Grand Forks County Archives — Page 2 of 6

Biography of Nels Tandberg of Northwood North Dakota

Nels Tandberg, born March 20, 1859, in Gran Hedeland, Norway, emigrated to Iowa with his parents in 1871. After attending public schools, he moved to Northwood, North Dakota, in 1877, where he homesteaded. Tandberg attended Franklin High School, taught for two years, and later ventured into business, focusing on real estate, loans, and insurance. A strong Republican, he served in the first North Dakota State Legislature in 1889 and as Deputy Sheriff of Grand Forks County for twelve years. He married Belle Olson in 1891, but she passed away in 1892 during a trip to Norway.

Biography of Newel Green Larimore of Larimore North Dakota

Newell Green Larimore, born August 29, 1835, in Bourbon County, Kentucky, was the son of Wilson L. Larimore and Harriet Berry Larimore. Raised on a farm in St. Louis County, Missouri, he graduated from Wyman’s High School. He married Susan Ashbrook in 1855, with whom he had two sons, Walter L. and Clay. After Susan’s death in 1862, he married Mollie E. Jameson in 1867, and had two more children, Jameson and Cora. Larimore co-founded several companies, including the St. Louis Warehouse Company and the Central Elevator Company. He also played significant roles in civic organizations and farming enterprises in St. Louis and North Dakota.

Biography of Oliver Sigvard Hanson of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Oliver Sigvard Hanson, born June 3, 1862, in Hanover Township, Iowa, was a prominent banking figure in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Son of Norwegian immigrants Hans A. and Maren Hanson, he moved to North Dakota in 1881. By 1884, he managed the State Bank of Buxton and eventually became president of the State Bank of Grand Forks, the Scandinavian American Bank of Grand Forks, and the State Bank of Buxton, as well as vice president of the State Bank of Grandon. Although interested in politics, he primarily focused on banking. In 1892, he married Louise Sorlie, and they had five children: Harley Irving, Meryn Herbert, Verdine Olive, Charlotte Louise, and Caroline Josephine.

Biography of Oscar C. G. Knudson of Grand Forks North Dakota

Oscar C. G. Knudson, born October 17, 1872, in Faribault, Minnesota, was a prominent business figure in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Educated in the public schools of Grand Forks, he held various jobs before becoming a clerk at the Columbia Hotel on May 1, 1902, managed by his father. Knudson was well-regarded in social circles and participated actively in organizations such as the Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Knights of Pythias. He married Louise Torguson from Alma, Wisconsin, in November 1900.

Biography of Otto Sougstad of Northwood North Dakota

Otto Sougstad, born March 23, 1876, in Christiania, Norway, was the secretary and treasurer of the Northwood Hardware Company in Northwood, North Dakota. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1885, he was educated in Belmond, Iowa, and at the Business College of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Sougstad served in the Spanish-American War, rising to first sergeant. He later held various positions, including chief clerk of the North Dakota House of Representatives and city judge of Northwood. He married Ida Johnston on March 2, 1901, and they had two children, Palmer Joseph and Irene Sophia.

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.