St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-21
Pc 1IBINA.
One OF the Oldest Towns i'm North
Dakota.


Special to the Globe.
PEMBINA, Jan. 9.-Pembina. the county
seat OF Pembina county. is situated in the ex-
IRENE northeastern corner OF that county,
as we'll as in the extreme northeastern
portion of the territory. The town contains
at present about l, 900 inhabitants. although
during the boom in 1SSI-3 the number OF
residents here is said to have been over
twice the present population. Pembina is
one OF the Oldest towns i'm North Dakota.
and was quite point before Fargo was
plated and before the Northern Pacific
touched the Red river. The first regular
term OF court in North Dakota was held
here, and Pembina was an important sta
ton IN the days of Steamboating on the Red
river. The Hudson Bay company trans
acted large amount of business here in the
early days and the prospects of large town
at this point at one time were considered OF
the most brilliant character. But one by
one towns have sprung up around here, and
Grand Forks. which was a tracKleSs waste
when Pembina was a thriving village, has
now
SIX OR SEVEN TINES
the population and many times the pros
poets of the latter city. The course of the
railroad companies has also been very
detrimental to the growth of Pembina.
With the road on the east, one mile away,
running through the rival town of st.
Vincent, and the line to the west. fifteen
miles away, drawing business to the com
Portable villages that have sprung up along
its line, Pembina has quite a fight TO main.
tain her position as the best town i'm the
county, but in this she is greatly aided by
being the poSSeSsOr of the county seat,
a. In g.eI H..
Charles Cavalier one of the oldest settlers
in this section, and after whom Cavalier
county was named, is mayor and post
master. j. G.. Webb. Shaw Il Charlton,
and Charles Full have large general stores.
7 The Bank of Pembua County. which has
a branch at st. Thomas. this county look.
after the iduciary interests, while the tOwI
/ Is well supplied with drug stores, millinery
/ stores, harness shops, jewelry establish.
ments, etc, all branches being we'll repre-
| sented. The Hotel Winchester, presided
over by Judson w. Winchester and his
charming wife, is the finest as we'll as the
best kept hotel in this section, and is
UNIVERSAL HALTING PLACE
: for sOjOurnerS in this section. This city ia
also headquarters for the customs depart
ment and an able corps of officers, headed
by Edward Conway and Frank &. Myrick,
look after the welfare OF Uncle Sam. Cases
of smuggling are rare, but Collector Gov
ernOr, who is residing here temporarily,
states that he will do his utmost to put an
end TO it altogether. When Pembina was
founded it was popularity thought the town
was located in the British possessions, but
when the survey was made it was found
! the line ran about three miles to the north,
leaving this city in the most uortherly
point in the United States. A visit to
Emerson in Manitoba is of much interest to
the American sOjourner here and after read
ing Victoria Regina, Her Majesty's Post
office" on the window of the government
building 2, he is further surprised 10 see the
! Union Jack floating at the flagstaff But
| ne gets accustomed to this and the hospit-
able citizens soon make him forget he is a
stranger in a strange land South of
Pembna on the Red river, at a distance of
two miles from the town, a fortress, Fort
Pembina. has been erected and it is now
! garrisOned by about two hundred men.