and
the bracing N orth D akota clim ate.
all in the Nome v icin ity
Th e Solorns lost tw o of th eir children in
Mrs. H useby has lived in the Enderlin v i­
cin ity for seven ty-fou r years and on her farm
the diphtheria epidem ic of 1884. O nly G eorge
fo r six ty-seven years.
She has seen hail
and a sister, Mrs. S. W . Thorpe, form er E n ­
derlin resident, su rvived .
storm s, tornadoes, blizzard s and d roughts
(who can forget the 30’s?). T h e y h ave seen
Mr. Solom w as a Federal M arshall during
good days and
bad, she says, but the
good
W orld W ar I, and served in m an y church
outnum ber the
bad, and she can look b ack
and township positions. He rem em bers h elp­
on m an y good
years in this good land, and
ing to la y out the p a rk in E nderlin. He is
has m any fond
m em ories from over
the years
a m em ber of the Ransom County W elfare
of the w onderful friends and neighbors who
B oard and still operates his own farm .
99
h ave m ade livin g here so pleasant.
She thanks God for all the years
let her live in this vicin ity.
He has
Je rry M artin
In the early 1880’s a group of of French
Canadians, from G oderich, Ontario, left their
birth place and cam e w est to the Dakotas.
J e rry M artin hom esteaded tw o and one-half
m iles n orthw est of E nderlin-to-be in Pontiac
Tow nship. Som e of the others in the group
settled around Casselton, am ong them an
Irish girl nam ed N ellie O ’N eill. In 1884 Jerry
and N ellie w ere m arried and m oved to his
farm
To this couple three children w ere
b om : W illiam in 1886, Ethel in 1889, and
M organ in 1891.
N ine days after M organ’s birth, N ellie
O ’N eill M artin passed a w a y , and w as buried
in Casselton. A k in d ly neighbor wom an, who
had a b ab y at this time, took little M organ
and nursed him.
A lte r his w ife ’s death, Jerry M artin solicited
the aid of his sister, M ary, w ho later becam e
M rs. M ike M otschenbacker.
M ary cam e to
the prairie farm home and w as housekeeper
for the fa m ily fo r several years.
T he fam ily w as C atholic and w hen the
children w ent fo r religious instruction, it was
concentrated for one w e e k during the sum ­
m er m onths.
M rs. John M unt in E nderlin
w ould teach this class and the M artin ch il­
dren w ou ld w alk the distance from th eir
farm home each day
Th e w e e k ly mass w as
held at the P a trick Pierce home and, at
tim es, the fam ily w ould venture to Sheldon,
the nearest Catholic C hurch.
A s long as A un t M ary lived w ith the fa m i­
ly, the school m arm boarded and room ed at
th eir home.
J e rry M artin served his turn
as president of the school board.
In 1902, the farm w as sold to a Mr. G arsc ke
from D evils Lake and the fam ily m oved to
E n derlin into one of the Harper houses
(w here P au l B ice n ow lives). B y this tim e
A u n t M ary had left the fam ily, so Mr. M ar­
tin w as the ch ief cook and housekeeper.
E v id e n tly he w as most adept, as he baked
the d aily bread and also did the fam ily
laundering.
A fte r m oving to town, he did
carpenter w o rk fo r a living.
G eorge W alker, “ B la c k G eo rge” (a w ellkno w n local character) had w orked fo r Jerry
M artin. In 1904 “B la c k G eorg e” becam e ill,
and w as quaran tined in the city jail.
His
sickness had not been clearly diagnosed, so
J e rry M artin w ent to visit his one-tim e fellow
w o rk er. N ot long after that, J e rry contracted
the same disease and died. B y this time, it
w as p roved that both had su ffered from the
fearsom e b la ck sm all pox.
“ B la c k G eorge, ”
h ow ever, recovered from his bout w ith the
disease.
W hen the illness w as diagnosed as small
pox, the b od y w as taken to the Catholic
cem etery at Sheldon during the night and
in terred at once.
B ein g d evout Catholics, the fa m ily w as
heartsick to th in k th eir father was buried in
100
the m iddle of the night w ithout receivin g
the last rites of the church.
A fte r the father's death, the children stayed
together in the Enderlin home and B ill went
to w ork fo r W heeler and M eisenberg. M organ
and E thel continued in school.
E thel’s fo r­
m al education cam e to an abrupt end, w hen
one d ay she w as given a tongue-lashing due
to a m isunderstanding betw een the teacher
and herself.
She w as d eep ly hurt, and re ­
fused to back to school. Sh e then took up
the duties of hom em aker on a fu ll-tim e
basis.
W illiam John M artin m arried Ida Ziegler,
a cle rk in Pennington’s D epartm ent Store,
in 1914, and th ey had six children: John,
Steilacoom , W ash.; Jerom e, Enderlin; W il­
liam J., Fargo, N. D.; Helen (Mrs. John
Nolan) W estover A F B , Mass.; Lois (Mrs.
George Stockert) G ardena, Calif.; and Cathryn
(Mrs. Bern ard Trask) R iverside, Calif.
Ethel (Mrs. Fred S u llivan of Lisbon, N. D . )
had tw o children: F red S u llivan , Jr., Enderlin,
and M ary (Mrs. Tom C avan au gh ) Lisbon,
N. D.
M organ M artin w as m arried to Em eline
B ran sack and th ey had one son, Vernon.
A xel Johnson
A x e l Johnson w as b om in Langeland, D en ­
m ark in 1885. F eelin g that there was no fu ­
ture in Denm ark, w ith w ages 1 krone, or
25 cents a day, he cam e to this cou n try at
the age of 15, to St. Ansgar, Iowa, w h ere an
uncle, Hans Godfredson, w as farm ing and
w ork ed there several years.
W hen his uncle, Mr. Godfredson, m oved to
L ucca in 1903, he cam e w ith him and in 1908
bought a farm in Pontiac Township.
He m arried M artha Hanson at L yle, Minn.,
in 1912. T he Johnsons had fou r daughters:
E velyn (W olters), Lisbon; M arion (W adeson),
A lice; B ern ice (G riffen ), Long Beach, Calif.;
C arol (Ness) M oorhead; and three sons, Alton
and Vernon, w ho farm north of Enderlin, and
H ow ard of K in d red .
T he Johnsons retired in 1944, m oving to
F argo for ten years and then returning to
E nderlin w h ere th ey now live.
Long time
m em bers of the Congregational Church at
Lucca, th ey are now m em bers of the M ethodist
C hurch in Enderlin.
A ugust Freitag
A u gu st F reitag cam e to Sheldon in the
sum m er of 1892, from Brandenburg, G erm an y.
He w as accom panied b y his m other, Ernes­
tine, his w ife, Anna, her mother, G randm a
Splatzstasser and three children, Elizabeth,
Ernest and G ustave.
T h ey w orked for the Erbstoesser fam ily
in W atson Tow nship. Here G randm a S platz­
stasser died. T h ere w ere 32 steps over the
snow bank to the gran ary w h ere she laid until
they could get to the cem etery to d ig a grave.
M artha and Clara w ere born here.
The
fam ily then m oved to the D orrance farm north
of Sheldon w h ere three m ore children w ere
born: Emma, E dw ard and A gn es. Mrs. F rei-
tag used to tell that she w alked to Sheldon
w ith bu tter and eggs fo r groceries. She also
reca lled th at her frien ds in G erm an y
quit
w ritin g to her because th ey thought she w as
ly in g about th eir success in the new land—
no one could acquire livestock in such a
short time.
T h e y lived on a farm north of Enderlin,
w h ere H en ry w as born, before b u yin g the
farm fou r m iles east of tow n w h ich rem ained
in the
fa m ily until 1965.
F ou r
of the children rem ained in
the
Enderlin com m unity. Elizabeth (Mrs. Q uast),
M artha (Mrs. L an gland ), Em m a (Mrs.
Ted
F raed rich ), and G u stav are now deceased.
H enry,
Soo L in e engineer, is m arried to
the form er Ida Johnson.
T h e y have four
sons: M aynard, and Dale, M alta, Mont.; K a rroll, P ort H ueneme, Calif.; and Dennis, at
home.
Hans T. Olson
Hans T. Olson and his w ife K a ren came to
Mona, Iowa, from N orw ay before m oving to
D akota T e rrito ry in 1881. T h e y hom esteaded
in Section 20 o f L ib e rty Tow nship on the
farm now ow ned b y a great grandson, Milton
Sh elver.
H ere th ey lived most of their
lives, m ovin g to E nderlin in 1922 upon retire ­
ment.
A ll of th eir six children are now deceased,
but m an y of their grandchildren and grea t­
gran dch ild ren are in the com m unity.
Tw o
d au gh ters-in-law , Inga Olson, w ife of th eir
son Oscar, and Goldie Olson, w ife of their
son G eorge, also m ake th eir hom es here.
Th e other children w ere Fred, Hulda (Mrs.
Jacob Sh elver), Jennie (Mrs. John K a b er), and
A n n ie (Mrs. A le c k Olson).
A ugust Trapp
In 1882, ju st a y e ar after his brothers,
H en ry and Paul, im m igrated to N orth Dakota,
A u gu st Trapp , his w ife and tw o small sons,
Em il and Hugo, d ecided to try th eir fortune
in the n ew land also.
W hen th ey landed in N ew Y o rk , a frien d ly
stran ger offered to h elp them find th eir w ay
and get them started to N orth Dakota.
In
a short tim e the frien d ly stranger disappeared
and w ith him all their spare cash. T h ey had
no m oney for food for the long trip, and
had to re ly on the kin dn ess of fellow tra v e l­
ers, w ho ga ve ch ild ren an occasional sand­
w ich , u n til their brothers m et them at Fargo.
A u gu st found w o rk as a gardener and
chorem an on the W atson bonanza farm near
C h affee. In 1890 th ey m oved to a farm in
P on tiac Tow nship w h ere th ey lived four
years before b u yin g a farm northw est of
L u cca w h ere th ey spent the rest of their
lives, A u gu st livin g to the age of 93.
S ix m ore children w ere born to them in
this cou n try: tw o infants w ho died at birth,
Otto, B ertha, Em m a, and M artha.
Em il, deceased, w as a long tim e N.P. em ­
plo yee at L u cc a. H is w ife, A u gu sta, (Janz)
lives at L u cca w ith a son, H erbert Trapp.
Hugo, deceased, w orked fo r the Soo Line
in Enderlin.
His daughters, Emma (C resw ell), and W ilm a (M uth), liv e in E nderlin;
Dorothy (M yhre) in Superior, Wis.; a son,
Lorenz, and a daughter E leanor (Boeder) in
G reat Falls, Mont.
Otto, now deceased, w as an Enderlin city
em ployee.
A
daughter, Delores lives
in
M oorhead, Minn.
M artha (Mrs. Rudolph K oslofsy) died this
spring in V alley City.
Em m a (Mrs. A lb ert Janz) lives at Fingal.
A son, W erner, operates his gran d fath er’s
farm .
B erth a (Mrs. H erm an Janz) lives in P on ­
tiac Tow nship w ith her sons, G len and Arnold
and daughter, Am anda. A lm a (Mrs. Clarence
Gross) and a son, W alter, also farm north of
Enderlin.
The Golz Family
H erm an M. Golz, born in 1848, and his w ife,
the form er W ilhelm ina Utke, born in 1853,
w ere m arried in G erm an y and cam e w ith
their fam ily to Pontiac Tow nship in D akota
T e rrito ry in 1882.
The Golz fa m ily had ten children, tw o of
whom died in infancy. T w o sons, O tto and
H elm uth and a d aughter Olga are also d e­
ceased.
A daughter, L yd ia (Nohr), lives in
M inneapolis. The rem aining children live in
the Enderlin com m unity.
T h e fam ily w ere m em bers of the Salem
E van gelical Church. M rs. Golz died in 1941
and Mr. G olz in 1941, at the age of 93.
Th e only rem aining son, W alter, farm s w ith
his fam ily northeast of Enderlin.
Anna m arried Charles H eacox in 1909. Mr.
H eacox w as a farm er and carpenter and th ey
liv ed tw o m iles south of Enderlin.
She re ­
calls that for tw o years, from 1946 to 1948,
she w alk e d to the M ethodist Church e ve ry
Sunday and did not miss a w orship service
for tw enty months, w h en illness forced her
to miss. Since her husband’s death, she has
lived in Enderlin.
She has tw o sons: Gordon, of Lisbon an d
Lloyd, of Brem erton, W ashington.
M artha Golz W endlandt, lives on a farm
in Pontiac Tow nship w ith her son, Vernon,
Helena Golz m arried H erm an W estphal in
1905 and th ey farm ed in H ighland Tow nship
un til his death in 1926. She and her sons,
M erlin and Edwin, operated the farm until
1935, w hen M erlin w as killed in an accident.
She m oved to Enderlin and in partnership
w ith a broth er-in -law , A rth u r W estphal, open­
ed the E nderlin Im plem ent shop. T he bus­
iness w as sold after his death in 1957.
S h e is a m em b er of the EU B church and
served as a d elegate to their annual con fer­
ence fiv e times. She is also a past president
of the Business and Professional W om en’s
Club.
The Johnson Family
Lew is (Lars) Johnson w as born in N orw ay
in 1853 and hom esteaded in M oore Tow nship
in 1885, a h alf m ile south of the present Dale
Olson farm . A fe w years later, he purchased
101
the farm now ow ned b y his grandson, James
Johnson.
In 1892, he m arried Oline Svensdahl.
To
them w ere born six sons and tw o daughters:
Palm er, Eddie, Charles and Gerhard, now
dead; Theodore and R aym ond, both of Enderlin
; A lm a (Mrs. A rth u r F ern ow ), E n der­
lin; and M abel (Moll), B arn esville, Minn.
T h ey w ere long-tim e m em bers of the West
St. O laf Church. M rs. Johnson died in 1930
and Mr. Johnson about ten years later. T h ey
spent th eir last years w ith their dau gh ter
M abel and son Palm er.
Erick Rognaldson
E rick R ognaldson w as born in Fillm ore
County, M innesota, in 1859. He m arried C h ris­
tine H elgeson at Lanesboro, M innesota in 1882
and that spring th ey cam e to a homestead
in M oore Tow nship.
T h is w as to be their
home for the rest of th eir lives.
T h e Rognaldsons w ere ch arter m em bers of
the F illm ore Ch u rch and she w as the first
president of its Ladies A id.
T h eir children
num bered nine: M artin, E nderlin; H arley,
G reat Falls, Montana; E lder, Fargo; C lara
R osberg), Seattle, W ashington; R ik k a (C a­
vett), deceased; Ida (M atthew s), M inneapolis;
E lla (F ryd en lu n d ), Enderlin; G ertrude, d e­
ceased; and A lic e (G iedt) of Seattle.
M r. Rognaldson died in 1922 and his w ife
in 1937. T he hom estead is now ow ned and
farm ed b y th eir son, M artin.
Ole Moe
O le I. M oe w as born in Ringebue, G u lb ran d
sdalen, N orw ay, in 1872. He first cam e to
the E n derlin area in 1891 to w o rk on the
W allace G albreath farm .
He m arried Inanda N ord at the old L u th ­
eran parsonage south of E nderlin in 1897,
the cerem ony being perform ed b y R ev. Jahren.
T he M oes w ere m em bers of the W est S. O laf
C h u rch and fa r m e d in L ib e rty Tow nship un­
til re tirin g to Enderlin, w h ere th ey w ere
oared fo r b y their daughter, M athilda (Mrs.
O rrin Knutson) u n til th eir deaths. M r. Moe
died in 1946 and M rs. M oe in 1952.
T h eir only son, In gvald Moe, still farm s
in L ib e rty Tow nship.
The Flatt Family
Johnathan L lo y d (M ike) F latt w as born on
the farm he still operates fiv e m iles east of
Enderlin. His parents cam e to the area b e ­
fo re 1880, from Canada, as did those of his
w ife, the form er Reo L illecrop, w hose parents
settled in the Jen k sville settlement.
The
Flatts purchased a hom esteader’s pre-em ption
rights to the F latt farm in 1882.
M ike attended N DSU, served in the arm y
d urin g W orld W ar I and w orked in the F arm ­
e r’s State B an k in Sheldon fo r fou r years
b efo re takin g o ver the farm in 1924. He has
farm ed continuously since then. D uring these
years he served tw elve years in the North
D akota Senate, from 1939 to 1951.
T h e location of the farm has insured a
w e alth of exp erien ce w ith m otorists in the
102
ditch, out of gas, inebriated or lost.
T h e Flat ts h ave fiv e children. John Roger,
D ouglas W illard, B e tty (Mrs. Charles Corw in),
N ancy and W illiam Jam es, w ho farm s in part­
nership w ith his father.
The Klingbeil Family
Ju liu s K lin g b e il and A m elia K ru eger came
to A m erica w ith a group of relatives from
G erm an y in 1882. Th e Petrichs, K rafts. Ut­
kes and B leeses came on to D akota T erritory
w hile the K lin g eils stopped in Detroit, M ich­
igan until 1893.
He w as trained as a carpenter and carriage
m aker and bu ilt m an y early hom es and b u s­
iness places about the town.
A fte r some
years, he w ent to w o rk for the Soo Line,
w here an accident in the yard s cost him his
life.
His w id ow helped to support h er fam ily
b y takin g in boarders and doing practical
nursing, and becam e som ething of a local in ­
stitution.
She w as alw ays available w hen
help w as needed.
There w ere six K lin g b eil children: Hattie,
M ary, Anna, Ida, A lvin a and Fredl.
Two
daughters, H attie (Mrs. W alter Loomis) now
deceased, and M ary (Mrs. G. A . Nelson), who
lives w ith a son, George, have spent their
entire liv es in this com m unity.
The Munt Family
John M unt w as born in England, in 1857,
and, in 1875, em igrated to A m erica w h ere
he w as em ployed b y the P illsb u ry m ills in
M inneapolis. T h e dem and of the n e w l y set­
tled coun try fo r m ills to grind its w heat lured
him w estw ard; first to Litch field, Minnesota,
Where h e m arried M argaret M eisenberg, then
to F ort Ransom and later Lisbon, w h ere he
ow ned a fe e d m ill.
In 1901, h e purchased the W isner m ill, lo­
cated near the stockyards in Enderlin. T h is
m ill w as destroyed b y fire in 1906, but Mr.
M unt established a n ew m ill, located in the
block w h ere the F red M enge now stands.
He operated this until his death in 1923.
M rs. M unt continued to m ake Enderlin
h er home, liv in g w ith a daughter, Angeline,
until her death in 1946. A t that tim e, A n g e ­
line m oved to Los A n geles. T h ree sons are
also dead: R aym ond, Ralph, and V ernon, who
died in F eb ru ary of this year. The only m em ­
b er of the fam ily n ow livin g in E nderlin is
M ary (Mrs. B. H. Lindem an).
The Nord Family
Charles A . N ord w as born in 1850 in B randvoid, Solar, N orw ay. He m arried Berth a Engen in M ay, 1887 and m igrated to A m erica
to settle on a farm in Moore Tow nship. W ith
them cam e th ree children: A rne, Jennie and
Charles. T h ree m ore children, Calm er, B e r ­
tha and A lfred , w ere born in A m erica.
T h e y experien ced all the trials common to
those pioneers w ho cam e w ith little m oney
or property to establish them selves in a new
cou n try.
T h e y helped organize and build the present
W est St. O laf Church, of w h ich Mr. Nord se rv ­
ed as a trustee fo r a num ber of years. The
N ord home w as a center of com m unity a ct­
iv ity ; the first L u th e r Leagu e w as organized
in this hom e as w as the first com m unity base
ball team.
A n other com m unity contribution
w as a y e arly J u ly 4th celebration at the Nord
farm .
T h e y lived to celebrate th eir G olden W ed­
d in g on M arch 13, 1923, at w hich all of their
fa m ily w ere present. Mrs. N ord died or. Dec.
14, 1927, and M r. Nord on M ay 27, 1940.
O f the children of the fam ily, Jennie (Mrs.
G eorge Peterson ), B erth a (Mrs. N orm an P e t­
erson), C alm er and A rn e are deceased.
A rn e N ord m arried R uth B e c k
and spent
his life in the E n derlin com m unity, m oving
into Enderlin upon retirem ent. His son L y le,
is the third generation to farm
the Nord
hom estead. T h e ir tw o d augh ters are: DeLois
(Mrs. Wm. Carlson), F ort Collins, Colorado;
and Thelm a (Mrs. D arrell Dow dell) of Sau k
Centre, M innesota. M rs.Nord is
still livin g
in E nderlin.
C h arles N ord m arried E lla G reen and they
still m ake their home on a farm in M oore
T ow nship.
A lfre d Nord m arried Isabel W alsh.
T h ey
farm ed fo r m an y years in Moore Tow nship
b efore retirin g to E nderlin.
T h e ir children
are: B ly th e (Mrs. V ic H anson), Carrington;
M avis (Mrs. P h il H ager) W ilm ar, M innesota;
A lfre d Jr., and Jam es, both of Enderlin; J e r­
ome, D ilw orth, Minn.; and K en t, W ahpeton,
N. D.
The Dvergsten Family
P eter D vergsten w as born in N orw ay in
1866.
H e cam e first to K in d red and then
m oved to M cLeod, w h ere he m arried M agda
Sagvo ld in 1907. T h e y m oved to E nderlin in
1910, w h ere he w ork ed for the Soo Line as a
car inspector until retirem ent. B o th are now
deceased.
T he D vergstens raised tw o children, Arnold,
w ho died M ay 20, 1966, and H ilm a (H ill), both
of Enderlin, and an adopted daughter, M arie,
(Mrs. Jam es Su llivan ), Redding, California.
T h ey w ere m em bers of the old Zion Lutheran
Church.
(Mrs. E lm er Lan gland), Detroit Lakes, M in­
nesota; L u ella (Mrs. G len Cole), deceased;
Em ilie (Mrs. B e rt Steeland) Eugene, Oregon;
and Hilm a (Mrs. F ra n k Helmer) of F argo.
T he Larsons w e re m em bers of the W est
St. O laf Ch u rch and Mr. Larson served on
school and tow nship boards during his d ays
on the farm .
T h ey retired to E nderlin in
1932, w h ere th ey spent the rest of their lives.
A lf Larson operated the fam ily farm after
his fa th e r’s retirem ent.
He now lives in
Enderlin, and his sons John and Chester oper­
ate the farm .
A lf has served as Ransom
Coun ty Com m issioner and has been active
in the Soil Conservation activities in N orth
Dakota.
The Engen Family
A rn e Engen and his w ife, M aria Sm estad,
both born in N orw ay, came to this area,
w h ere th ey w ere pioneer farm ers, in 1887.
M r. Engen and Ole Christianson
w ere
brothers.
Ole added “son to his fa th e r’s
name; A rn e took the nam e of the farm in
N orw ay from w h ich he came.
Both Mr. and M rs. Engen are deceased.
T h ey had three daughters: M ollie (Mrs. Ed
Gunderson) and Inga (Mrs. P eter R isdahl),
both of Lisbon and A lm a (Mrs. Leslie Legg)
w ho m akes h er hom e in Enderlin.
The Syverson Family
T hore and K a rin a Syverson w ere m arried
at Lanesboro, M innesota in 1879. Th e fo llow ­
ing spring, th ey cam e to D akota Territory, ar­
riv in g in M oore Tow nship in June 12, 1880,
to take the first claim in the township. Some
rem in iscen ces of those first days m ay be
found elsew here in these pages.
T he Syverson s had three c h ild re n : A lbert,
M ary (Torbenson) and M illie (Nelson) B re c k
enridge, Minn., T ore Syverson died in 1941
and K arin a in 1949. T h e y m ade th eir home
in E nderlin in their later years.
T h e ir son A lb ert m arried Inga B raaten and
farm ed in M oore T ow n sh ip all of his life.
T h eir sons, A lfre d and Claren ce still farm
the Syverson land. T h e ir daughters are B e r­
tha (Berger) o f F ort Ransom and Lillian
(H ackney) of B reckenridge, w ith w hom Mrs.
S yverson m akes h er home since the death of
her husband in 1944.
The Albert Larson Family
A lb e rt E. Larson w as born in 1866, in A l
am akee County, Iow a. H e spent some time
as a young m an w o rk in g in a logging camp,
but a fte r his m arriage to K aren Monserud,
in 1891, he started to farm .
In 1903, the Larsons purchased a farm from
the Ransom C o u n ty Im m igration Association.
This w as the old P e te r A u stad hom estead,
w h ich he nam ed “ Center F arm ” in m em ory
of h is hom e township in Iow a, and because
it w as h alfw a y betw een Sheldon and E nder­
lin.
H ere th ey raised their fa m ily of three sons
and fo u r daughters.
T h e y are: A lf N ., of
Enderlin; Philip, w h o died in W orld W ar I,
Sedm er, of V an cou ver, W ashington;
A lice
The John Larson Family
John Larson and his w ife, Anna, cam e to
this area in 1903. Has brother, Joseph and
fa m ily cam e at the same tim e and bought
the adjoining farm , both brothers having
form erly lived at F airfield, Iowa.
A s a form er Iow an, Mr. Larson grew lots
of corn in w h ich the w hole fam ily turned
out to pull, b y hand, the m ustard and w ild
oats left b etw een the row s. A skilled corn
husker, he p ick ed h is com b y hand.
He died in 1923, but his w ife, now 88, is
still livin g on the farm . Mrs. Larson recalls
the days of the horse thief, w hen, h avin g
purchased groceries in Sheldon one Saturday
night, th ey cam e out to fin d th eir horse and
103
bu ggy m issing.
N early a m onth later, the
sh eriff called from N ortonville to say that a
horse had been found that fitted the descrip
tion of their anim al. W hen Mr. Larson w alked
into the barn, she recognized his voice and
w hinned, p ro vin g the gu ilt of the couple who
had taken her. T h e y had used the rig to
p ick up sacks of seed grain laid along the
edge of the fields b y farm ers w h ile seeding,
and sold them to the e leva to r there.
T he Larsons had tw o children: Clarence,
and E thel (Mrs. A lfred Froem ke) w ith whom
M rs. Larson m akes h er home.
The Kraft Family
A u gu sta and F erdinand K r a ft cam e to
A m erica at the u rgin g of h er brother, W il­
helm K ru e ge r.
T his one m an w as respon­
sible for populating m uch of the area north
of Enderlin.
He settled at C h affee in the
late ‘70’s and w rote such glow ing letters of
the prom ise of A m erica that his relatives,
friends and neighbors packed up and started
fo r the prom ised land. M rs. B leese and Mrs.
P etrich w ere also his sisters; M rs. Lindem ann
w as a sister of M r. P etrich ; Mrs. K lingbeil,
a cousin of H enry Bleese.
M ost of them stayed at the K ru e g e r farm
at C h a ffee— cam ping out and sleepin g in the
gran ary— until th ey could locate claim s fa r­
th er west, fo r the land near C h affee w as a l­
ready settled.
Th e K rafts had fo u r children w h en th ey
arrived in A m erica in 1882; Anna (Fetcher)
H enry, M illie (K ru eger), and M innie (Ernst).
T h e y stayed at the K ru e g e r home u n til they
could m ove to th eir claim north o f Enderlin.
S even m ore children w ere born on this
fa rm : F ran k , Ida (G ardner), Ferdinand, Em il,
Carl, F red and Em m a (Mrs. H erschel D illon).
M rs. Dillon, w idow of a long-tim e Soo Line
em ployee, is the only one of the children
still living.
O rigin ally m em bers of the Salem E van geli­
cal C hurch, north of Enderlin, the K ra fts
later join ed the M ethodist Ch u rch in E n der­
lin.
Mr. K ra ft died in 1894 w h ile his w ife
lived u n til 1930.
H en ry K raft, the oldest son, took o ver the
hom e farm . In 1903, h e m arried A nna D en ­
nison and th ey liv e d on the hom estead until
th ey retired in 1941.
H enry served as Su n day School Su p erin ­
tendent of the M ethodist Ch u rch fo r 25 years,
as a cle rk of Pontiac T ow n sh ip and school
board director.
A m em ber of the I.O.O.F.
L o d ge fo r 35 years, he h eld all offices. Mr.
K r a ft died in 1961 and Mrs. K r a ft in 1962.
A son, E dw ard, still farm s the homestead.
T h eir three daughters are: A lv ira (Mrs. E r­
nest K op p), M ichigan;
A lice
(Mrs. Ross
Phipps), F argo and Edna (Mrs. O rville D ou g­
las) Fargo.
The Bleese Fam ily
Mr. and M rs. H en ry B leese w ith three
sons and two daughters: Fred, Frank, F e r ­
dinand, Gusta (Mrs. Gross) and M athilda
(Mrs. S ch atzk e ), cam e to A m erica in M ay of
104
1882. The first y ear th ey lived at the W m.
K ru e g e r farm , the home of her brother. T he
first w in ter th ey spent on their homestead,
ju st a short distance northeast of the present
site of Enderlin, the P etrich s and B leeses lived
togeth er— tw elve people in a claim shanty.
T h eir other children w ere born in this
cou n try: M illie, Rosa (Mrs. M ettler) G eorge,
A d olph and H erbert. A ll of the children are
dead except H erbert, w ho is now at Lisbon,
and A dolph , of Enderlin.
A d olph m arried Ella S an d vig and th ey rais­
ed two children: B e rnice (W illiam s) H artford,
Illinois, and Hubert, who now farm s the
hom estead settled b y his grandfather.
The Petrich Family
F reid rich P etrich and his w ife, the form er
Anna K u eger, cam e from Zotten, Prussia to
C h affee, to the home of h er brother, W illiam ,
in 1882. T he P etrich s had fiv e children, two
of w hom had died in G erm any. A ccom pan y­
ing them w ere a daughter, later to becom e
Mrs. M otschenbacher, and two sons, Herm an
and Reinhold.
T h e y filed on the hom estead a m ile north of
the present site of Enderlin, am ong others
from th eir hom e com m un ity w ho had settled
here. M rs. P etrich died in 1915 and Mr. P e t­
rich in 1921.
Th eir two sons continued to farm in the
Enderlin com m unity as long as th ey lived.
Herm an P etrich served as the treasurer of
Pontiac T ow nship fo r fifty years. T h e H er­
m an P etrich farm is now ow ned by Eldon
S ch atzke. His children w ere: Otto and Hugo,
now dead; G ertru d e (Mrs. M att Elsenpeter),
Enderlin; Theodore, Onamia, M innesota; M argu rite (Mrs. R em an Stangler), A lice; Freda
(Mrs. F ra n k Elsenpeter), M inneapolis; Mrs.
Casper Peterson, M cLeod, N. D.; and K u rt,
in California.
Reinhold Petrich m arried A m elia F raedrich.
T h ey farm ed the Petrich hom estead until his
death in 1934. It is now operated b y his son
F red rich (F ritz).
O ther children are: V era
(K ersten), Anaheim , Calif.; A rnold, G ran d
Forks, N. D.; W alter, Fullerton, Calif.; and
Em ilie (Sinclair) Puyallup, W ash.
The Wadeson Family
John W adeson w as born in Engleton, Y o rk ­
shire, England in 1837.
There he m arried
A n e M etcalfe in 1841. T h ey came w ith their
fa m ily to the U nited States in 1880, settling
in Eldred Tow nship, n ear the present town
of A lice.
T h e ir youngest child, L illie w as
the first w hite child b o m in the township. A
fe w
years later, th ey bought land h alf a
m ile w est of the site of A lice, in Clifton
T ow nship. Th e Peterson post office w as lo­
cated on their farm .
T h e W adesons raised a fa m ily of nine:
H arry, John, W illiam , James, Ben, Robert,
Jane A nn, M argaret and L illie.
F our of their
sons took hom esteads in the com m unity and
established fam ilies Whose descendants are
still liv in g in this com m unity. Mrs. W adeson
died in 1908 and Mr. W adeson in 1912.
Jam es W adeson, born in 1896, m arried A u gu s­
ta Johnson, w ho had com e to Casselton from
her n ative Sw eden.
T h e y hom esteaded in
C lifton Tow nship on the farm now operated
b y a grandson, J e w ell Wadeson.
T h ere th ey raised a fam ily of seven ch il­
dren: W alter, form erly of L u cca but now re ­
tired and livin g in Fargo; H arry, a long-tim e
legislator from Cass C o un ty’s 11th D istrict
and a Clifton T o w n sh ip farm er; Francis, w ho
also farm s near A lice,
M am ie (Pom m erer),
V a lley C ity;
M arjorie (M ercer), Seattle;
Oscar, now retired and
livin g in Enderlin,
w ho during his years of farm ing had a long
record of service on A A A , A S C and other
farm com m unity program s.
Robert W adeson had two sons: G eorge, who
w as killed in a tragic acciden t at the cross­
ing of the N orthern P a cific railroad and U.
S. 10 near Casselton, and W illiam (Booster)
w h o farmed near A lice until h is death in 1955.
B en W adeson’s on ly son W esley, w ho oper­
ated his fa th e r’s farm , lost his life in an auto­
m obile accident in 1963.
None of his four
daughters: Hazel. Della, D aisy and R hoda now
live in this area.
W illiam W adeson w o rk ed as a you n g m an
as a cook on the D alrym ple farm at Cassel­
ton.
In 1893, he b ought the farm in Clifton
T ow nship kno w n as G rove H ill farm , now
ow ned b y his son John Charles. He m arried
Em m a Johnson at Casselton in 1901. To them
w ere b o m eight children, fou r of whom died
in in fancy.
Three daughters; A nne, Carrie,
and L o uise have left the area. His son, John
C h arles and his w ife, Rhea, still live on the
fa m ily farm .
Petri and Ingri Austad
In order to earn h is passage from N orw ay
to A m erica, M r. A u stad repaired and m ain ­
tain ed the sailing m asts on the ship on w hich
he cam e. H e w as sixteen. T h e jou rn ey took
over three m onths and the y e a r w as 1865.
He came to Cresco, Iowa, w h ere he w orked
as a cabinet m ak er and carpen ter and w h ere
he m et and married Ingri H olien w ho had
also com e from N orw ay.
In 1882, th ey left
Iow a and cam e to D akota T e rrito ry w h ere
th ey filed fo r a hom estead on land three
m iles w est of Sheldon.
A fte r ten years of
farm ing, M r. A ustad sold his land and m oved
to E nderlin w h ere he opened a gen eral store
in 1892. Th e store building w h ich he erected
is now Kabers restaurant.
A d ep t at most
any kind of w ork, he spent m an y years at
carpentering and b rick and cem ent w ork.
M any of the dw ellin gs in the city today w ere
erected b y him.
In 1902, Mr. Austad returned to N orw ay w ith
his d au gh ter A n n a and her frien d Rena Austad
for a visit.
He saw the people he knew
and after h alf a d ay he was ready to re ­
tu rn to A m erica.
T he tw o girls persuaded
him to stay longer, how ever.
Mr. A u stad w as prom inent in civic affairs
and served a num ber of years as a m em ber
of the c ity council and as a director in the
Lu th eran Church. There w ere three children
born: Beata (Mrs. W. W. Sh aw ), Enderlin;
A na, (Mrs. W . R. Robinson), and John.
Espen P. Groth
Espen P. G roth w as a n ative of N orw ay and
b om N ovem ber 30, 1868. He came to Am erica
as a you n g ch ild . B ertha R evelin g had come
from Sw eden during her e a rly years. Espen
of Mona, Iowa and B ertha of Adam s, Minn.,
w ere m arried on Th anksgivin g D ay N ovem ber
and 27, 1887 in Mona, Iow a. Espen w ork ed as a
blacksm ith and a bu tch er at L yle, Minn.
D urin g the spring of 1898 th ey m oved to the
farm home fou r m iles w est, three m iles south
and one m ile w est of Enderlin.
The farm
is now ow ned b y Mr. and Mrs. G ilm ar Rotvoid.
Upon arriving, the fam ily, w hich in­
cluded fiv e children at that time, join ed the
F illcore L u th eran C hurch in Moore Township.
Espen w as active on the telephone board,
F arm ers E levator and farm ers store.
F o u r­
teen ch ild ren w ere born to them and nine
grew to adulthood in this com m unity. T h ey
w ould be rem em bered as A rchie, Perrie, E arnie, Abbie, Orrie, H arvie, Rubie, En die and
Bessie. F iv e of the sons at one tim e farm ed
in the area. Those su rvivin g at this tim e are
Perrie at Fairbault, Minn., Earnie at Lisbon,
N. D „ O rlie of Tacom a, W ashington, A bbie
of St. Paul, Minn., and Endie at Brainerd,
M inn. Mr. and Mrs. E. P. G roth spent their
rem aining years in the E nderlin area until
th eir deaths. M rs. Groth passed aw ay in 1942
and Mr. G roth in 1950.
The Frank Hartl Family
F ra n k H artl is the oldest son of Julius and
A m elia Hartl, w ho em igrated from M ichaelsdorf, C z e c h o s lo v a k ia , and w ere m arried at
Casselton in 1887.
T h ey took a homestead
the same year in Clifton Tow nship, w here
th ey lived until th ey retired to the village
of A lice. F iv e other of their eight children
live in the com m unity— Joe, Gus, Julius, M ary
(Mrs. Joe Schm idt), and Selm a (Mrs. Fred
M ikula).
F ra n k H artl was born in 1888, and m arried
Christine Schm idt at W aterville, Minnesota,
in 1915. He brought her to the fam ily farm
in Clifton T ow n sh ip w h ere th eir seven childdren w ere raised.
T h ey w ere a ctive m em bers of St H en ry’s
Catholic Church and M r Hartl served as clerk
of the Clifton School district for 40 years. Mrs.
H artl died in 1964, and M r. Hartl still resides
on the home farm .
Three sons, Harold, F rancis and Clarence,
Still liv e in the A lice com m unity.
Their
daughters are Loretta (Mrs. Jim P feiffe r),
B u ffalo; D orothy (Mrs. F ranklin Liebenow ),
Chaffee;
B eneta
(Mrs. Leonard K irch off),
V alley C ity; and M arlene (Mrs. A lv e rt Schlagel), Lucca.
Albert Leidahl
A lb e rt L. L eid ahl w as born at A lb ert Lea,
M inn., in 1881 and lived in M ilbank and Lyle,
Minn., w hile grow in g up. T h is is his account:
105
“ In 1902, an old frien d , O. O. G olberg, cam e
b ack from Enderlin. He w as an agent fo r the
Ransom County Im m igration Association, and
he sold m e 280 acres of land ju st northeast
of E nderlin fo r $16 an acre.
“ In the spring of 1903, I brought an im m i­
grant car w ith horses, seed, and m ach in ery to
Enderlin, the trip tak in g three days. I first
stayed at the Hans Fretland hom e for $3
a w e e k board and room. Th ere w ere three
y o u n g w om en livin g there also.
T w o had
ju st come from N orw ay.
One w as nam ed
Sena and she did h ou sew ork for M rs. F re t­
land until F red M aley cam e along and m ar­
ried her.
“ T h e n ext year I batched in a sm all house
w here D. B . G rice now has his home.
In
1905 I w en t b ack to L y le and w as m arried,
b rin gin g m y w ife to live in a house southeast
of tow n ow n ed b y Don M urphy. In 1910 I
bu ilt a n ew hom e on the farm — w e w ere so
close to town w e w ere soon able to have
electric lights.
“ I w as a m em ber of the Sons o f N o rw ay
Lodge. W e used to hold m eetings above the
old Sathers Harness Shop.
“ M y w ife died in 1952— our tw o sons both
liv e in E nderlin w h ere Kenneth still farm s the
hom e farm , and E m m itt w o rk s fo r the Soo
L in e . ”
The Geske Family
G ottlieb and C aroline G eske im m igrated to
M arathon County, W isconsin, from G erm an y
in 1867. T h eir sons w ere to look w estw ard
w h en th ey gre w old enough to start out on
th eir own.
A u gu st G eske, Sr., w as the first to come
to N orth D akota.
In 1898, in the Pontiac
Church, he m arried P aulin e Kunst, daughter
of a fa m ily w ho had m igrated from Lu tsk,
Russia.
T h eir funds depleted, th ey stopped
in St. Louis, w h ere she and her sisters, Louise
(Mrs. Christian W olsky), Caroline (Mrs. G ot­
tlieb Spitzer), and A u gu sta
(Mrs. E w ard
F raase), first found w o rk in a factory, m ak ­
ing cigars.
B y n ext year the fa m ily had
accum ulated enough to com plete the trip to
Dakota, settling n ear Sheldon.
Mr. G eske bought the farm in Pontiac
Tow nship w h ere his son Em il still lives, and
there th ey raised t h e ir fam ily. T h e children
are Otto, deceased; Em il, E nderlin; A ugust,
a Lutheran pastor in Iow a; F rieda (Mrs.
B orch ert), Streeter, N. D.; A lm a (Mrs. Otto
F ritz), A nnandale, M inn.; Em m a (Mrs. John
W egner), W ym ore, Neb.; and M artha (Mrs.
W hitak er), Atascadero, Calif.
Mr. G eske died in 1930 and his w ife in 1958.
Gottlieb G eske follow ed his brother, A ugust,
to N orth D akota in 1899, b ringing w ith him
his bride, the form er M athilda Dehnl.
The
first sum m er h e farm ed w ith his brother,
then rented the G ust Oehlke* farm adjoining
E nderlin, w h ich he farm ed for fiv e years.
He purchased several farm s in the E n d er­
lin com m unity, the one w here the fam ily
liv e d fo r most of their years being the p res­
ent Clinton Leib en ow farm .
He retired in
106
1946 and m oved to Enderlin.
A m em ber of T rin ity Lutheran C hurch, he
acted as custodian fo r m any years.
A fter
his death, his w ife continued to m ake h er
home in Enderlin w ith a daughter, L yd ia.
O ther children include A rth u r, M inneapolis,
Minn.; Elm er, Enderlin; Edna (Mrs. F in g e r);
and V iola (Mrs. B ielk e), St. Paul, Minn.
T he last of tire G eske brothers to come to
Enderlin w as Em il, w ho arrived in 1901 w ith
his w ife, the form er Hanna Bade, and th eir
fa m ily
T h ey purchased a farm in Pontiac
Tow nship w h ich he farm ed u n til retirin g to
E nderlin, w h en his son A u gu st took over the
farm .
It is now operated b y his grandson,
Robert G eske.
M rs. G esk e died in 1944 and Mr. G eske in
1955. T h eir children are F rancis (Mrs. Stelter), W ise.; A d a, E nderlin; Mollie, a form er
E nderlin teacher, deceased; and August, of
Enderlin.
The Torfin Family
Dan T o rfin w as born in Wauk on, Iow a in
1859. He w as orphaned at tw e lve and cam e
to D akota T e rrito ry w hen he w as tw e n ty in
a covered w agon train w ith a group of re la ­
tives who settled near the present site of S h el­
don. Too young to file for a hom estead, he
w orked the first sum m er on the D alrym ple
farm n ear Casselton.
That w in ter he lived w ith K n u te Grusland
on Sec. 12, L ib erty Tow nship. T h eir diet w as
m ainly bread, salt p o rk and rabbits. During
the severe w in ter, th ey ran out of flour and
ft took fou r men and three team s to reach the
settlem ent of Jen ksville, six m iles aw ay. W hen
th ey got there, there w ere ten ahead of them
and only fifty pounds of flo u r in stock, so th ey
w ere forced to go on to B u ffalo for supplies.
W hen he reached 21, he took a preem ption
claim in G reen Tow nship w h ere he lived u n ­
til he retired from farm ing. He m arried Julia
M ickels at Casselton in 1884 and brought her
to the claim shanty.
Mr. Torfin served on the township
and
school boards, as a director of the M oore and
L ib e rty Telephone Com pany and one term
in the N orth D akota Legislatu re.
He died
in 1931.
Dan and Julia Torfin had a fam ily of ten
children: Edwin, A n n a A lb ert, Dora, Clara
Julia, Alm a, H enry Roy, M abel and W alter.
T w o of the children still m ake their home
in the area.
T h ey are M abel (Mrs. C. C.
Howell) of Sheldon and Roy, w ho farm s the
fam ily hom estead.
R oy
m arried Eldred
G aarder,
w ho w as
raised and educated in Enderlin. T h ey have
one daughter, Mrs. P au l Spiekerm eier.
Thomas Baribeau
Thom as B arib eau started his Soo L ine career
as a call boy in 1904. It w as durin g this time
that, com ing through the alley w h ere the
G rand T h eater now stands, in the e arly m orn ­
ing, he heard an explosion in the Post O f­
fice, and saw two m asked m en leap on hors-
es and rid e out of town, n ever to be a ppre­
hended.
In 1906, he started w orkin g as a brakem an
and w orked for the Soo Line fo r 54 years as
a brakem an and conductor.
In the first
years, there w ere no w o rk law s and men
often w ork ed 30 hours at a stretch.
In 1913, h e m arried M ary B yrn es, a native
of P rince E d w a rd ’s Island, Canada, w ho had
com e to E nderlin to teach . She recalls that
in these days, the B rotherhood dances w ere
gala affairs, w ith form al dress and m en were
not allow ed to attend w ith o u t a girl. G irls
w e re sometimes in short supply and a girl
w ould be lifted out of a w in d o w to bring
another fellow in.
Since M ary w as small,
this adven tu re freq u en tly fe ll to her.
M ary B arib eau w as an active D em ocratic
p a rty w o rk e r fo r m an y years, serving as N.
D. W om en’s Chairm an durin g the tim e of
G overn or John Moses.
She served on the
Ransom County W elfare B oard for m any
years also.
Th e B arib eau s have tw o sons: W illiam , of
V a lley C ity and Robert, of Lusk, W yom ing.
T h e y are m em bers of the Catholic Church
and continue to m ake their home in Enderlin
since his retirem ent.
T he
B arib eau — R obarge
fam ily
cam e
to
N orth D akota from
Connecticut, in
1891,
w h ere Mr. B arib eau w as a w atchm aker.
T h e y took a hom estead at Bottineau.
F iv e
m onths later, the father died of a ru ptu red
appendix.
The
widow ,
M alvina,
m arried
C h arles Robarge, a pioneer en gin eer and
thresherm an in this area, and in 1894 th ey es­
tablished a perm anent hom e here, w h ere he
operated threshing rigs f or m any years. He
also ran a garage, served on the city council
and as m ayor of the city.
His fa m ily consisted o f three step-sons;
Thom as, P. J. and A . E. B arib eau and a son,
Sherm an Robarge, w ho operated the C h evrolet
garage h ere fo r num ber of years and now lives
in M ahnomen, M innesota.
A . E. B arib eau m arried C lara Torfin, who
died w h en th eir tw in daughters w ere born.
One of the tw in s also died. The other, June
(Sackett) died in 1965.
He later m arried Dora O ’Neil.
A fte r his
retirem ent as a conductor on the Soo Line,
Dora and F ren chy, as th ey w e re know to
everyo n e in the com m unity, continued to
m ake th eir hom e in Enderlin. He died M ay
20, 1966. He w as a veteran of W orld W ar I,
a m em ber of the A m e rica n Legion post in E n­
derlin and of St. P a trick ’s Catholic Church.
The Shunk Family
G eorge and Louise F reitag Shunk settled
near A nselm in 1889. A lth o u gh this w ould
norm ally be outside of the E nderlin com m un­
ity, th eir fa m ily w as deep ly concerned w ith
the education of the children. W ith a fam ily
of eigh t on a 200 acre farm , this w as no sm all
problem .
T he solution th ey reached w as to build a
house in Enderlin, w h ere seven of the eight
ch ild ren graduated from high school, the old ­
est son attending school in W isconsin. The
children w ere George, Reynold, A lb ert, Ed,
Will, Elsie, E lla and P eter. The house was
built in 1906 and is now the Leonard Peterson
home. Here th ey spent th eir w inters, going
home each w eeken d to replenish their su p­
plies, som etim es b y buggy, som etim es b y b i­
cycle and som etim es via Soo Line.
Most of the children w ere also able to fin ­
ish college. Th e fam ily produced three doc­
tors, a pharm acist, a geologist and a teacher.
A lb ert Shunk, w ho w o rk ed for the United
States Geological S u rv ey and w as la ter head
of the United States Land O ffice in Billings,
w rote a delightful h istory of his fam ily and
neighborhood, w h ich gives a w ealth of detail
about pioneer life in the area. It has been
a valu able referen ce w h ile w ork in g on this
history.
Elsie Sh un k (Mrs. H erm an Scheel) taught
ru ral school before her m arriage, going back
to teachin g for some years during W orld W ar
II. She and h er husband are now retired and
m ake th eir home in Enderlin.
The Kaber Family
A lb ert and John K a b er and th eir sister
Susan (Brandthover) cam e to D akota T e rri­
to ry from Oil C ity, Pennsylvania, in 1881, and
took claim s in M oore Tow nship. Susan later
m oved to Lisbon.
D urin g those first years,
w h en equipm ent w as scanty and grain had
to be hauled to T ow er C ity to m arket, m ore
incom e w as m ade from trapping the m ink
and m uskrat that abounded in the sloughs
than from farm ing.
W hen the tow n of E nderlin w as built, A l­
b ert K a b er traded part of his land for the
land w h ich n ow m akes up K a b er’s Addition
to the city. He operated an early d ay re s­
taurant for a time, return in g to the farm
w hen it w as destroyed b y fire.
He m oved
b ack into tow n in 1900 and served as an
alderm an for m any years.
He also donated
to the city the land on the w ate r-to w e r h ill
w hich is used for recreational purposes.
A lb ert K a b er m arried Em m a W ick and
th ey raised a fa m ily of fou r sons: Ellis, W alter,
H ow ard and Lew is.
O nly Elis, of Enderlin,
is now livin g.
Ellis K a b er m arried Theresa Jacobs, whose
parents came to Enderlin from C lara C ity,
Minnesota. T h e y farm ed in M oore Tow nship
before m ovin g to Enderlin.
T h eir children
are: M ae (Mrs. L ester Langland) and Robert,
of E n derlin ; D orothy (Mrs. L loyd Brow n),
of F argo; Jean (Mrs. R ichard Loom er), L a ­
M oure; Charles, N ew Y o rk C ity; and G eorge
who ow ns a restaurant in Enderlin.
John K a b e r and his w ife the form er Jen ­
nie Olson farm ed in M oore Tow nship until
1930 w hen th ey m oved into Enderlin. B oth
are n ow dead. T h e y had one adopted son,
Russell, w h o liv es in W adena, M innesota.
The Zittelm an Family
F red Zittelm an and h is w ife, the form er
A lb ertin a Repp w e re m arried in Berlin, G e r­
m any, and cam e to this com m unity in 1892.
107
T h ey settled in C asey Tow nship w h ere th ey
farm ed fo r the rest of th eir lives.
Am ong
the most v iv id m em ories th ey had of the
pioneer d ays w ere tw o em ergency opera­
tions perform ed on the kitch en table b y Dr.
W yrens, of Sheldon. B oth occurred at a time
w h en the roads w ere blocked so bad ly with
snow that the farm could not be reached by
team and he had to m ak e part of the jo u r­
n ey on foo t.
The Zittelm ans had fo u r children : Fred, de­
ceased; A lv in a (Mrs. L ew F roem ke), of G len ­
dale, Cal.; A lb ert, w ho farm ed the fam ily
land until his retirem ent and w ho now lives
in Fargo, and H attie (Mrs. F red Carter) of
Enderlin.
Mrs. Zittelm an died in 1930 and her h us­
band in 1936. T h ey w ere m em bers of the
T rin ity Lutheran congregation at Anselm .
The Sanness Family
Tom Sanness w as born in N orw ay. B efore
com ing to Sheldon, in 1884, h e had been,
among other things, an agent for the W hite
S tar Steam ship Line, m aking several cross­
ings w ith them and visitin g a num ber of
European capitals as th eir representative.
W hen the urge to travel b rought him to D a ­
kota Territory, he found w o rk in the Good­
man store in Sheldon and there m et Annie
M cLean, of N ova Scotian ancestry, who m ade
her home w ith them .
T h ey m arried and
m oved to Enderlin w hen Goodm an and S an ­
ness opened the first store in the town.
T h e y had three ch ildren : Homer, who died
in 1908; A d a and Earl, who m ight be term ed
E n derlin ’s first citizens, for th ey still own
and live above that original store building on
R a ilw ay Street.
M rs. Sanness died w hen her children w ere
sm all. Mr. Sanness purchased the Goodm an
interest in the store and operated it fo r som e­
tim e, later selling it to his brother, Leif, w ho
in turn sold it to E. H. B ruhn.
E arl and A d a Sanness h av e been part of
th e E nderlin scene for its entire history.
E arl w as the first city m ail carrier, resigning
to serve in the arm y during W orld W ar I.
A fte r the w ar he w ork ed for a tim e as a
clerk at the depot, then w en t into the post
office.
He w as appointed Postm aster w hen
C. C. Cham berlain resigned and held that
position fo r 12 years. A d a also w orked for
m an y years in the post office.
Earl is a ch arter m em ber of the Enderlin
L egion post and has served on the Enderlin
P a rk B oard since 1939.
The Underwood Family
F red U nderw ood w as b om on a farm in
Cass Co un ty, M ichigan, the area from w h ere
so m any o f the early Sheldon pioneers came.
He c am e to Sheldon in 1883. T h at spring he
helped to b reak sod near the present site of
Enderlin, w h ere great accum ulations of b u f­
falo bones had to first be rem oved.
He turned his hand to m any activities, as
a h ardw are clerk, a store owner, an im plem ent
108
dealer, a ru ral school teacher, and in 1896,
m oved from Sheldon to E nderlin to become
cashier of the En derlin State B ank.
The
n ext year he opened a real estate and bu s­
iness service office w h ich he owned for the
rest of his life.
He w as an intensely political and civ icm inded m an, who is credited w ith initiating
the organization of the city and of the E nder­
lin Special School D istrict 22. He served on
the school board, the p a rk board, in the
North D akota Legislature, and a record 42
years as Police M agistrate of the city.
In later years, he recalled that he and his
w ife-to-b e, M arie Shurlock, sat in a buggy
near the south edge of town and w atched
the rails being laid dow n the hill into E n ­
derlin, one fa ll day in 1891.
Mr. and Mrs. U nderw ood w ere the parents
of fou r children: Lt. Col. Joe Underw ood,
Veon, W ayne, and W anda, w ho w as the only
m em ber of the fa m ily to rem ain in E n der­
lin.
W anda Underw ood and Charles Cable, a
ra ilw ay m ail clerk, w ere m arried in 1918.
T h ey m ade th eir home in Enderlin until her
death in 1957. T he Cables w ere v ery active
in the M ethodist Church and a fellow m em ­
ber rem arked, in speaking of him, that he
had n ever heard him say a m ean w ord or lose
his tem per over anything. He spent his last
years at the Odd F ellow s Home at D evils
L ak e. He died in 1964.
Th ere are three Cable children: Ruth (Mrs.
M aynard K lie r), Bisbee, N. D.; Dean, of
Phoenix, Arizona, and Kent, w ho is the local
editor.
COL. W. F. McIL V A IN w as a C iv il W ar
veteran who cam e to Enderlin from Cassopolis, M ichigan. He farm ed in L ib erty T o w n ­
ship v e r y su ccessfu lly and w as a fed eral in­
spector of homestead land. He becam e the
first Com m andant of the Old Soldier’s Home
at Lisbon w hen it w as established.
He returned to E nderlin in 1904 and lived
here until his death; alw ays active in public
affairs, and w ith a particu lar interest in the
school system . He served as a m em ber of the
E nderlin school board for a num ber of years.
The M cIlvain home is now the J. Roy P e te r­
son Funeral Home.
C. H. PO TT E R , founder of the Ransom
C oun ty Independent, in 1895, w as in vo lved in
most civ ic affairs during his days in E n der­
lin and a num ber of business ventures. He
sold his paper, operated a laundry, served
as Postm aster, took over the paper again and
m erged it w ith the Enderlin H eadlight, to b e­
com e the Enderlin Independent. His w as a
v e r y personal style of journalism and there
w as n ever any doubt as to w here the editor
stood. He left Enderlin to establish a n ew s­
paper at M akoti, N orth D akota, w here he died.
Several pion eer fam ilies w ho no longer
have d e s c e n d a n ts livin g in the com m u n ity
m ust be b riefly m entioned in these pages
fo r the p a rt th ey had in its developm ent.
C. C. C H A M B E R L A IN , a n ative of M aine
and a graduate of M aine State College, cam e
to E n derlin in the spring of 1892, as a m an ­
a ger of the first lum ber yard. He later b e ­
cam e a partner in the Cham berlain-W allace
yard, w ith w hich he w as connected u n til his
death.
He w as the first president of the c ity coun­
cil, a m em ber of the first school board and
an E nderlin postm aster. H is nam e w as con­
n ected w ith alm ost e v e ry m ovem ent to im ­
prove conditions in the com m unity.
Both
he and his w ife w ere fa ith fu l and d evout
m em bers of the M ethodist C hurch. It is n ot­
able that e v e ry recollection of them , b y
people still liv in g in the tow n w ho know them,
recalls them in the sam e term s of affection
and respect fo r their kindness, courtesy and
character.
DR. O L A F SH E R PIN G , a pioneer physician
and surgeon, who w as educated in N orw ay,
also found tim e to participate in the affairs
of the com m unity. H e w as a councilm an in
the first c ity governm ent, although he m in ­
istered to a w ide area d urin g the form ative
years of the town. He b u ilt the first hospital
on the site of the T rin ity Lutheran parking
lot. He left E nderlin to m ove to F ergu s Falls.
H E RM AN
S H IR L E Y ,
E n derlin ’s
pioneer
druggist, cam e here from Sheldon w h ere he
had been em ployed at H iff’s D rug Store. He
"R em em b ra n ce o f T h in g s P a st
Snow Plowing on the Soo Line
(The Soo L in e story m entions the problem s
of keep ing the line open in the severe w in ­
ters. E ven after the b ig rota ry plow s cam e
into use there w ere y ears w h en the N orth
D akota w eath er m ade operation of the trains
a constant battle, E rw in Fraase has given
a graphic account of the w eath er of 1949.)
M y m ost e xcitin g w o rk on the Soo Line
started in 1946 w h en I w as pick ed to fire
the rotary snow plow . Th e hardest trip w e
m ade w as in 1949 w hen all of the road from
D rak e and w est to Sanish, M ax and B ism arck
w as blocked, som e cuts h avin g as m uch as
30 fe e t of snow .
W e le ft Enderlin on the 14th of Jan uary
and D rake on the 15th. W e w ere six days
m akin g the trip from D rake to M ax because
of the storm y w eather.
W e w ere forced to stay n ear the w ater
tan k at Russo, N. D.
W e w ould plo w for
one or tw o hours, then go b ack to keep the
road open to the tank.
In F e b ru a ry w e had w arm w eather w h ich
resulted in a h e av y la y e r of ice on all the
cuts w ith 8 to 12 feet of snow underneath.
Then m ore snow drifted in on top of the ice.
had also served as R egister of D eeds fo r
Ransom County.
In 1898, he opened a store in Enderlin, in
partnership w ith Mr. Hoff, later buying him
out and operatin g the store fo r m ore than
fifty years. He w as a vocal and loyal R e­
publican and a lw ays in volved in local polit­
ical m an euverin gs. H e w as deep ly interested
in M asonr y ; a charter m em ber of the local
chapter, of the Eastern Star and the K n igh ts
T em plar at Lisbon.
M rs. Sh irley was a form er teach er in the
E n derlin schools. T h e y
had tw o
children,
one of w hom died as a you n g child.
A son,
K eith, su rvives them .
*
*
*
T he fa m ily histories in the foregoing pages
have, of necessity, been kept v e ry brief. The
com m ittee is aw are that not all the pioneer
fam ilies are represented in these pages. Some
have not responded to the invitation or sub­
m itted inform ation and tim e has not perm itted
contacting everyone.
T he decision to set 1910 as a cu t-o ff date
for pioneer histories has m eant also that
m any fam ilies and businesses w hich h ave
played a part in the developm ent of the town
are not included. N am es like Theodore P e t­
erson, O. A . Onstad, F ritz T ru ck Line, Helen
Lehm an are only a few .
It is not a m atter of w ish in g to exclu d e
anyone, b u t rather a problem of com pressing
into a fe w pages, seven ty fiv e years of his­
tory.
W e ask forgiveness for our sins of
omission.
. . .
Our w orst cu t w as at B utte, N. D. w h ere it
w as from 18 to 24 feet deep.
A ton and a qu arter of dynam ite w as used
to b re ak up the ice and snow .
Th en you
could plow about ten feet, and then the sec­
tion men w ould b reak down snow from the
top so the plo w could reach it. It took seven
d ays to com e through this cut.
On this trip the boiler started to leak so
b ad ly you could not keep a fire going in the
front end o f the fire b ox. W e had to k n o ck
the fire out of the plow and go into the box
and co rk the stay bolts to stop the leaking.
T h e w eath er w as so bad w e could not get a
boiler m ak er to come out so Rip D ablow , the
travelin g engineer, and I craw led in the fire
b ox and did the job. Th e first tim e for both
of us.
A t one tim e w e ran out of food. A ll of the
sm all tow ns along the w a y w ere out of food
also. L u ck ily , w e had som e w a y cars w ith
us. W hen th ey w ere opened one had bread
and w ieners so w e lived on bread and w ie n ­
ers for fiv e d ays until Mr. Toy, the road m as­
ter at D rak e h ad a farm er butcher a Steer so
w e could get some m eat.
On one trip on the F laxton line, the cuts
109
w e re fu ll of
snow w h ile the hillsides w e re
d ry.
S parks
from the ro ta ry set the grass
on fire, and it burned as if it had oil on it.
W e had fifty
m en figh tin g the fire w h ile w e
plow ed snow below .
A fte r 1950 the Soo Line started to b ack slope
the cuts. T h is has red u ced the drifting and
the w in ters h av e not, as a rule, been so severe.
— E rw in Fraase
An Early Butcher Shop
T h e sound of his colorful language and
h e a rty la u g h ter becam e as fam iliar as the
h e a v y m eat w agon and the shod hooves of
the m atched b ays as th ey m ade th eir nu m b er­
less trips from the farm s to the old slaughter
house, located on the riv e r b y the gravel pit.
R em em ber the old b u tch er shops?
Th e
floors w e re covered w ith fresh saw dust eve ry
m orning. T h e re w ere big barrels and tubs
of h errin g and sauerkrau t and huge dill
pick les w h ich could be speared w ith a deft
m ovem ent o f
the b u tch er’s long
cutting
knife.
A n d those k n iv e s ! No w arrior in those
days of feudalism had a m ore varied assort­
m ent of keen edges. T he long cutting knife
in the hands o f the oldtim e b u tch er could
flash ju st as fast and cut as thin as the
m odem d ay m achine.
T h e h ou sew ife w ho
w an ted cold cuts for a special occasion
th ought nothing of b rin gin g dow n h er platters
and instructing, “F ill them u p . ”
A n d filled
up th ey w ere, w ith an assortm ent im possible
to duplicate in this d ay of packaged and
cellophaned conform ity.
T h e re w ere paper thin slices of dried beef
and fat ch un ks of liv erw u rst; there w ere
p ick led tongues and h ead cheeses, spiced and
sour; there w ere slices of sum m er sausage
and hard d ry goteburg; there w ere bolognas
and w ieners and ham s, spices and onions
and garlics and there w ere no fillers of bran
and m ashes and w a te r to add e xtra w eigh t.
T he tasks of m ixin g and curing w ere n ever
d elegated to an assistant— so no one learned
the secrets.
Sausage m akin g w as a ritual.
No cook had a larger assortm ent of pans,
kettles, and spices. F ires w ere laid un der the
huge cooking vats, tubs w e re cleaned, m eat
w as ground b y hand (and w oe to him w ho
paused to rest an aching back ). There w ould
be no dram atic entrance for this m aster— he
h ad been h ere since e a rly m orning, lifting,
cutting, cleaning, bossing, boasting and cuss­
ing. N ow he w as ready; a clean apron on
and sleeves rolled up to expose m uscles that
y e ars of hard w o rk had produced.
A pan of pork, a tub of beef, a v e r y little
veal, perhaps.
Th en cam e the onions or
g a rlic so ca refu lly prepared b y a tearful
boy; the spices— nothing m easured b y our
standards, but be assured th at bow ls, glasses
handsfuls and pinches w e re each as fam iliar
as our un im agin ative standardizations.
The
a ir w as fu ll of panting and grunting; kneading
a couple of h undred pounds of m eat is not
easy, and there w ere a lw ays com plaints about
110
the poor q u ality of the spices now adays.
F in ally there cam e the signal, “ D E R . ”
It
w as tasting tim e.
L ittle pats w e re fried or cooked and e v e ry ­
one
tasted. M ore of this w as added, ju st a
pinch of th at or m aybe h alf a han d fu l of
the rubbed spice from the square can.
N ow cam e the stuffing. C ran k s w ere tu rn ­
ed,
sausages w ere curlin g off the snouts of
m achines, knots w ere ca refu lly tied w ith
precise, p re-cu t strings, rings w ere plum ped
into pans, rea d y to be strung from poles of
the
sm oke house or plum ped into vats of
sim m ering (n ever boiling) w ater.
Then cam e the golden hour, sam pling tim e.
S om ehow e ve ry m erchant and salesm an in
town (and a fe w vagran ts) found it con ven i­
ent to be on hand. Th e good hou sew ife saw
fit to bake a batch of fresh bread on sausage
m aking day.
T h ick slices of fresh bread
w ere cut w ith a k n ife large enough to quarter
a beef, there w as a crock of cou n try fresh
b u tter and yo u r choice of fresh sausages
served from the fla t side of the knives.
Som e m ight h ave b rou gh t a bit of the
grape, or w ou ld you believe schnaps or a
k eg of beer?
It has been said that there w ere alw ays
m ore of the b oys out in b ack sam pling than
there w ere custom ers out in front!
There
w as, h ow ever, a pride in perfection and a
love of good livin g.
Life in a Parsonage in the Early 1900’s
L et us tak e a glimpse into an early 20th cen ­
tu ry parsonage. This is a place, as a rule,
that has a ll the eyes of the parish fix e d upon
it, since its occupants are u su ally exp e cte d to
liv e the n e arly p erfect life; m any forget the
fa m ily liv in g th ere are also only hum an
beings.
Th e pastor's fa m ily too had problem s,
perhaps m ore serious than those of others b e ­
cause the solution of these had to be so m uch
m ore perfect. L ife in his hom e w as not a l­
w ays so p eacefu l since argum ents and b ick er­
ings did occur and the children, lik e others,
often resorted to h air p u llin g and tugs of w ar
in spite of the fact th at the d iscipline w as
u su ally v e r y strict and the children w ere
taught early the d ifferen ce b etw een right and
w ron g. These children, too, w ere exp ected to
set exam ples fo r others, and “ the poor m ini­
ster’s w ife had to be a paragon of greatest
v irtu e and upbringing.
She a lw ays had to
stand ready to receive guests and w elcom e
them, in spite of the fact that there w ere no
m odem conveniences. In those days, all the
food had to be p rep ared and cooked from
n atu re’s raw state. She not only had to be
the perfect hostess, but w as also exp ected to
accept the p residen cy of the L ad ies A id , teach
Sunday school, perhaps be its superintendent
and, if she w ere m usical, w as expected to
direct the choir and play the ch urch organ.
T h e pastor and his w ife w ere often asked
to be counselors and com forters to people w ho
cam e to them w ith their problem s, and
troubles. These people looked fo r help and
understanding; but h ow w as one to com fort
a husband w hose w ife had ju st com m itted
suicide, or a fath er whose son in a drunken
stupor had been killed w h ile w alkin g home
on a railroad tra c k late at night.
Perhaps
another situation w ould be to cope w ith a
d ru n k w ho com es near m idnight to lash the
pastor w ith a critical tirade. A gain the pastor
is hum an and a person; perhaps he is m ore
than others endow ed w ith the spiritual stam ­
ina to cope w ith problem s, b u t people m ust
n e ve r forget St. P a u l’s rem inder th at he also
carries “ G o d ’s treasure in an earthen vessel”
T h ere are m any soul searching problem s is a
parsonage.
O ur b ack w o rd look w ou ld also record m any
w eddings, baptism and m an y kin d of gath er­
ings in the parsonage.
T h e m em bers of the pastor’s fam ily had to
g iv e up m any pleasures and social activities
for the reason th ey m ight be criticised for
attending w o rldly pleasures. It seem ed to be
m ore w ic k ed fo r them than fo r others.
T h e parsonage w as not spared sorrow s
either, since death and tragedy often stalked
in as elsew here. A lth ou gh th ere w ere these
scenes of deepest heartaches, there w ere also
most precious blessings.
T h ere w ere h o w ev er several things that
m ade the parsonage a h app y place — a C h ris­
tian atm osphere, kin d h earted parishioners
w ho w ou ld com e to share th eir products of
the farm , or business, w ith the pastor’s fam ily,
frien d ly people w ho cam e to call or to visit.
In those d ays w hen help w as needed in sick ­
ness, or in a n y other w ay, the pastor’s people
w ere u sually v e r y helpful. In cases of sick ­
ness, the wom en to take o ver and these w ere
tru ly angels in aprons. E dgar G u est m ight be
paraphrased. “ It takes a heap of livin g to live
in a parson age. ’’
— R ae G austad M atthes
Misao (M innie) Mitsuya
A little girl, w hom m any w ill rem em ber,
w as one of E n d erlin ’s most loyal citizens.
B o m in E nderlin, of Japanese parents, Misao
M itsuya, or “ M innie” as she w as kno w n to
her friends, m ade a real place for h erself in
Enderlin. H er parents operated a sm all la u n ­
d ry here.
Th rou gh ou t h er school years from first
grade on, M innie developed character that
m ade h er a staunch defend er of w h at she
fe lt w as right.
She w as a loyal Am erican
and a d evout Christian.
In October, 1938, w hen h er stepfather died,
h e r m other decided to retu rn to Japan. M in­
nie w as h eartbroken to lea ve A m erica and
E nderlin.
Sh e w as in the eigh th grade w hen she left
h er m other and tw o you n ger sisters for J a ­
pan. T h ere w as such prom ise fo r h er to con­
tinue to lead h er class and to graduate w ith
honors; but w ith unbelievable stoicism she
accepted w hat w as to be.
It w as a sad m orning for M innie as the
w estbound Soo Line passenger train pulled
a w ay from the station early that m orning
in O ctober, 1938.
Touching,
indeed, w ere
M innie’s letters
from Japan, som e of w h ich described in detail
m em ories of h er life in E nderlin such as a
Christm as program in w hich she had a part
at the M ethodist church, or a basketb all
gam e during w h ich she w ould cheer lu stily
for h er team . U nderlying all w as her longing
to be b ack i n Enderlin.
B y January, 1941, M innie had almost com ­
pleted Japanese grade school and w as seeking
transfer to an Am erican high school. In her
letters to frien d s in Enderlin, she exp ressed
her yearnin g for A m erica and indicated that,
som ehow, she w ould m ake her w ay back.
Some of her letters contained a w arn in g to
A m erica of w h at w as to com e, w hich shows
the keen insight M innie had of w hat w as
going on in Japan.
Enderlin, N. D ak.
Dear Miss S elvig:
A m erica be on the w ak e! I am v e ry alarm ed
of A m erica ’s safety.
P reserve, save and do
not w aste products.
Do not use so m uch
coal, iron and such things.
Y ou w ill need
them later. Forest products in A m erica are
scarce so you m ust save, plant and tak e care
of you n g trees. Save on coal and oil. T ake
good care of clothes and do not be e x tra v a ­
gant. Run and play and build up a strong
body.
A re A m erica ’s boys w illin g to die for their
country? W ill th ey keep true to th eir ow n
d ear country?
Do th ey keep faith in their
own country? O ver here the soldiers are glad
to g iv e th eir life for their country. A sk the
boys, and if th ey say “ No” teach them that
if th ey are no w illing to giv e th eir lives for
their country, the coun try w ill be in ruins
in 100 years or so. If this doesn’t reach you
it m ay be taken b y censors and I shall be
im prisoned or som ething but that is nothing
to w hat m ight happen to the U. S. A . I w ould
glad ly g iv e m y life fo r Am erica.
Y o u r sincere pupil,
M isao M itsuya
A k ao, Japan
January 1, 1941
(E nderlin Independent— Jan. 1, 1942)
M innie d ied on F e b ru a ry 22, 1941.
Her
classm ates in E nderlin show ed th eir h igh re ­
gard for her w h en th ey presented a plaq ue to
the school in h er m em ory.
T h e plaque
reads: “ M innie M itsuya— w hose high ideals
w ere an inspiration. ”
M innie w ould be proud to k n o w that she
is rem em bered fo r h e r loyalty to Enderlin.
— E ffie S e lv ig
F irst School
A fringe of trees along the M aple river
w ith only the e arly m orning m irage and the
e v e r changing sunsets to b re ak the m onotony
o f the broad prairie, w as the setting fo r the
tin y fram e schoolhouse w h ere Mrs. F . E.
K indred, then Miss A n n a Dershim er, taught
111
the first pupils in the com m unity now know n
as E nderlin. T his w as in 1883— 48 years ago.
O f the eight or ten b oys and girls w ho
attended this first seat of learning, not one
could speak E nglish.
T h e y came from the
sod shanties scattered o v er the new land.
T h eir b ackgro un d w as the cu ltu re of countries
beyond the sea. B u t th ey w ere brigh t stu­
dents, q u ic k ly learning the strange w ords
taught them b y m eans o f pictures and ph on ­
etic m ethods. One boy show ed m arked abili­
ty at draw in g, and M rs. K in d red still has one
of his sketches— an eagle w ith a serpent in
its grasp, ju st above the ground.
To reach h er boarding place, the teacher
had to w ad e the sh allow riv e r. H ere there
w ere alw ays large flo cks of w ild ducks, m any
of them rem aining through the w in ter. Th ere
w ere open places for them to feed and sw im .
T he bu ffalo no longer roam ed the plains
feedin g on bunch grass, but their bones lay
e ve ry w h e re — bleaching in the sun. Often the
ch ild ren b rought buffalo horns to school, p re ­
senting them to the teacher and the n ext
y e ar the bones w ere collected and shipped
east to be used for com m ercial purposes.
Th e pasque flo w er, prairie rose and m any
other w ild flo w ers gre w in abundance. The
dandelion had not m ade its appearance. The
schoolhouse w as m ade beautiful b y w ild blos­
soms gathered b y childish hands.
Perhaps the most d readed foe in those
early d ays w as the prairie fire that sw ept
the land clean of e v e ry livin g thing that lay
in its path. M rs. K in d red rem em bers takin g
the three little children o f the fam ily w ith
w hom she boarded onto a plow ed field and
rem aining there w ith them through the night,
w h ile others fough t the flam es that th reat­
ened to destroy both buildings and crops.
— From “ Q u arter Sections and
W ide H orizons,” 1931.
H elm y Johnson
T h is b rief excerpt from the M em oirs of M rs.
A n ton Peterson tells b rie fly and su ccin ctly of
her courtship and m arriage. M rs. Peterson is
still livin g in the S heyenne M anor in V alley
C ity.
1900— In Jan u ary I w en t to J e n n y ’s (Darelius)
and stayed there fo r three w eeks. A n n y w as
there too— so had fu n — took p ictu re of us
three. T h en U ncle G ust and Anton com e to
V a lle y C ity to get me, so w e n t w ith them .
Then A n ton and I got engaged. T h e first
of F eb ru ary, B eata Austad, (Mrs. W . W . Shaw )
a teach er com e and w anted to stay and w an t­
ed room and board, so, w e had room to­
gether.
Sh e stayed four months.
W e had
lots of fun.
W e sew ed blouses and things
so w e should be dressed alike. W ent to 17th
of M ay celebratio n togeth er and w as real
fun. T h en th ey w e re askin g m e w h at tim e
I w anted to h ave the w edd in g.
I said if
w e w as going to get m arried in the sum m er
I w an ted it the 23rd o f June. So started to
prep are fo r that. I sew ed for m yself and Mrs.
Peterson. I m ade m y W edding dress— w h ite
112
organdy and lace for trim m ings— and made
som ething for trim m ings in the rooms. Clara
L ee com e to help us one w eek before, and
Jen n y com e and helped three days before.
She baked the W edding ca ke— fru it c a k e fou r of them tw e lv e inches high. C lara Lee
and A n n y D arelius w as m y bridesmaids and
Uncle Gust and O laf Peterson w as A n ton ’s best
man.
T h e W edding w as 2 o’clo ck in Fillm ore
C hurch— w e w as the first couple that w as
m arried in the new Church.
Com e home
and had dinner, — w e had two big tables, one
on the porch. T h ey got a big canvas tent,
south side of porch, and day before, Uncle
and A n ton w ent down in the V alley and
cut some sm all trees and branches for w alls
around the tent— w e had one long table in
there. Had good w aitresses so it w en t fine
in the afternoon.
W e had lem onade, w e d ­
ding cake and cookies in the evening— we
w ere up in the n ew gran ary. T h e y had d ec­
orated there w ith branches and leaves all, so
it sm elled so fresh and nice.
It was two
rooms, one 18x20, and one 18x16.
It was
good m usic. 1 organ, 2 violins— all w as d anc­
ing.
Then w e had m idnight lunch, sand­
w iches, buns, ca ke and cookies of d ifferen t
kinds, and coffee. D ay after, w e w as all
tired out.
REX LINDEMANN
This little incident that happened in about
1891 w h en Sheldon still w as our nearest tra d ­
ing point. M y father, C arl Lindem ann, N or­
m an Sch oebin ger our hired hand, Leo, m y
brother and m yself decided to d riv e to Sh el­
don. Th e time w as shortly before Christmas.
W e had a w agon w ith a double box and had
load of about 35 bushels of w heat, probably
a dozen of dressed chickens, and also some
dressed tu rk eys.
Since roads w ere rath er direct, river crossings
w ere m ade w h e re v e r w e fund shallow w ater
w ater and low riv e r b anks leading to the river.
W e found w h at we thought w as such a place.
It w as that w e referred to as the b eaver dam.
H ere the road follow ed along the riv e r bank,
w as about 25 feet above the w ater, w hich
w as frozen over.
A s w e proceeded along this riv e r bank we
found the road w as icy and also slanted
sligh tly tow ard the riv er.
This caused our
w agon to start sliding and w hen it neared
the riv e r b an k edge it tipped sending all of
the w heat, tu rk eys, chickens, m y father,
b rother and m yself down the riv e r bank onto
the ice.
W e w ere fortun ate that the hired hand ju m p ­
ed o ff and k ep t the wagon box from follow ing
us dow n the riv e r bank. W e also w ere fortun ­
ate to have several bushel baskets w h ich the
ch icken s and tu rk ey s w ere packed in. These
baskets w e used in tryin g to recov er as m uch
of the w heat as w e could, and a fter several
hours of scratching and scraping, m anaged
to scrape up most of the wheat.
None of us w ere severely harm ed b y the
incident and m an aged to m ake the trip to
Sheldon to m ark e t our products and bu y
such things as w e could afford return in g home,
though a lot la ter than w e expected.
DISTRICT
115
A s yo u d rive along the hard surface road
to A lice, all that y ou pass beside some fine
farm steads, are tw o cem eteries. Th ere w ere
tw o churches and tw o schools along this road
at one tim e. One of these w as D istrict 115.
about a m ile and a h alf north of H igh w ay 46,
w h ere th irty children and gro w nups used to
attend at one tim e. T h ere w e re no grades
in the late nineties, w hen I first attended.
Y o u started on the ch art and progressed b y
readers from one on up.
Th e pupils included the second generation
of the first settlers in this district. T h ere
w ere tw o Lindem anns, fo u r Bensons, fiv e
B leeses, tw o from A . Fraedrichs, fo u r from
J. F raedrich, fou r Pattersons, tw o Meilis, two
M arschkes, tw o Schultzes, tw o U tkes, and tw o
Hohensees. Th e H oehensees w e re gro w n ups
ju st over from G erm any. T h e y started in the
first reader and b y the end of the term th ey
w ere in the fourth reader.
T h e y cam e to
school to learn the E nglish language, as did
m any of the early settlers.
In the early 1900’s the school w as graded
and after that there w as a nine m onths term
of school. T he first class to finish the 8th
grade w as in 1906, and the last class in 1943,
w h en the school w as closed and the children
sent to Enderlin. T he school served tw o gen­
erations, for a m em b er of the 1943 class, H u­
bert B leese, w as a son of a m em ber of the
1906 class, A d olph B leese.
Som e of the local teachers in the district
w ere Josie G eelan, Rose Fetcher, M argaret
Toring, M illie M arschke, M olly G eske and
P e a rl Johnson.
— A dolph Bleese
A Pioneer Story
T h e claim shanty w h ere I w as b om w as
bu ilt lik e most of them at that tim e, 83 years
ago. T h e y first dug in a side h ill and put
boards over the d ugout for protection w hile
bu ild ing the house. It w as u su ally attached
to the dugout w h ich w as later used as a root
cellar.
S n akes often craw led in here and
hung dow n from the ceilin g (this w as te r­
rib le!).
Th e first fe w sum m ers of m y life w ere
spent running around in the tall grass and
beau tifu l flo w ers. M y m other, An n a O ehlke
F raed rich told m e she w ould look for a w h ite
head bobbing up and dow n in the tall grass,
and then she w ou ld know w h ere I w as.
Th e grass w as v e ry b ou ntiful w h ere w e liv ­
ed and m y father, W illiam Fraedrich, w ould
care fo r neigh bor’s cattle in sum m er.
This
also m eant a little e xtra m oney. There w ere
no fen ces and often at n igh t the cattle w ould
start m oving against the w ind w hen the m os­
quitoes w ere bad. Som e cattle had bells and
th ey should be easier to locate at night, but
it w asn ’t easy to get up and fin d them and
get them b ack home. M y fa th e r fin ally built
a fence of w illo w branches to keep the cattle
in. T h is w ork ed fin e until the follow in g
spring w h en the fen ce took roots and began
to grow . Th en the cattle ate th e fence.
W e lived fiv e m iles east of Enderlin and
tw o and a half m iles north of Sheldon. T he
farm now belongs to m y nephew , Leon Heuer.
R elatives and frien d s a lw ays stopped on their
w a y to Sheldon and w hen th ey cam e back.
M y fa th er had fou r brothers and tw o sisters
liv in g along the M aple north of us. It seems
lik e w e a lw ay s had com pany.
M y fath er did threshing for m any farm ers.
T h is m eant that w e needed to prep are fo r 25
to 30 m en for m eals and a place to sleep. It
w as an excitin g tim e for m e for it m eant a
trip to tow n fo r groceries.
A pig or b eef
w as butchered, lard rendered.
Dishes and
kettles w ere m arked.
U sually a notch w as
put in w ith an iron file.
N eighbors b o r­
row ed these from one another during the
tim e th ey fed the m en. E ven then you d idn ’t
alw ays get you r ow n dishes back. I rem em ­
ber one lady w ho had only one large cooking
pan. She used to cook coffee in it and then
clean it and use it fo r fryin g or cooking the
rest of the m eal. W hen m y fath er saw this,
he offered to cook fo r the m en w h ile he w as
there to do the threshing, for he w anted them
to have good m eals.
B reakfast consisted of fried potatoes, boiled
eggs, bacon, cooked cereal, cookies or coffee
cake, w ith lots of coffee. Pies w ere either
custard, currant, or a dried fruit grape, bu t
w hich looked lik e a huge raisin. Then there
w ere the dried fru its like apples and prunes.
Th e farm ers had chickens, eggs, m ilk, cream,
b utter and cottage cheese.
W heat could be
taken to a m ill and ground fo r flour, at first
at Lisbon and later at Enderlin.
W e never
canned any vegetables. Root vegetables kept
w e ll until spring in the root cellar.
Sauer
K rau t, dill pickles w ere pu t up in large
crocks or barrels.
F or meat, w e had only
to go to the sm oke house, w h ere hams, bacon,
sausage and sm oked fish kep t v e r y w ell. W e
som etim es roasted b arley to m ix w ith the co f­
fee beans.
Coffee w as 12 pounds for $1.00.
It w as called A rb u ck le Bran d and had a
pictu re of an angel floating on the paper bag
it cam e in, w h ich I often w on dered about.
To seat the m en in threshing tim e w e
brought in saw horses and long planks for
table and chairs. B oxes outside held pails of
w ater and soap for the men.
W e alw ays
locked the door until everyth in g w as ready
and the food w as on the table.
T he men
storm ed in lik e a mob.
M any of these m en cam e b ack to w o rk each
year. One of them who returned for m any
ye ars w as B la ck George W alker. He used all
his m oney fo r liquor and w ou ld com e b ack in
the spring looking ragged and thin. M y fa ­
ther did not p a y him one year until he w as
ready to leave. He took him to Sheldon and
bought a suit, shoes and other clothes and
113
W illiam Finger, Gust Hohnse, A lb ert F ra ed ­
gave him the m oney le ft over. He w as g ra te ­
rich, C arl Schroeder, R. T. P etrich , Emm a
fu l that anyone should care to do this for him.
K aatz (Finger) and Robert Lindem ann, and it
He told m y fath er that he w as w ell educated
w as directed b y M rs. D ieter. Th e first choir,
in law , but started to d rin k and could not
h ow ever w as directed b y H enry Fraase. He
k eep his position. He w rote to his brother
had two m ules w h ich w ere a lw ays decorated
and told him he had an acciden t and could
w ith red tassels on the bridles. He used to
not w o rk . S in ce this w as not tru e he could
start early in the even in g to gather his choir.
not return to his home.
Robert and I w e re m arried in 1901. L ik e
M y m other m ade the lye w e used to m ake
all w eddings, th ere w ere m any guests for din­
soap. F or this w e filled three large salt b ar­
n er and lunch in the evening. T he Enderlin
rels w ith w ood ashes.
T he tilted barrels
Coronet Band played in the afternoon. R o­
w ere set on a container. T h e ashes w ere kept
bert and I liv e d w ith his parents on the farm
m oist. It took a couple of m onths. L a rd and
now ow ned b y our son, K a r l Lindem ann.
cracklin gs w ere m ixed w ith the lye solution
R ob ert’s m other and father w ere v e ry good
and cooked in huge kettles. It m ade a soft,
to m e. She loved the outdoors and w as al­
sudsy soap that cleaned alm ost anything.
w a y s planting flow ers and trees. W hen ever
In the w in ter and again in the spring, the
she saw som eone d rivin g dow n the road, a
men in the neighborhood w ou ld go to the
h alf m ile aw ay, she w ould put on the coffee
S heyenne to fish. One tim e th ey got a wagon
pot and have eve ryth in g ready w h en th ey
b ox fu ll of fish. T h e y w ou ld sooner go fish ­
came.
Each afternoon w h en possible there
ing than to a p arty. T h e y did not en joy so
w as m ilk w ith coffee and sugar in it and
m uch the trips to the Sheyenne to cut the sup­
p ly of wood fo r the year,
for it
w as cold hard bread and butter for the children w hen they
cam e from school.
w ork and often th ey did
not get home until
F or G randm a Lindem ann, S atu rd ay evenings
long a fter dark.
w as a tim e to prep are fo r the ch urch ser­
One storm y night w e w ere sitting around
v ices on Sun day. She put on a clean apron,
the stove, en joyin g the w arm th and com fort
p u t a shaw l around h er shoulders and sat b y
of a good fire.
F ath er said that the wood
the w est w indow w h ere the ra ys of the set­
w as v e r y good that year. Som eone looked up
tin g sun m ade it easier to read her Bible.
and discovered sm oke around th e stovepipe.
R obert’s m ost loved pastim e, n e x t to am us­
W e d iscovered that the
roof
w as on fire.
ing his children w as hunting. One afternoon,
T h ere w as a storm outside and w e could not
I cleaned 30 ducks. I don’t th ink anyone had
locate a sh ovel or other im plem ent. M y fa ­
m ore patience w ith his children than m y h u s­
th er craw led on the roof and tore the b u rn ­
band. He had some of the children w ith him
in g shingles from the roof w ith his bare
alw ays, w hether going to tow n on business,
hands. M other tried to help, but the w ind
to the riv e r to fish or hunt, or to inspect the
b le w h er o ff of the roof. He got the fire
fields. One ye a r there w asn ’t m uch snow, he
out before it did too m uch damage.
hauled w a te r on a hill to m ake an ice slide
I attended school in H ighland Tow nship
fo r them and th eir homem ade sleds.
w hen I could, but m y m other w as often ill
R obert died M arch 31, 1933.
and then it w as up to m e to do the h ouse­
I can ’t call any of this tim e d ifficu lt or a
w ork. M y sisters, Ida (Mrs. Kaatz) and P a u l­
hardship. Som e evenings w e w ere v e r y tired,
ine, (Mrs. H euer) and I alw ays w alked to
but m any evenings Robert w ould play the
school. It w as tw o and a h alf m iles. D u rin g
violin and w e w ould sing and really en joy
the cold w eath er the school w as closed. T h ere
ourselves. A ll b u t one of our children live
w ere alw ays 20 or 30 pupils.
in N orth Dakota.
T h ey are V erner, K a rl,
W hat a joyou s tim e w as Christm as— visitin g
Reuben, M aynard, Doris (Utke), Agnes (G es­
and h avin g com pany, candy, cookies and a p ­
k e), Esther (Brun), all of Enderlin, W illis in
ples— ju st about eve ry th in g w e could w ish for.
Flordia, K en n eth in W est Fargo and A lice
Th ere w as a lw a y s the tree.
F ath er got a
(Peterson) at A rth u r.
large branch from a b oxelder and th ey w ould
w ind green fringed paper around the branches.
Som etim es w e found a little of this paper and
that m eant that Santa w as w ork in g and w e
had better not disturb him .
The tree w as
d ecorated w ith apples, candy and cookies.
W hat a w on derfu l tim e it w as! One y ear I
got tw o presents— a pair of overshoes and a
religious booklet.
I w as confirm ed b y Pastor D ieter w hen I
w as 13. The first church I rem em ber going
to w as at Sheldon. It w as w h ile singing in
the ch oir th at I m et m y husband, Robert.
I rem em ber the ones w ho sang in the choir.
T h e y w ere P aulin e K u n st (Mrs. A u g . G eske),
C arolyn K u n st (Mrs. S pitzer), A u gu sta K u n st
(Mrs. Fraase), A m e lia F raed rich (Mrs. P e ­
trich ), M innie K aatz, T illie F in ger (Kaatz)
114
MRS OSCAR TORBENSON
The First Ten Years of Pioneer Life
Moore Township
A s I’m sitting here tonight, I’m lookin g far
b ack o v er the e arly days of m y life and th in k ­
ing h ow m uch life has changed in this, our
pioneer country.
M y father and m other, Thore and K a rin a
Syverson, w ere the first to settle in Moore
Tow nship.
T h ey both come to A m erica at
the age of 22, from d ifferen t parts of N orw ay
in 1875 and both found w o rk in Film ore
County, Lanesboro, M innesota. D uring this
tim e th ey m et and w e re m arried there, Ju ly
21, 1879. Here th ey m ade their home until
the spring of 1880, w h en th ey decided to go
west and fin d a n ew home.
T h e y put all
their belongings together and started out in
a covered w agon to a land of greater o p ­
portu n ity.
T h e y had three horses and two
cow s w h ich w ere chased along the w ay.
T h e y left Lanesboro, M innesota M ay 10, 1880,
in com pany w ith three other fam ilies, H aaken
Smed, M ass Oprud, and Ole Boreson.
T h e y planned to go to V a lle y C ity, Dakota.
It m ust h ave been a hard trip as there was
ju st a rough, narrow w agon trail, and v ery
fe w bridges. T h e y cam e through M oorhead
and F argo w h ich w ere at th at tim e, v ery
sm all. Then on June 5, 1880, th ey reached
V a lle y City, th eir destination.
F rom there
th ey d rove south along the Sheyenne River.
T h ere w e re a fe w settlers here and there
along the riv e r and some on the prairies of
B arn es Coun ty.
M other and fath er stopped
w ith folks th ey k n ew and father did some
b reak in g to earn some m oney.
D urin g this
tim e th ey liv e d in th eir covered w agon. A f ­
ter this, fath er w ent south to Ransom County,
M oore T ow nship to look fo r land. He w anted
to get a hom estead and tree claim side by
side so he had to go quite a distance from the
others to get this land.
I rem em ber his
tellin g of an exp erien ce he had at this time.
W hile w alk in g around looking for land he
had left his horses and w agon on top of a
h ill and w as n early lost. B ecause everyth in g
looked a lik e it w as v e r y hard to fin d the
horses again, but all turned out w e ll and he
n ow had found the land he w anted. It w as
fiv e m iles to neighbors and th irty m iles from
V a lley C ity. He then filed on his hom estead
and tree claim June 12, 1880.
T h ey now m oved to the hom e of M artim es
Nilson, w ho w ere friends of theirs. T his w as
near the S h eyenne R iver. Here on June 28,
1880, I, M ary Louise, th eir first daughter w as
bom .
I w as baptized at the hom e of Iver
O lsburg b y a m issionary, R ev. B jorgo , w ho
w ent through the cou n try holding m eetings
in the homes.
N ow m other and I continued to stay at N ilsons w h ile fath er w ent to his claim to build
a home. He b ro k e up sod and bu ilt a sod
house and stable. It took him the rest of
the sum m er to finish building besides b re a k ­
ing up fiv e acres fo r w heat for the n ext year.
He also dug a w ell, cu t enough h ay w ith a
scythe to last through the w in ter hauled wood
and plo w ed a fire b re ak around the building
place. F ath e r has told about the tim e one day
late that fa ll as he w as eatin g lunch there
suddenly cam e a big prairie fire.
It cam e
w ith a southeast w ind, so strong his lunch
b u cket b lew aw ay and sw ept over the w hole
country, b urning e veryth in g black. A tragedy,
but the fire b reak had saved the buildings
and life w ould go on.
N ow e ve ry th in g w as ready. T h ey w ere to
h ave a home of their v e r y ow n at last! It
w as indeed a happy occasion w hen on Octo­
ber 20, 1880, th ey m oved into th eir n ew hom e—
a hum ble sod house, to be sure, but it w as
a hom e in a land w h ere the fu tu re looked
bright. Th e house w ith only the bare n eces­
sities— a stove, a fe w kitchen utensils, hom e
m ade table and benches and a bed w ith a
straw tick in it. A ll w as w ell and happiness
reigned.
The first Christm as in th eir n ew home was
n ever to be forgotten.
On Christm as E ve,
in festive mood, m other and father dressed
up in th eir w edd in g clothes and everyth in g
w as as cozy as it could be. D u rin g the course
of the evening father took out som e papers
on the land and as he w as looking at them ,
m ade the astounding d iscovery that th ey had
m ade the m istake of b u ild ing on the tree
claim instead of the hom estead. I don’t think
w e can ever im agine the feelin g th ey m ust
h ave had. T h ere w as nothing to do but face
the facts and plan to build on the hom estead
in the n ear future.
A fte r Christm as there cam e a great deal
of snow. I rem em ber how th ey told about
one m orning th ey aw oke and w ere w aitin g
for d ayb reak, b u t it never came. T h ey had
no clock so th ey had no idea w hat tim e it
m ight be, but th ey got up, lit the lam p and
found that the w in dow s w ere e n tirely covered
w ith snow. T h e y opened the door and saw
before them — snow lik e a w all.
T h e y took
a board, pushed it up into the snow b u t
found no light until standing on a bench and
reachin g farther, fin ally pushed a w ay snow
and saw— light.
The snow had almost co v ­
ered the house! N ow the only thing to do
w as to d ig snow into the house in order to
get out. F a th e r m ade a tunnel from the house
to the barn . N ow the w ell w as quite a dis­
tance from the b uildings and w as shallow so
it froze, m aking it necessary to m elt snow
all w in ter for the stock. T h at all seems alm ost
incredible to us now, b u t that w as all a part
of pioneer lif e !
L ater in the w in ter th ey ran out of flour
and groceries, so fa th er w ent on skis to V a l­
le y C ity takin g b utter th ey had m ade and
got w h at th ey needed. He carried the sup­
plies on his b ack and w as gone tw o days.
T he last part of M arch, th ey had run short
of h ay for th eir stock.
Th e snow w as so
deep that the only w a y fath er could get hay
w as to m ake a long n arrow sled and he, on
skis, pulled it. He pulled a load of straw
hom e e v e ry d ay from a neighbor, Ole B a ar­
stad, w ho lived ten m iles north. Once they
had to em pty th eir straw tick to keep the
stock alive.
Th e snow laid till the seven ­
teenth of A p ril. N ow the ground w as b lack
since the fa ll fire, but soon green grass w aved
o v er the prairies. W hat a w on derfu l sight it
m ust h ave been to see a fter the long hard
w in ter— that first lonesom e w in ter alone on
the prairies— n ow th eir w orries w ere over!
L ife w as g ood !
F ath er bought his first seed w h eat and po­
tatoes at V alley C ity at a dollar a bushel.
W hen he had finished his sprin g’s w o rk he
took his team and w agon and w ent to V a l­
le y C ity to get w ork. He hauled stone for
the foundation of the F irst N ational B an k
115
w h ich is still standing. M other w as le ft at
the hom estead to take care of eve ry th in g at
home.
That spring, the year of 1881, b rought m ore
people into the country.
These neighbors
w e re Mr. and M rs. P e te r Solom and George,
M r. and M rs. P eter V ie and fam ily, M r. and
M rs. E rick Rognaldson, M r.
and M rs. Edd
Storlie, and W. H. M oore.
Solorns stayed
w ith us w h ile th eir sod house and stable w as
being b u ilt on the ad join in g q u arter.
How
w on derfu l it w as to h ave neighbors who could
share our joys and sorrow s. Mrs. V ie (M ar­
tha, as she w as called b y everyone) w as our
pioneer nurse and doctor.
She had a big
fa m ily of her ow n but she
w as n ever too
b u sy to help a frien d in tim e of need. How
m uch she m eant to everyone
F a th e r’s first crop w a s cut w ith a scyth e
and tied b y hand, then stacked. T he grain
w as threshed b y John H alverson, who had a
sm all m achine run b y horse pow er. He got
over a hundred bushels th at first year, w hich
he later hauled to V a lle y C ity.
A branch of the N orthern P a cific cam e
southwest from Fargo up through this country
in 1881 so w e soon got Lisbon and B u ttzv ille
N ow w e could get m ail once in aw h ile.
D rivin g straight across country, Lisbon was
ten m iles and B u ttzville seven.
On the fou rth of July, m other and Mrs.
Solom w an ted to go and celebrate.
The
m en w ere too bu sy w ith th eir w o rk to go,
so m other and Mrs. Solom took fa th e r’s team
and w agon, and w ith th eir babies, M arie
and G eorge, w e re off fo r Lisbon. W hen th ey
w ere on top of the h ill north of Lisbon th ey
saw that it w as v e r y steep, so m other took
the ch ild ren and w alked dow n the h ill w hile
Mrs. Solom d rove dow n. Th ere w as no bridge
across the riv e r at this tim e but th ey w ere
able to d rive across safely. Lisbon had only
tw elve sm all shanties.
T h e y looked around
aw h ile— there w as not m uch of a celebration
at th at tim e— then w e n t home. T h at w as th eir
first trip to Lisbon.
T h e new cou n try w as changing rapidly.
It w as n ow dotted w ith sod houses, log cabins,
and some lum ber houses. Now w in ter w as
approaching and wood and logs had to be
h au led for fu el and building. So father w en t
dow n b y the Sh eyen n e riv e r for w ood and
on his Way b ack a snow storm broke. He got
as fa r as Vanlones, neighbors w ho liv ed four
m iles south of our place. T h ey lived in a
dug-out in a side hill. Since the storm w as so
b ad and im possible fo r father to get home,
th ey ga ve him and his horses shelter.
B ut
it w asn ’t cozy as th ey had no room fo r his
h orses in the stable. H ow ever, th ey had an
extra room b ack of th eir livin g rooom— a
room
called
a
cellar.
So
th ey
led
th eir cow through th eir livin g room and put
h er in the cellar, then the horses had a place
in the stable.
T a lk about good neighbors,
w e su rely had them in the pion eer days.
M other w as at hom e w orryin g about father
116
b u t the n ext day he cam e hom e safely once
m ore.
Th e spring of 1882 b rought n ew hope and
happiness.
A n oth er long w in ter had passed
and all w elcom ed the b eau tifu l spring. N ow
father hau led logs to b u ild a new house on
the hom estead. T h is tim e th ey bu ilt on the
hill. T he stable w as dug down in a hillside
and finished w ith sod.
T h e y m oved into the n ew house M ay 12,
1882, even though it w as not en tirely finished.
There w ere only blankets fo r doors as yet
so w h en a snow storm cam e up, m other
took m e and w ent o v e r to Solorns and stayed
until the storm w as over.
Th e n ew house w as 12 x 24 and had two
rooms. B e lo w the house was a buffalo ring
w h ere the soil w as soft. M other had some
boxelder seeds th at she planted there. T h ey
grew large and gave a great deal of com fort
to the fam ily. W e sat in the shade and had
our lunch out th ere m an y a tim e. A fte r this,
father and M r. Storelee w en t to the sand
hills and got some cotton w ood and other
trees. These w ere planted around the place.
T rees w e re tru ly b eau tifu l and appreciated on
th e bare prairie. O ur tree claim w as a ten
acre piece on the other quarter.
In 1883 there w ere m an y children who w ere
of school age so the people decided to build
a school house. It w as to be bu ilt on section
27, northw est quarter, the n orthw est corner.
One night, ju st b efore it w as going to be built,
all the lum ber w as h auled a h a lf m ile south
b y someone, w ho know s w ho, so it w as bu ilt
there.
It w as called M oore school, Moore
Township. W . W. M oore w as the first Clerk,
P eter V ie, Treasurer, and fa th er and Joseph
Sim m ons w e re tw o of the first Directors.
F arm in g w as going on in good shape and
m ore im provem ents w ere being m ade every
year.
G ranaries and other buildings w ere
b u ilt and life becam e a little m ore prosperous,
but everyo n e w orked hard from early m orn­
ing till late at night.
T h e fa ll of 1884, w a s v e r y im portant to us.
M y brother, S igvart A lb ert w as born. M other
and fa th e r w e re so happy over their first son.
He w as baptized b y Rev. Bothne in Hans M il­
le r’s home w h ich w as about ten m iles north.
B y this tim e, m ore and m ore people had
settled in the surrounding country.
T h ey
w ere a d evout Christian people and w anted
to establish a congregation of their own. So
in January, 1885, th ey organized a con grega­
tion. R ev. C. Hill, cam e through the country
from F o rt Ransom and w as our first M inis­
ter. A com m ittee w as appointed consisting of
P e te r Vie, P eter Solom and father. T h e first
m eeting w as h eld at our home and there
th ey w rote the first congregation of our
church. T h ey nam ed it F illm ore Ch u rch b e­
cause most of the people had com e from F illm ore County, M innesota.
T h ere w ere fifty
m em bers to start w ith, and services w ere
h eld alternately in one of two school houses,
one over b y Solorns and one b y Ole P e te r­
sons, fa rth er west. A n d rew Nelson w as our
song leader or " k lo k e r” as w e called him.
T h e cem etery w as given b y K n u te Neste
in 1886 and the first person buried there was
M rs. A n d re w Nelson and b a b y in 1888. Th e
first b ab y to be baptized w as M athilda Solom
and first bom , Jenny Storelee.
M y on ly sister w as born S eptem b er 4, 1888,
and that w as another h ap p y occasion.
She
w as nam ed M illie Teoline and baptized by
R ev. H ill in the Solom school house.
In the w in ter of 1888 w e had that outstand­
ing snow storm in w h ich so m any children
lost th eir liv es going to and com ing from
school.
T h ere w e re n ’t any tragedies in our
com m unity h o w ever, b u t there w ere m any
narrow escapes and h arrow in g experiences.
It w as such a lo v e ly m orning and I had
been ready to start for school, but I w as
w atch in g m y baby sister and w aitin g for
m other to com e in from the stable. A ll at
once the w ind and snow seem ed to hit and
it becam e so b itterly cold th at no one could
go out, so I w as glad to be hom e th at day.
M any of the children had arrived at school
before the storm, the V ie boys, Emm a, H elm er,
and G u n n er Nelson and the Hoss boys. Olovas G olberg w as our teacher and he had all
he could do to keep the school house w arm
as the ch ild ren had to stay all night. It w as
fun at first— th ey told stories, sang songs, and
told stories— but night cam e on w ith its b lack
storm y darkness adding fear and h om esick­
ness to cold and h un ger and no food to be
had. W ith the blizzard ragin g w ithout, and
w ithin, only little security w e can im agine
the fear and a n xiety that clutched in the
hearts of all the children and parents w o rry ­
ing at home. T h e afternoon of the n ext day
the children w e re taken to V ies w ho took care
of them until the storm w as over.
T h at same fall diphtheria broke out in the
com m unity and ten children died in our
neighborhood. T h at w as the first great sorrow
to com e to our com m unity. T he people d idn ’t
kno w w h at sickness th eir children had and
d idn ’t kno w ju st w h at to do. Solom s lost tw o
children, Fryd enlun d s two, M artinsons th re e .
E ven Nilsons one, A n d res B row n s one and
Nils B row n s one. W hat hardship! T h e y m ade
coffins out of boards fo r their children them ­
selves.
A carpenter nam ed H elm er P e te r­
son made m any coffin s in the early pioneer
days.
But, as alw ays, life then had also its great
happiness. People w ere tru ly n eigh borly and
people w ou ld get into th eir lum ber w agons,
or w h atever th ey had to ride in, and visit
each other.
E veryon e w as alike then and
th ey found com pany and com fort w ith each
other in tim es of sorrow and joy.
Can w e
ever over-estim ate the valu e of true friends?
It is one of the grea t beauties of life.
Our first com m unity Christm as celebration
w as at Solom s. T h e y had bu ilt a n ew fram e
house, w hich w as one of the first to be built
in our neighborhood so th ey in vited everyone
over to help them celebrate Christm as. T h at
w as a Christm as E ve n ever to be forgotten
b y those w h o w ere there. Mrs. Solom had
tak en in a d ry tree and trim m ed it so it
looked ju st beautiful, especially b eau tifu l to
us children. I rem em ber h ow she took all
of us children in b y the tree and w e all join ­
ed hands and w alk e d around the tree singing
“ Her K om er Dine A m ie Sm aa. ” A ll m y life
I w ill rem em ber the grea t th rill of that m o­
m ent and h ow h ap p y w e all w ere.
T h e n ext spring m any people began to tear
down their sod houses and build new fram e
houses.
Roads w ere also being laid along
section lines. It seem ed hard to h av e to go
on them at first because w e w ere used to
travelin g straight across cou n try and it took
so m uch longer to go the n ew roads. Th e
Lisbon and B u ttzville roads had such deep
ruts as a result of h au lin g so m any big loads
of grain o v er them . A ll the w h eat w as hauled
in sacks then and there rea lly w ere some
h e a v y loads hauled.
F ath er had a v e r y narrow escape w h ile
digging a w ell on this land. E veryon e dug
th eir ow n w ells w ith a spade and the dirt
w as carried up b y bu ckets w h ich w ere on
a pu lley. He had gotten dow n 18 fe e t w hen
suddenly as he put his spade into a corner
to tak e out the n ext spade fu ll of dirt, the
w ater ju st spurted out w ith such force that he
hard ly had tim e to get a w a y in time. If the
b u cket had not reached the bottom of the
w ell at ju st that m oment h e w ould su rely
have drow ned, b u t he w as able to clim b the
rope to safety above.
T he w ate r cam e up
14 feet all at once and w e alw ays had the
most abundant su pply of w ater.
B esides
su p p lyin g w ater for all the cattle, w ater for
steam engines, for threshing rigs w as gotten
from there and no m atter h ow m uch w as ta k ­
en out, the sam e am ount seemed to be in
the w ell.
T h ere are so m an y other things that I re ­
m em ber and could w rite about too, b u t the
first ten y ears rea lly w ere the hardest and
that is w hen the courage and determ ination
of our pioneer fathers and m others w as tru ly
tested, that courage and determ ination to
succeed and their sincere trust and faith in
G od w ithout w h ich th ey could n e ve r have
accom plished w hat th ey did.
— Mrs. O. Torbenson
Pioneer L ife in C lifton Tow nship
B efore m y m other le ft W inona, Minn., to
com e to N orth D akota in the spring of 1903,
h er fath er and a neighbor w ere discussing
the com ing trip. Th e neighbor said, “ I w as
up there 25 years ago (1878 or 1879) w ith
the intention of filin g on a hom estead, and
took the train to T o w er C ity in the month
o f July; then a team to a point 10 m iles
(more or less) due south of the town. There
w ere two hills close togeth er considerably
higher than the surrounding land; one hill
a little larger than the other. I clim bed to
the top of the tallest one and looked in all
directions. It looked ju st like the surround­
ings w hen I stood on the deck o f the ship
117
in the m iddle of the A tla n tic w hen com ing
from Europe, all green and all m oving.
N ot a tree, building or a n yth in g else in sigh t! ”
e v e ry tw o w eeks, if the w eath er w as good,
to T o w er C ity to pick up som e needed food
and the mail.
Th e tw o h ills are still there, 11 m iles
straight north of H igh w ay 46, on the CassBarn es C o un ty line in the NW¼ of Section
7, C lifton Township. T h is was the v iew that
greeted Joseph B ayliss w hen he cam e from
the east in the sum m er o f 1879. M r. B a yliss
spent several days tram ping around carryin g
a spade and d iggin g in here and there to
test the soil on the m any qu arter sections of
land up fo r hom esteads. T h e q u arter fin ally
decided on w as the S W ¼ o f Section 10, Clifton
Tow nship
A fte r filin g on the hom estead and
going b ack to Ohio to w o rk over the w inter,
the spring of 1880 found Joseph B a yliss and
his tw o sons, W ill and Ben, b ack in T o w er
C ity , headed b a c k to the land.
T h is tim e
th ey bough t a team o f horses and other liv e ­
stock, and lum ber to build a cabin w ith a
lean-to on it as a tem porary shelter for the
livestock.
T h e cabin w as b u ilt b y A p ril 27, 1880, but
the shelter fo r th e liv e sto ck w as not finished.
That n igh t a te rrific late blizzard cam e up
suddenly across th e prairie. The horses w ere
sure to be lost if le ft out, and there w as only
one thing to do— b rin g them into the shelter
w ith the fa m ily fo r the night.
T he storm
lasted only one day, and the fam ily resum ed
w o rk a fter it w as over.
T he first jo b w as to pick up the buffalo
bones w h ich covered the prairies as fa r as
you could see. T h e ravin es leading into the
M aple R iv er yield ed m an y w agon loads of
them and w e re the first source of re a d y cash.
Bones w ere bought at all the railroad stations
and shipped E ast to be processed, the price
being $8.00 p er ton.
T h e incom e does not
sound b ig after h au lin g them 12 m iles to the
station, but at that tim e a farm hand got
on ly $10.00 per m onth as w ages and the day
started at fou r o’clock in the m orning and
lasted u n til dark. P u rs also offered a w e l­
com e source of cash.
Th e riv ers w ere fu ll
of m uskrats and m ink. F o x and coyote also
w ere plentiful. B efore plo w in g could progress,
gophers b y the thousands that infested the
prairies had to be trapped and poisoned.
The sum m er of 1880 w as m ostly spent ge t­
ting rea d y fo r the fo llo w in g w in ter.
H ay
had to be cu t and stacked, and fire breaks
had to be plo w ed around the buildings and
h ay stacks. A w e ll w as dug and fu el and
food provid ed. In those days the first b liz­
zard m eant you d idn ’t take the horses out
until spring.
W ith no roads, the ravines
filled up and the anim als w a lk in g on the
snow w ou ld b reak through and sm other. This
is w h y m any ravin es w ere filled w ith b u ffalo
bones, fo r th ey stam peded into them w hen
th ey w ere chased b y w o lves or Indians.
T ra v e l in w in ter w as done on a pair of
snowshoes.
T h is w inter, 1880-81, found two
claim shanties in the 13 m iles betw een the
B ayliss hom estead and T o w er C ity.
W inter
tra vel consisted of a trip on foot about once
W inter passed u n even tfu lly excep t for the
loss of one of the horses, lea vin g only one.
M ore pow er w as needed to b re a k up the
sod, so a y o k e of oxen w as purchased the
n ext spring.
A hundred acres of prairie
sod w as brok en and w ork ed down for crop
the first three years.
118
F ollow in g tw o oxen and a w alkin g breaker
plow w as not easy. T h e big job w as to keep
the oxen out of the riv e r in hot
w eather.
W hen you got close to the riv e r th ey w ould
sm ell the w ater and m ake
a trip into it,
p lo w and all. There w as only one thing to
do, that w as to go in after them . It w as
not as m uch fun as it sounds.
A big problem
w as b reakin g sharp plo w lays in the tough
prairie sod and roots, b u t M r. B ayliss, being
an e xcellen t b lacksm ith, soon bought a forge
and sharpened
his own lays as w e ll as for
m an y of the neighbors.
B lacksm ith in g and
horse shoeing
provided extra reven u e until
the tow n of A lice w as founded in 1900.
In the spring of 1881 w o rk w as started on
a n ew barn as M rs. B ayliss and the other
three children w ere com ing to N orth D akota
from Ohio.
A lso com ing w ith them w as a
m an nam ed H enry Toulm ine w ho had filed
on the SE¼ of Section 10, join in g the B ayliss
land.
One day a num ber of people w ere
seen com ing in that direction across the
prairie. It w as decided on the spot that it
w a s a band of Indians com ing to run the
livestock, and
w h atever else th ey could get,
off the place.
Im agine th e surprise in the
m idst o f a defense m an euver to fin d the band
of Indians w ere the Ohio neighbors and other
m em bers of the B ayliss fam ily. The w in ter
of 1881-82 saw the fa m ily all together under
one roof, the house h avin g an upstairs
reached b y a ladder for extra sleeping room.
H ay fo r the liv esto ck w as stacked aw ay
from the barn on a hill. A t that tim e you
k ep t a ball of binder tw in e or w ashline rope
in th e house so that, in case of a blizzard,
you tied one end to the door knob and took
th e oth er end w ith you w hen you headed
fo r the b a m so if you m issed you could
ju st follow the line back.
W ithout a line
you w ould lik e ly be found n e x t spring.
A
blizzard of the w e e k long v ariety m oved in
once. T h e h a y in the b a m w as soon used
up. A s for the stack aw ay from the b am
on the hill, it m ight as w ell h av e been on
the moon. It w as then rem em bered that all
the bed tick s (im provised m attresses) w ere
filled w ith prairie hay.
T h is w as stuffed
into bags and carried along the rope line
to the barn to k eep the anim als alive until
the stacks of h ay could be reached.
A fte r
that, at least one h a y stack w as built close
to the barn each fall.
The barn had a
b u cket w e ll so that w ater could be reached.
T h e spring of 1882 saw another big event
on M ay 28. A son w as born at T o w er City
to the Joseph B ayliss fam ily, G eorge A rth u r
Bayliss, father of A rt and S id ney Bayliss.
F o u r years later, in 1886, a new daughter,
Edith B a yliss w as born.
This com pleted
Josep h ’s fam ily of nine children.
In 1886
the eldest son, W illiam , started on a farm of
his ow n on the NE'/4 of Section 32, Clifton
Township.
W illiam B a yliss lived on this
place until 1934, w h en he m oved to Enderlin.
One of the towns of the E ighties w as the
tow n of B ailey, located on the Sheyenne
R iver, about three m iles n orth w est of the
present town of K ath ryn , consisting of a
w ate r and stream pow ered flo u r and feed
m ill and a gen eral store.
T h e settlers for
m any m iles around w ould bring their w heat
to the m ill and h ave it ground into flour.
Mr. B a yliss m ade this 20-mile trip m any
times, u su ally in the fall, With both oxen and
horses. It w as a b ig tw o-d ay trip w ith an
overnight Stay w ith friends along the w ay.
One w inter, m ice ruined a large part of the
w in ter supply of flour.
The prairie w as
under snow so no h auling could be done b y
the team.
G ran dfath er got out the snow
shoes, took a bushel of w h eat on his back,
and m ade the tw o-d ay trip to the m ill on
foot.
The m ill at B a iley w as destroyed by
fire about 1916.
B ecause of the 10 m iles to m arket, h auling
w as a big job.
Th e com ing of the Soo
Line to Enderlin in 1891 saw a flo ur m ill
being built there.
Th e foundation of the
Steam engine is still there.
This m ill used steam pow er entirely and
w as fired w ith fla x straw bought from the
farm ers. This provided the farm boys w ith
w in ter incom e as quite a little fla x was raised
on new land. A big change in trade cam e
in 1900 w ith the Casselton B ran ch of the
Northern Pacific Railroad.
This brought the
town of A lice fou r m iles aw ay from our farm .
Th e town of A lice grew fast, at one time
h avin g fou r grain elevators, three hotels, two
general stores, three im plem ent houses and
threshing m achine dealers.
Am ong other
farm items, the tow n sold fou r to six ca r­
loads of binder tw ine a year. F reigh t com ing
into town to be unloaded w as com m only
three to six cars a day.
L ittle m ach in ery w as used to start with,
m ostly a w a lk in g p lo w and a large wooden
roller to roll dow n the new sod.
This
consisted of three oak rollers each about
two feet in diam eter and fou r feet long.
Th e first year or tw o, grain w as cu t w ith
a hand cradle or scythe.
Then cam e the
reaper, the hand tie binder, a W oods w ire tie
bin der and then the six-foot binder. Horse
pu lled h ay m ow ers go b ack to the Eighties
and h ay rakes dum ped b y hand.
Th e big
changes cam e in threshing m achinery. I h ave
no account of threshing being done b y horse­
pow er, although it w as not uncommon. Steam
threshing engines w ere in use right after the
C iv il W ar. Case b u ilt them for farm engines
use in 1869, so portable engines w ere here
as soon as there w as any grain to thresh.
In the E ighties bundles w ere shocked and
then stacked. Th e stacks often as not stood
ov er winter.
T h resh in g at that tim e w as
a ye ar around business if you had a rig.
Rigs w ere few and a big investm ent. A big
problem in later years w as rats getting into
stacks left o ver w inter.
B y the tim e the boys w ere ten years old
th ey h ad threshing jobs; cutting bands and
bu ckin g straw . B low ers and self-feed ers did
not come into use exten sively before 1895 to
1900. T he portable engines started to be re ­
placed w ith traction (self-propelled) around
1880. The grain stackin g w as p retty w ell out
of the pictu re b y 1900.
T he last grain
stacked on the farm w as in 1912. Th e same
year Joseph B ayliss retired from the farm .
His youngest son, G eorge B ayliss, h avin g
m arried Othelia Stim m of W inona, Minn.,
N ovem ber 1, 1905, rented the farm .
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B ayliss m oved to
Fargo and retu rn ed in the fa ll of 1906. Mrs.
B ayliss passed aw ay in July, 1911.
Joseph
B ayliss m ade his home w ith his son, W illiam ,
in Enderlin, u n til he passed aw ay in April,
1923, at the age of 86 years.
W illiam , m arried M ary Iviason of K ipping,
Ontario, in 1890.
T h ey had three children;
W illiam , deceased; Edwin, Roseberg, Wash.;
and M abel (Mrs. Rosw ell W arner) of E n der­
lin. His first w ife died and in 1905, he m ar­
ried A lth a W arner. Their son, Ralph, m akes
his home in Enderlin. Th e land first hom e­
steaded b y W illiam B ayliss is now farm ed
b y a grandson.
George B a yliss’ oldest son, A rt L. Bayliss,
now lives in Enderlin
and Sid ney
in F argo.
Mr. and Mrs. G eorge B ayliss retired to
A lice w hen A rt cam e hom e from the service
in the spring of 1943.
T h e y m oved
to E n der­
lin N ovem ber 21, 1946. O thelia B a yliss passed
aw ay N ovem ber 3, 1953, and George B a yliss
passed aw a y D ecem ber 26, 1953, both at E n ­
derlin.
T he hom estead on the farm still
stands, the first bu ild ing in Clifton T o w n ­
ship. It stood th ere
alone in the
spring of
1880.
A rt B ayliss
119
JUBILEE COMMITTEES
The following are the com m ittees who have done prelim inary work on the 75th Jubilee. Since the time that they w ere taken, m em bers may have
been added or shifted to other com m ittees. Some new com m ittees may have been activated.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
STEERING COMMITTEE
Back Row, L e ft to right: Ozzie Sveum , W ayne W ilson, Peter Nygaard
F ront Row: Stephen Groth, Marge M artin, M argaret Cummings, E ffie
T oralf Johansen
Co-Chairm en for the Ju b ilee are Stephen Groth and T oralf Johansen
Not on picture: Bernard Berglund and D aryl Geeslin
Nelson,
REUNION COMMITTEE
Back Row, L e ft to Right: W ilson Sly, M. C. Olufson, Robert Peterson, Chairm an
Front Row: Mrs. W ilson Sly, Rose F ritz, Alice Schw andt, Hazel Petrich
Now on picture: Bob G eske, D arlene Kaspari, Ralph Oehlke, L aR u e Bearm an,
Jam es Com bs, John Jan z, Evelyn Jordheim
Back Row, L e ft to Right: Arley W atn e, E . N. Kittelson, Adolph T schida, Daryl
Geeslin
Front Row: Curt H aga, Henry Erickson, Chairman
Not on picture: G eorge M iller
BUTTON COMMITTEE
Roger Schim m ing, Jerom e Klonecky and Harold Olson, Co-chairm en
120
RELIGIOUS COMMITTEE
L e ft to Right: D w ight M eier, C. A. Tollefson, O. H. Sch aible, Chairm an; C. A.
Johnson, F ath er A.A . A. Schm irler.
Not on picture: Edward G ullickson
REGISTRATION COMMITTEE
Melissa D eike, chairm an; Mildred Henderson
Not on picture: Doris Hanson, Mrs. O laf Maley
JUBILEE BOOK COMMITTEE
Back Row, L e ft to Right: E . H. K raft, Floren ce Olson, Earl Sanness
F ront Row: Helen Shaw , Betty G laesem ann, Lois T rapp, co-chairm an; L illian
Roehm
Not on picture: Agnes G eske, Mrs. E d M atthes, V iola H agen, Kent C able, Lola
Peterson, E ffie Selvig, F ath er A . A . A. Schm irler, Co-chairm an
BEARD COMMITTEE
B ack Row, L e ft to R ight: M arvin B artle, M erlin Skram stad, Ralph Oehlke,
co-chairm an; Maynard Lindem ann
Fro nt Row: L ester Skram stad, F ritz Petrich, W allace G albreath, Jerom e M artin,
co-chairm an
Not on picture: Bryan Thorpe, Norbert L a b er, Don Chesley
121
PA R A D E C O M M IT T E E
Back Row, L e ft to Right: John Thorson, Robert Ludtke, H ubert Bleese
F ro nt Row: Dr. J. Brackin, Norman Golkowski, Vivan Skram stad and
Trapp, co-chairm en
Otto
H O U SIN G C O M M IT T E E
L e ft to Right: Mrs. Jerry Johnson, Al Ziegenhagen, co-chairm an; Barbara Ronnigan, Evelyn Jordheim
Not on picture: Mrs. H aarsager, co-chairm an
L e ft to
G lennis
Not on
Jordet,
H arold
Lenore
P A G E A N T C O M M IT T E E
Right: Paul Rice, D ale Streyle, Bunny T schida, chairm an; M arilyn W ilson,
Thorson
picture: Ralph O ehlke, Art Fin zel, Bob Gillund, G ary Haskins, Frank
Don Lindem ann, Harold Kemmer, Dorothy Kunz, Lavergne Lindem ann,
M iller, Mary Ellen Opheim , Alma Brown, H azel Petrich, Dawn Schlecht,
Steinhaus, Myron Simonson
PR O M O TIO N S AND P U B L IC IT Y
B ack Row : L e ft to Right: Kent C able, Ozzie Sveum, Don Speikerm eier
F ro n t Row : Bob Bayler, Pearl Bjerke, D uane Erickson, Chairm an
122
P O L IC E , PA RKIN G AND TR A N SPO R TA TIO N
L e ft to Right: Duane Fin zel, Peter Nygaard, John Erbstoesser, Paul Bothw ell
Erbstoesser and F in zel, co-chairm en
SO O L IN E C O M M IT T E E
Back Row, L e ft to Right: Jam es W elton, chairm an; D uane Steinhaus, Cal Rust
Front Row: Courtney Brazel, Fred Gram
F O O D C O M M IT T E E
Back Row, L e ft to Right: Ruth Cox, Betty Krom, Chairm an
Front Row: Jerry Schons, George K aber, Bill Golkowski
Not on picture: M ike V ercheak
EN T E R T A IN M E N T C O M M IT T E E
Back Row, L eft to Right: Helen Lehm an, H al Kemmer, Carl Bjerke and W ayne
W ilson, co-chairm en; Roger Schim m ing, Q u e n t i n Olson
Front Row: Otto T rapp, Hubert Bleese, John Thorson, Chuck Lehm an, Leroy
Skranstad
Not on picture: G ary H askins, John Janz, Tom Pierce, Gordon Brown, M att
Schlecht, D arrell Redmond
123
COMMITTEES NOT PICTURED
IN V IT A T IO N S C O M M IT T E E :
B ernie Berglund, chairm an; Cora Ford, V irgil H egeholz,
Nygaard, Allan Olson, Helen Combs
M ary
H euer,
Clara
S E N IO R C IT IZ E N S C O M M IT T E E
M r. and Mrs. E dwin Fernow , M r. and Mrs. O scar W adeson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Oehlke, Mr. and Mrs. A lf Larson
MUSEUM COMMITTEE
Back Row, L e ft to Right: W alt H anson, co-chairm an;
Sveum, Rev. Otto Kinzler
Front Row: Ardeen Sveum , co-chairm an
Not on picture: E ffie Nelson, John Kunz
Ronald
Knutson,
Ozzie
This very early threshing scene shows an Ames Portable steam engine on the Bleese farm , north-east of
Enderlin in 1 8 9 0 .
An early innovation this binder was drawn by a M oline
Universal and steered from the binder. Note the huge wheels
filled with cem ent. Taken about 1 9 1 8 , Art Dehn is pictured
at the controls.
124
The following business and professional people of the Enderlin Community
have contributed to the sponsorship of the 75th Anniversary Jubilee Book. We
thank them for their support.
Farmer’s Co-op Elevator
John and Barbara Brackin
Enderlin Drug—Kermit and Gladys Kaspari
Citizen’s State Bank—E. N. Kittleson, Pres.
Howard’s Barber Shop—Howard Wallner, Earl Klosner
Berentje Pohlman
Henry’s Barber Shop—Mr. and Mrs. Henry Erickson
Moore and Liberty Telephone Company—Gordon and Alma Brown
Enderlin Oil Company—Ves Jordet, Leonard Peterson
Grille Cafe—Michael and Gladys Vercheak
Fernow’s Plumbing and Heating—Harvey Fernow
Standard Oil Bulk Service—C. O. (Oz) Sveum
Lindemann’s—Rex and Lillian, Don and Verna
Schlecht Implement Co.—Matt Schlecht
Enderlin Implement Co.—Norman Anderson
Don’s Laundromat—Don and Peg Chesley
Don’s Trio Bar—Don and Donna Spiekermeier
The J. Roy Peterson Funeral Home
Crane Johnson Lumber Co.—Stan Ronningen, Mgr.
Kraemer Motors—Matt Kraemer
Dairy Queen—Jim and Helen Combs
Red Owl—Jerry and Irene Schons
The Enderlin Independent—Kent and Roberta Cable
Merlin’s Leather Goods Store—Merlin and Vivian Skramstad
Quality Cleaners—Stan and Betty King
Friendly Tavern—Lloyd Koetz
George’s Diner—George and Betty Kaber
Abbie’s—Abbie and Pauline Peterson
Gwen’s Beauty Shop—Gwen Klosner
Cox Market—George and Ruth Cox
125
Al’s Hardware—Al and Ruth Hong
Peoples and Enderlin State Bank—V. F. Hegeholz, Mgr.
Our Own Hardware—Bjerke and Nygaard
Ben Franklin Store—Charles Lehman
Erickson Super Valu—Duane and Lou Erickson
Dr. Allan and Judy Olson
Mertz Gift and Jewelry—Mertice C. Johanneson
John and Glennis Thorson
Soo Line Railroad—J. A. Weltin, Supt. Western Division
Enderlin Timber Company—George Lund
Geeslin Bookkeeping Service—Darryl Geeslin
B Plastics—Bob Bailer, Al Meade
Dr. and Mrs. S. C. Bacheller
American Family Insurance—Clarence Gulland
Morry’s—Morry and Carole Wavra
Sandhills Veterinary Service—Dr. Larry Hovland, Dr. Darrell Johnson
Cummings Furniture and Enderlin Dept. Store—Byard and Margaret Cummings
White System—Harlan and (Dolly) Fraedrich
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 9050
Wills Construction—Forrest (Frosty) Wills
Hilton Hotel and Cafe—Roy and Inga Haarsager
Clarice’s Beauty Shop—Clarice Roessler
City Bakery and Bill’s Sunflow Candy—Bill and Norma Golkowski
Fritz Truck Line—Ray and Vi Fritz
Grand Theatre—Helen Lehman
Bayman’s Standard Service—Harlan Bayman
Albert Erickson Barber Shop—1927-1966
Otter Tail Power Company—Walter Hanson, Mgr.
Tschida’s Clothing—Adolph and Bunny Tschida
Tri County Lanes—Otto Trapp, Mgr.
J and L Service—Bud and Don Jordet
Home Gas Company—Pershing Sims, Mgr.
Pfaff Sheet Metal Co.—Bill Pfaff
Coast to Coast Store
126
The " Enderlin, North Dakota 1891-1966 Diamond Jubilee" booklet was
reproduced from its original paper format to this digital format by George L
Smith with permission granted by the Enderlin Historical Society and
Museum, Inc. on 21 November 2013. Minor corrections to spelling and photo
senhancements have been included.
V