The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-10-07
CITY MAY RECOVER TITLE TO LAND
OF GREAT VALUE CLAIMED BY UNCLE
SAMAND NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY
Question Of Whether sEdwinton
or the Railroad Got Here First
to Decide Ownership of Tract
Worth Several Hundred Thou.
sand - Bismarck Assessors
Work Complimented.

Does all the railroad property be-
tween Main and Front streets from
Ninth to Washington streets belong to
the city? If it does. the city intends
taking it over making Bismarck one
of the richest cities for its size in the
United States. ... .....
The question seems to hinge on
whether the city was here before the
railroad, or the railroad before the
city. If the former, the property be-
longs to the city, if the latter, it does
not @ ...
At its regular weekly meeting last
night, the, city commission discussed
informally the probable ownership Of
this property and the city attorney,
H. L. OHare, was instructed to inves-
tigate the matter, obtain as much in
formation from the records, abstracts
of titles and from old time settlers so
that the city can commence suit to
quiet title on any property that the
records indicate belongs to the city.
In all probability, any such action
will result in two suits. one against the
Northern Pacific to test the title of the
land it occupies within the limits above
and the other against the
government to test the title of the land
where the weatehr bureau now stands.
1t is not believed that the city commits
sioners contemplate any legal action
against other property within the dis
tricts outlined above.
ALL STREETS OPEN
The commissioners last night looked
over the map of the originaR townsite
of EdwintOn which ultimately become
the city of Bismarck. There has been
discussion whether tie
even numbtred streets crossing the
Northern Pacific right of way were
open or not. the railroad contendins
that they were not On the plat OF
the. original town site. however, no
streets crossing the railroad property
are shown to be closed which leads the
city commissioners to believe that
these streets can be opened at any time
the city so desires.
+, The railroad, it was said last night,
claims 400 feet of right Of way through
the original townsite which includes al
between Main and Front
streets and ten feet of sidewalks on
each Of these streets besides. Practi-
cally all Of this land, with thA excep-
tion of that now occupied by the rail-
road for it's trackage, depot, park and
other railroad property, is owned by
private individuals.
1t is believed that the site Of the
weather bureau was the original loca-
tion of old Fort Hancock and 1t is a
question whether the fort was here
before the townsite was granted or af-
ter. The weather bureau property and
the property occupied by the Northern
Pacific within the area Of the original
townsite will be the first two parcels
of land whose original ownership will
be Investigated.
BEST ASSESSED CITY,
In a letter to the city commissioners,
George e. Wallace, state tax commits
sioner, said: "In the assessment for
1919i I find that there is no city as-
sessed better than Bismarck and am
inclined to think Bismarck furnishes
the best record fot the year" ,'ss 81 ''s'.
CONTINUED on Page Seven)