The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1916-12-26
HISTORICAL LETTER NO. 118
(Ry Rev. e. E. Saunders, Mapleton, N. D.

Forks, Valley City and the flour city,
(Minneapolis), from which as many
as 100000 barrels Of -four are manu-
1actured daily. and of quality equal
to the best.
The first survey Of lands in Barnes
county, (first named Burbank" in
honor of Gov. John A. Burbank of Da-
kota territory, was made in 1872 by
Charles Scott and Richard d. CLANCY.
1t was approved and records were filed
in the U. S. Land office in Pembina, in
September, 1873, when the county was
created. Frank P. Wright was COM
missioned as a commissioner. july 80.
1874. but there are no records of an
organization prior to Aug. 8, 1878, or
proceedings Of the board previous to
Jan. 6. 1879. The first> commissioners
were Christian Anderson, Chris.
Paetow, A. J. Goodwin and F. P.
Wright. l.. d. Marsh was register of
deeds. and clerk; J. s. Weiser, treas
rer. and justice Of the peace; D. D.
McFadgen, sheriff; Z. w. Wylie,
assessor; James LaDuc. coroner; B..
w. Benson, judge of probate, and Otto
Becker. superintendent Of schools. The
county contains about 100000 acres
of land and is thirty-six miles east
ana west and forty-two miles north
and south. July IA, 1874, the name
was changed in honor of Associate
Justice Alanson II. Barnes. The land
Is productive and Is black sandy loan
averaging about twenty inches deep.
Thebubsoils are conglomeration, unit.
ed by yellow clay and are frequently
ten feet deep. The Sheyenne river
furnishes splendid drainage. A citv
well forty feet deep serves the entire
city.
l.. ID. Marsh, 1t appears, made the
hrst homestead entry and raised
vegetables, oats and barley in 1874,
ana shipped the first wheat in 1875.
The yield was twenty bushels per acre,
and the price $1.25 per bushel. D. d,
Mcfadgen raised a crop OF potatoes
from winch ne shipped samples to the
faf At St Paul and received a
premium. He was the first settler
1873. ''1
On Dec. Is. 1879. it is stated, there
mad been 72S land claims taken up and
1000 acres were under cultivation.
through the kindness Of my friend,
Cnaries q. Lund, ! was permitted to
meet the pioneer merchant. honest"
John holmes, who first came to the
county as representative of the land
department of the Northern Pacific
Railroad company In 1872: A. ], Henry
cashier emeritus. of the First National
bank; Mrs. Margaret Cummings. a
ilterary lady and a great admire of
Bobby Burns" poetry, all of whom
We're able to give many interesting
"reminiscences Of pioneer days and
experiences in the Sheyenne valley
and vicinity.
| The first school district was organiz-
| ed in 1879, and Miss Ida La Due was
| the trst public school teacher. The
| attendance and interest constantly
! outgrew the buildings provided. unti]
| In 1894 large brick structure wa 3
erected, size 70xS0 feet. 1t was destroy
ed by fire few years ago. Prof. j, r.
| McCartney was the first principal. In
1893 when there were Ave teachers
ana lSs pupils. Now, Prof. e. N
/ johnson informs the writer. there are
fourteen teachers in the high schonl
and q teaching force Of thirty-fiye in
all departments. The consolidated
school near Pillsbury was the first in
| the state. The educational interests
/ OF the entire county are well cared for,
| The first militia company was
| organized in 1880. by Walter +. Cush-
| ing. and was the first in the territory,
! MT. Cushing was captain, George A,
| thompson was first, and e. A. Sager.
second lieutenant This was disband-
ed for lack of equipment, March 2.
| 1885. and was mustered in by Col. n
y. Tyner, that became Company a
First Regiment. The Wornan,s
| Federation Is also a live wire organi-
| zation, as is also the Chautauoua as-
sociation.
From the first, the Valley City peo-
pie have been boosters" and have
been well supplied with newspapers
The Northern Pacific Times was first
published by DIR. S. B. Coe, june 10
1879 The North Dakota patriot nv r.
| 3. VaIlandingham, Oct. g. 1884. The
| Barnes County Record was establish
ed in 1882, by Baxter X. Davidson, IN
September, 1888, Herbert Root Nbecar .
the publisher and his bold stand Far
| the prohibition of the liquor traffic
which the pioneers very unwisely rave
a foothold, by fixing the license fee at