Cass County

Biography of Newton K. Hubbard of Fargo North Dakota

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Newton K. Hubbard, born December 17, 1839, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, was a respected business leader in Fargo, North Dakota. Educated in common schools and at the Providence Conference Seminary, he taught school before enlisting in the Seventh Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. After the war, he established his first store in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1870, Hubbard claimed land in North Dakota, opening a store along the Northern Pacific Railroad. Partnering with E. S. Tyler, he built the Headquarters Hotel in Fargo. He later focused on real estate and co-founded the First National Bank of Fargo. A dedicated Republican, Hubbard was active in politics and civic organizations, including the Masons and the Grand Army Post.

Biography of Robert S. Lewis of Fargo North Dakota

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Robert S. Lewis, born August 15, 1856, in Tennessee, served as lieutenant governor of North Dakota and vice-president of the State National Bank in Fargo. Raised in Minnesota, he began his banking career in Fargo in 1882, eventually becoming president of the bank. Lewis married Alice Carpenter in 1879, and they had three children: Roy C., Olive M., and Alice. An active Republican, he served in the state senate and contributed significantly to education and agriculture. Lewis also owned over 7,000 acres of farmland, highlighting his prominence in both finance and farming.

Biography of Samuel G. Roberts, of Fargo, North Dakota

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Samuel G. Roberts, born March 10, 1843, in Brooks, Maine, was a key figure in the development of Fargo, North Dakota. A Civil War veteran, he served in both the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and Hancock’s Corps, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. After the war, Roberts studied law in Minneapolis, being admitted to the bar in 1870. He moved to Fargo in 1872, contributing significantly to its growth, including helping to establish the First National Bank. A dedicated Republican, Roberts held various public offices, including State’s Attorney and City Attorney. He married Jennie Baldwin in 1872, and they had a daughter, Ruth.

Biography of William Clark Goddard of Leonard, North Dakota

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William Clark Goddard, born on August 27, 1871, in St. Ansgar, Iowa, was the cashier of the First State Bank of Leonard, North Dakota, and an agent for the William H. White Lumber Company. He moved to North Dakota in 1898 and began working for the Gull River Lumber Company in 1899. He became the bank’s cashier on August 1, 1903. Goddard was a thirty-second-degree Mason and a Mystic Shriner. He married Anna M. Pearce on January 17, 1900, in Marshall, Minnesota.

Biography of William H. White of Fargo North Dakota

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William H. White, born on July 31, 1851, in Whiting, Vermont, is the proprietor of North Dakota’s oldest established lumber business. The son of Lyman P. White, he grew up in Vermont and completed his education at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. White began his lumber business in North Dakota on April 20, 1872, supplying timber for the first railroad bridge over the Red River at Moorhead. He expanded his operations to include lumber yards in Fargo, Pembina, and Bismarck. Over 36 years, he developed a network of 23 lumber yards across the Red River Valley, making him one of the most enduring and progressive businessmen in the state.

Biography of William J. Price, of Fargo, North Dakota

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William J. Price, born on August 16, 1868, in Stockton-on-Tees, England, was the president of Fargo Plumbing & Heating Company, which he established in 1890 in Fargo, North Dakota. After learning the trade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he moved to Fargo in 1889. Price married Alice M. Purcell of Faulkton, South Dakota, on January 10, 1895, and they had three sons. A dedicated Republican, he served on the Fargo Board of Education and the board of trustees for the school for the feeble-minded in Grafton. Price was an active Mason and past president of the North Dakota Firemen’s Association.

Biography of Joseph Dexter Peirce of Larimore North Dakota

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Joseph Dexter Peirce, a progressive and engaged citizen of Larimore, North Dakota, was born on December 5, 1857, in Newburgh, New York. He was the son of Henry T. and Mary E. (Chapman) Peirce. Educated in Newburgh’s public schools, Phillips Exeter Academy, Heighland Institute, and Eastman’s Business College, Peirce initially worked in a New York dry goods house. In 1883, he moved to Cass County, North Dakota, and later bought a farm near Larimore. In 1896, he started a successful real estate, loan, and insurance business. An active Republican, Peirce served in the state legislature and held various local offices. He was deeply involved in civic and fraternal organizations and played a key role in organizing farmers’ institutes and promoting good roads in North Dakota.

Biography of John Henry Worst of Fargo North Dakota

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John Henry Worst, born December 23, 1850, in Ashland County, Ohio, served as president of the North Dakota Agricultural College. A descendant of Dutch ancestry, he was educated at Smithville Academy and Ashland University in Ohio. Initially a farmer and merchant, Worst moved to Emmons County, North Dakota, in 1883, where he became superintendent of public schools. He served in the state senate from 1889 to 1894 and as lieutenant governor in 1895-1896. Married to Susan Wohlgamuth in 1876, they had three children: Olive Jeanette, Clayton Le Roy, and Lloyd Warner. The family were members of the German Baptist church.

Biography of Treadwell Twichell of Mapleton North Dakota

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Treadwell Twichell, born on November 19, 1864, in Hastings, Minnesota, was a pioneer of North Dakota, settling in Mapleton at age 15. An influential figure, he owned a 5,200-acre farm in Cass County and was a successful ditch contractor. Twichell held numerous public offices, including state representative, state senator, and sheriff of Cass County. He was also chairman of the Republican Central Committee and served as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives. Twichell married Grace B. Dill in 1900, and they had four children.

Biography of James Holes, of Fargo, North Dakota

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James Holes, a pioneering farmer in Cass County, North Dakota, was born on January 29, 1845, in Warren, Pennsylvania. His parents, James and Mary Holes, were English immigrants. Educated initially on his father’s farm and later in Owego, New York, Holes worked as a government freighter before settling in Cass County on July 18, 1871. He proved the profitability of farming in North Dakota and became a respected agricultural authority. On July 20, 1887, he married Rhoda Harrison, with whom he had three children: James Harrison, Bernard Rupert, and Marguerite Virginia. Holes served as president of the American Society of Equity and as a county commissioner for nine years.