Grand Forks County Archives — Page 2 of 6

Biography of Robert H. McCoy of Grand Forks North Dakota

Robert H. McCoy, born January 7, 1859, in Green County, Wisconsin, is a prominent resident of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Son of James and Margrete McCoy, he began his career in the timber industry in Wisconsin. In 1879, McCoy moved to Grand Forks, where he founded the Grand Forks Lumber Company, serving as its president and manager. The company became the largest industrial enterprise in the Northwest. McCoy also holds interests in other ventures, including the Bonners’ Ferry Lumber Company in Idaho. He married Caddie E. Scribner on May 15, 1886, and they have two sons, Lawrence R. and Harold J. McCoy.

Biography of Samuel W. Rutledge of Grand Forks North Dakota

Samuel W. Rutledge, M.D., born December 31, 1852, in Bellefontaine, Ohio, was a prominent physician in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After moving to Minnesota in his early childhood, he pursued medicine, graduating from the Homeopathic Medical College of Missouri in 1876. Rutledge practiced in Cresco, Iowa, before relocating to Grand Forks in 1881. Married to Mirian Fuller, he had three children: Ruby, Georgia, and an infant son who died. Dr. Rutledge was well-regarded in his profession and passed away on February 3, 1907.

Biography of Seymour B. Titus of Grand Forks North Dakota

Seymour B. Titus, born June 3, 1851, in Oak Grove, Minnesota, was a successful banker in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He began his career in the First Bank of Shakopee in 1872, later working for a banker in Sauk Center. In 1879, Titus co-founded the Bank of Grand Forks, the first bank in the Red River Valley. This institution grew rapidly, becoming the First National Bank in 1881. Titus served as its cashier, contributing to its status as a leading financial institution. He married Annie L. Stabler in 1880, and they had one surviving child in 1908, Marion E. Titus.

Biography of Sigve Strandness of Larimore North Dakota

Sigve Strandness, born December 14, 1853, in Norway, was a prominent merchant in Larimore, North Dakota. After moving to the U.S. and clerking in stores in Minnesota, he co-founded a store in Larimore in 1882. By 1895, he had bought out his partners and successfully managed the business alone. A Republican and active Lutheran, Strandness served three terms on the city council. He married Stina Kron in 1882, who passed away in 1907, leaving five children: Caroline, Theodore, Inga, Marie, and Anna.

Biography of T. J. Hagen of Grand Forks North Dakota

T. J. Hagen, born August 26, 1865, in Hedermorken, Norway, was the treasurer of Grand Forks, North Dakota. He moved to Kristiania in 1882 to train as a gunsmith and emigrated to Hillsboro, North Dakota, after completing his apprenticeship. Hagen worked in various blacksmith shops before opening his own in 1889, which he operated until 1905. In the spring of 1906, he was elected city treasurer of Grand Forks.

Biography of Thomas Hilliard Pugh of Larimore North Dakota

Thomas Hilliard Pugh, born July 6, 1868, in Peterboro, Ontario, was a distinguished lawyer in Larimore, North Dakota. Educated in Port Perry, Ontario, he initially taught school for four years. Pugh studied law under Charles E. Henry in AuSable, Michigan, and was admitted to the bar in 1891. After practicing law in Michigan for five years, he moved to Larimore in 1897, where he established a successful legal practice. Pugh was active in the Masonic Order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias. He married Jessie Taylor in 1896, and they had four children: Mary, Evadne, Thomas Douglas, and Jessie Gayle.

Biography of Thomas Nisbet of Grand Forks North Dakota

Thomas Nisbet, born December 24, 1843, in Delhousie, Ontario, was a prominent businessman and landowner in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He moved to Winona, Minnesota, in 1865, and later to Polk County, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming and land transactions. In 1895, Nisbet relocated to Grand Forks, amassing 2,000 acres of farmland in Polk County. He was a 32nd degree Mason and married Jeanette Robertson in 1873, with whom he had five children.

Biography of Victor Scott Wisner of Larimore North Dakota

Victor Scott Wisner, D.D.S., born March 18, 1856, in Orange County, New York, is a prominent dentist and civic leader in Larimore, Grand Forks County, North Dakota. He moved to North Dakota around 1880, initially homesteading in Grand Forks before pursuing dental studies at Northwestern Dental College, Chicago. Returning to practice in North Dakota, he settled in Larimore in 1892. A dedicated Republican, Wisner served as mayor, city auditor, city council member, and state legislator. On May 31, 1893, he married Lillian M. DeKay of Warwick, New York.

Biography of William Henry Welch, M. D. of Larimore North Dakota

William Henry Welch, M.D., was born on June 30, 1854, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Hosea Welch, Jr., and Harriet (Davling) Welch, of Irish and Scottish descent. Educated at Caledonia County Grammar School and the medical department of the Academy of Vermont, he moved west in 1883, initially settling in Crookston, Minnesota. On December 1, 1889, he relocated to Larimore, North Dakota, to practice medicine. Dr. Welch served as the physician in charge of the Grand Forks County Hospital from 1898 to 1904. He was a member of several medical societies. He married Elizabeth Morrison on January 14, 1882, in Groton, Vermont.

Biography of William Horace Witherstine, M. D. of Grand Forks North Dakota

William Horace Witherstine, M.D., was born on November 7, 1880, in Dover, Minnesota, to Dr. Horace H. and Amelia Witherstine, both of German descent. He completed his preliminary education in Rochester, Minnesota, and graduated from Rush Medical College in 1904. After serving as an assistant surgeon at Cook County Hospital, he practiced in Rochester before moving to Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1907 to continue his medical career. He was a member of several medical societies and fraternal organizations. On June 1, 1906, he married Ida A. Dahlen in Joliet, Illinois. Their daughter, Ruth L., died in infancy.