The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-04
JAMES HOLES
AT VALLEY CITY
FOLLOWED THE PRELIMINARY
SURVEY or THE N. p. INTO THE
sHEYENNE VALLEY 90 YEARS
AGO AND HAD NOT VISITED
THERE SINCE.

Valley City Times Record: James
Holes of Fargo stepped off the train
this morning at Valley City and says
that this is the first time he has stop
ped here for forty years.
Forty years ago today in company
with two others he came TO where the
city now is. and remained for a week.
During that week he saw no persons
excepting those in the party, neither
did he hear the bark of a wolf nor the
boot OF an owl. The valley was as
the elements had formed it, with the
exception of a preliminary survey
which had been run about ten days be-
fore. on almost exactly the same line
that the Northern Pacific railroad Is
now built.
1t might be interesting to people
who live in this city to know just how
the valley looked forty years ago to-
day. AFTER passing over eighteen
miles OF burned prairie" said Mr. Holes
to The Times Record today, 1--WE looked
down upon this valley, green and beau
tiful, this being the first green thing
we had seen for eighteen miles II
was beautiful as the elements had
formed 1t and / am pleased to say that
man has not marred that beauty for
you certainly have as beautiful little
city as know Of anywhere in the
northwest,
"This city has grown just about as
we expected 1t would forty years ago.
In this am not disappointed. / see
no reason why II should not continue
10 grow for q great many years to
come"
Mr.. Holes and his brother, a survey
or, together with one laboring man,
visited Valley City in the interests OF
the Puget Sound CO., which held Sioux
script for the land now covered by
Valley City. Under the federal law, to
hold the land with script, some plow
ing had TO be done. An observation
had been taken from what is now
Known as Sugar Loaf hill and from
this Mr.. Holes party located fourteen
fourties of land and plowed a half
day on each. He also surveyed and
staked and held for several years
quarter section Of land about where the
Northwest Nursery is now located.
The season of 1871 was an unusual
one. 1t frosted every month OF the
year and In August there was a frost
which killed the grass and q fire had
swept over the country east OF the val
ley. The valley had not been touched
because of the baroness Of the hills
finaking II. Sept. /, 1871 was as hot as
yesterday but that night ice froze on
the river.
The four trails left by General Sui
ley In his chase after the Sioux in 1852
and were very distinct at that time and
run just east OF the city on the hills.
The Puget Sound Co., which had the
N. p. townsites under the Jay Cooke
control, failed to hold the land located
by Mr.. Holes because It was discovered
that this was Sisseton and Wahpe-
ton Sioux reservation. A hundred miles
square in this section of the state had
been set aside during the civil war
and following the Minnesota massa-
cres as a hunting ground for these
friendly allies OF the whites, that they
might act as buffer between the war
like Sioux and the white settlements
to the east. The act had been passed
by congress during the turmoil of the
civil war and had been overlooked. 1t
was afterwards repealed by congress.
In 1871 there was no Fargo and the
nearest point from here at which
white settler could be found was on
Maple river on the Abercrombie- Tot
ten trail.
The only game seen by the party of
MIR. Holes was an elk. There were
many beavers on the river and a great
abundance Of wild plums. The only
Buffalo in this section was q herd on
the upper Sheyenne. The river that
season was lower than It is today.
The party camped on the open just
south of the Midget and Wood grove
and In the locality of the county hos
pitaL