Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-22

better things. and one OF those who
helped them make their law; a
law which punished the wrong-doer
much more swiftly than the courts OF
today. They were stern men, those
pioneers. but they were just.
johnson, "Grand Old Man."
In 1883 came, James johnson,
known as the grand old man Of
Ward county" In the same year
James L. Cotton built the first store
and hotel In Stevens county, which
later became Ward county. They
had located at the fork of the Mouse
n Des Laos. With Mr.. johnson and
Mr.. Cotton was j.. j. Rogers of Troy,
n. 7. After pitching their camp at
the fork of these rivers, they dis
covered Ignite coal.
1t was a dificult thing to erect the
store and hotel, but MI. Cotton finally
all difficulties. He was as
sisted in this FORK by Percy NJ. Cole.
now a we'll known Kenmare mer-
chant. 81
The coming Of the Great Northern
railroad made a great change in this
section. Burlington appeared des-
tined for the big city Of the north
western section of the state, but
James J.. Hills townsite man chose
this spot upon the Mouse river, and
Minot was started. The first building
In the city was erected in 1888 by
Erik r.. Ramstad and Peter Ramstad,
who came across the plains from
Grafton.
Among the historic figures. 7 saw.
too. Frank the Halfbreed. living in q
little shack near what is now Falsen.
This halfbreed. ~uneducated in the
ways Of the world, but rich in his
knowledge of nature and her Ways
lived beside the road and vas a
friend to man" Many a night he
took q pioneer in, giving him asylum
and protection against the fearful
winds that drove cold and snow
across the plains and over the hills.
Many a time he and his daughter
nursed a man or a woman sick with
hunger and fever.
AS I looked into the past, I won
dered whit it was that called men into
the. unknown; what it was that moved
them to take wife and children and
scat nprovisions and few belongings,
and strike into b wild. I wondered
why they should come to a lonely
land, to the silent places Of the prai-
settle o than 100 miles fromN a
postofhce. with broad stretches of
prairie dying out in the distance,
open M empty. save for lines of
trees here and there and buffalo
feeding upon the grass. Solemn and
vast must have been these hills and
these prairies in those days forty
years ago, for solemn and vast were
they ITO me yesterday. "-a
Greet Change Takes Place.
Here are these same hills and same
fields today. rich in the grain that the
farmers are about to garner. And
there below is theNc city OF Minot, rich
In the labors Of men and women who
found it a fertile field, like the
pioneers of old.
And yet l could not help but reflec,
upon the ~hardships and the sufterings
Of those. who. passed BY here forty
yeaTfss ~ They came behind oxen
! mle vingeAfnWlX. and4swearily,- dad With
no; landmark S"but. that .unattAiltxb 81
evening sun for which they [steered
and which daily fed them BY al
equal stride There. was nothing tc
overtake. nothing to give encourage,
ment. save the hope Of something
! beyond the gren waste and the. mock:
ing horizon. which kept pace with
their advance. In the end they came
to the end of their journey, but no,
their toll. They settled in this vale,
and began their real struggle. Gu
OF from the world. from books, from
news, from company, from everythins
that could relieve existence, they
fought and worked and watched
through the night. often with empt,
bellise and bodies suffering because O.
the elements. Out on the plains OF
brows and trickling into their eyes
they worked.
Today their sons labor in he fields
but not under such trying conditions
They ride toward the horizon, too
but in powerful cars, and the horizon
still is fugitive, but not hooking
They have many things by which the,
can measure their advance, man,
destinies within a few miles, where
they can hnd friends n pleasures
But their fcrbears could walk Ave
miles and e nothing; ten, and Sc.
the horizon just as far away anc
nothing but empty space between
twenty and still find himself in the
midst of spacious vacancy.
The years were long and hard, bu1
Olaf Olson and Ole T. Spokelie ant
Henry Gasman and Elmer Franci,
and James johnson and James Col.
ton and h Ramstads never tired and
never lost hope. They built bette,
than they knew, and Minot toda,
stands as their monument. They had
he spirit Of adventure and Of pio.
neering, and rich red blood flowed
through their veins. That spirit il
IN great heritage they gave this city
and Minot has ben faithful to thu
trust.
Minot a Wonderful City.
Minot today is a challenge to mer
OF ability: 1t is a challenge to the
state Of North, Dakota, and use
Of that spirit which has come dowr