The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-05-27
FOLEY WRITES OF
MED0RA HISTORY

small town in the old eastern states.
persons can be found doing business
whose parents and grand parents did
| business there before them. It's diff
ferent in the new western states
where changes come often and sud
denly, and in the course Of year the
inhabitants of small town may COM
pletely change. During the past year
many changes have taken place in Me-
dora. The Rough Riders hotel has
changed proprietors; George E. Gard
ner taking the place of T. E. Johnson;
l.. H. Moore who managed the opera
house and boarding house has gone
into the stock business and Gray &
Osterhout, now manage the hall, and
occupy part OF the building for a
general store. In reflective way.
looking back some 80 years, we call
to mind the vast amount Of money
which has changed hands in the same
room in which this store is located,
for here was the general office of the
Marqulse de Mores. A small room.
in which was his private office, is
now an ice cream parlor.
j. o. Gray, who was postmaster
here since 1908, was succeeded on the
first instant by Lorena Will, and the
office is moved one block to the north:
the old office is used for an abstract
office for Slope county. G. w. Gle
mems, who made small fortune with
the Billings County Herald, has sold
out to Herring & Mccullough, and
moved back to Sioux City, Iowa.
Christ Peterson, who bought out J.
A. Ferris in 1908, and has operated a
large general store, since, has sold out
to Henry Reichard of the Saint Char
les hotel, Dickinson, and the inven-
tory is now being taken. Mr.. Peder-
son will return to his former home in
Dickinson, as one of his daughters
requires the daily attention of
physician.
It's strange, passing strange, that of
all the parties who were in business
here in the early days, when money
and rum were plenty, none made
financial success; while those who
have come in late years have been
very successful.
The first newspaper, the Bad Lands
Cow Boy, was started 81 years ago
by A. T. Packard, and was completely
destroyed by fire in January, 1887.
The loss was complete and the insur-
ance was found to be worthless. The
second venture in the newspaper bus
mess was started in 1902 when a man
named Soderburg started the Little
Missourian. After three issues Sober
burg deserted the plant leaving the
press and other fixtures for the own
er, who lived in Valley City. Geo. L.
Nelson started the Billings County
Herald in 1906 and sold it to G. W.
Clemens in 1909,
The Rough Riders hotel was erected
in 1884-5 by George Fitzgerald, who
lost it by a mortgage foreclosure. Aft
er remaining vacant for over ten
years it was purchased by Tom Gro
zier, and then, after changing hands
as many times in eight years, it
came into the possession of T. E.
johnson, who made fortune and is
now, like one of the old Roman poets.
retired on his Sabine farm.
Former County Auditor Wilson and
County Treasurer Tester have moved
to their farms, the one in Slope, and
the other in Billings county.
j. A. Paxton, who for years occupied
the de Mores residence on the west
side, has moved to Sentinel Butte and
the house is now occupied by Sheriff
Porter. DeMores erected this house
in 1884. 1t was intended for sum-
|
ly and contains some "a rooms.
Here, in 1884 came Louis A. Won Hoff-
man and wife to visit their daughter,
the Marquise de Mores, and her chill
dren. Many friends from Europe were
also entertained here. In December,
1886, the house was closed, excepting
the rooms occupied by the caretaker.
The Marquise has visited the place
once since, in 1903, after an absence
of seventeen years. Two Of her chill
dren were with her on this visit who
were babies when she left in 1886.
Her two sons, Louis and Paul, are
now serving in the French army. Paul
visited Bismarck in 1913. Of all those
who were here in the days of de
! Mores two alone remain.
-. M. FOLEY.