Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-06
Geo. B. Winship Recalls Incidents
OF Early History of Grand Forks
Herald and Various Other Papers

into the lap Of John P. Bray. How
subsequent demise Of the institution.
1 will ~endeavor to relate before l fin
ish these "reminiscences.
the spring of SO that The Herald
must have more room to grow. It's
field was e~xpa-atnE. and as a pro-
gressive institution it must also ex-
pand and keep up with the process
sion. I had already metamorphozed
two old buildings to provide for its
growing business: why not. tackle a
new. building and one big enough to
ensure tia permanent home? Finan-
Of debt, and had about $4,000 avail
able cash. with this equipment,
backed by bright business prospects
and George Clifford's, offer to loan me
all the money! needed. I began to
look about for 4 location. and finally
selected the present site Of The Her
aid building. Negotiations with the
Barbara Trepanier. were soon con
summated, and by the first Of July
plans were drawn and contracts let to
J.ES. Bartholomew for the erection of
the building. to be complcted by De-
cember LIST. The Herald building. be-
ing one of the first modern steam
heated office structures following the
completion Of the first Hotel Dacotah.
l. had no trouble in securing as per-
manent tenants the very cream Of the
professions: the lawyers n doctors.
particularly. were DESTROYS of getting
In and paying nice fat rentals.
All very fine, thus far; but later.
after the walls Of h first story were
up. it developed that the architect
hiss made a botch of his plans. and a
temporary halt was made to enable
him to soye the difficulty. He work.
ed energetic"'ly for several days, and
evidently came to the conclusion that
the trouble was too complex for him,
50 he flew the COOP" and we knew
him no more forever. He left a note
saying he had a pressing call east,
would be absent indefinitely, and ad-
v!sed me to employ another architect.
BY this time the fail season was SO far
advanced that the building could not
be completed until midwinter. so
work was suspended the following
spring. when Architect George Han
cock. Of Fargo. tackled the job and
completed it early in August, 1880.
While the delay of nearly a year was
q serious financial loss. / was not dis
choice tenants ] had secured the. year
previous. and by October the building
was wholly occupied.
The Herald building served a dou-
BILE purpose when completed: 1t pro-
vided itself with a permanent and
comfortable home. and it encouraged
it were. and it was followed by the
Security block. the st. John block,
the Odd Fellows block. the Bartholo-
NEW block. the Iddings block. the Sec
ond Syndicate block. the Metropolitan
Opera, House, and various other
smaller projects.
The 1890 to '92 were con-
city bounded forward, in magnificent
strides and attracted more attention
than any other new locality in the
northwest. Good crops and fair
prices. and the initiative of Geo. B.
Clifford and Geo. A. Bachelor. were
important factors. having much to do
with the general prosperity. Both
eastern financial institutions. and hav-
ing vision n confidence in the sta
bility Of city property, they made
loans for every legitimate enterprise.
which greatly encouraged prospective
builders.
This epoch in the growth of Grand
OEAb IndThoQ the pASSlNR OF Tue p1O-
neer builder. and the entry upon the
scene Of new blood and more up-to-
date methods. Bulge & Eshelman,
Griggs & Mccormack. Vets & Nc
Kelvey. Geo. H. Walsh. Inc other pio-
neer lesser lights. were no longer
~forceful leaders in constructive enter
prises. being suppaanted by younger
and more aggressive captains OF in
dustry. chief among whom was Geo.
B. Clifford. Mr. Clifford's energy and
optimism. together with his intimate
relations with strong eastern capital
lists. did more than any other influ-
enco to start the building boom Of
i1SSs-a boom that did not subside
until checked by the Is to 4 silver ag-
Eitation which prectpitated q financial
panic OF 1893.
While Mr.. clifford was admittedly
the aggressive leader OF. that period
Of construction. there were many 9TH
who did 3yeoman service in build-
linz up Grand Forks Ed. Lander, for
instance. has q record for activity and
gratuttous service that Is hard to beat.
John and James Dinnie were hustlers
and builders. and every dollar OF their
earn.ngs went into brick. and mortar.
r.. b. Griffith was always active, .do-
Ink soynethtnE In tho building line all
the time. Jerry Bacon WA getting