The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-07-09

bagoes, when they were removed to
Blue Earth county. He then returned
to st. Paul and organized a company to
lay out paper townsites in northern
Minnesota and Red River Valley. In
August 81. he came to Pembina in COM
pany with Joe Rolette to build store
building flor trading post for st. Paul
parties. He completed the building and
remained as clerk to February, '5S,when
he made a trip to st. Paul with dog
train, not seeing single house between
the two points. He returned to Pembi-
ia soon after, having some fearful biz
zard experiences OH the way. On June
Stll, of the same year he left Pembina on
buffalo hunt and returned in August
with Is Red river carts laden with fllrs,
hides and pemican. After the high wat
er Of 81, which was the flood, according
to his tell, he moved out to Walhalla.
Here he lived on very friendly terms
with the Indians until hostilities broke
out which ended in the Minnesota mas
sacres and because he refused to sell am
unition to the hostiles, he had to leave.
He moved near Devils Lake and pur-
sued his trading. In 1862 he married
Elizar River, who with her five child
rem still survives him. About this time
he moved to Pembina, where he has
since resided. Mr.. Moorhead has long
enjoyed the distinction of being the sec
ond Oldest white settler in the valley,
Hon. Chas. Cavileer, of this city being
the oldest, having come in 1851.
When the Historical society of North
Dakota was created in 1895, Gov. Allin
appointed Mr.. Moorhead a member of
it and he has collected considerable in
formation for it since.
Mr.. Moorhead was typical frontiers
man and general favorite. The history
of the Red River Valley would be far
from complete without an interesting re-
ference to man who was known far and
wide for his genial good nature, and in
teresting stories of the pioneers llife in
the northwest"
Mr.. Moorhead was brought up in Pitts
burg, Pennsylvania and was of, family
OF four brothers and three sisters, of
whom two brothers, Stanley r. and
Robert and three sisters, Mrs. ]. T. Shir-
ley, Mrs. w. Wood and Miss Harriet H.
Moorhead, still live in Pennsylvania.
Milton Moorhead, another brother, who
died several years since, was for some
time a resident Of Neche in this county.
Mr.. Moorhead's ancestors and relatives
were of the most respected families of
Pittsburg. He learned the carpenter
trade and spent several years in
the early days in building the first edi-
fees of the city of st. Paul before he
came to Pembina. His occupation here
for years was trading with the Indians.
Personally Mr.. Moorhead was genial,
supplemented, generous. He was pub
lie spirited and in the days when Pembi-
ma was very far from civilization, when
its population was largely made up of a
lawless class of men, Mr.. Moorhead was
made he first sheriff, an Office at that
time requiring courage and tact of no
mean order. His early life was amid as
sociations of the far frontier type, and it
would be strange indeed if the tree did
not partake to some extent of the quail
ties of the soil from which it grew. But
at the bedside of the sick and the diving.
this rough frontiersman was as tender as
woman, as thoughtful and gentle as a
trained nurse, and when there was suffer-
ing, he was always depended upon, and
it seemed but natural that he should per-
form the last sad Offices for the dead.
Despite his faults, he was universally
liked, and among the old settlers par
ticular favorite. He has gone to Him
who said, "For was hungered and We
gave me meat, naked and We clothed me,
was sick and we visited me. ''-''Verily
say unto you, inasmuch as We have done
it unto one of the least of these nv
brethren, We have done it unto me-"
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