w i' C: I •**:>*• *%ci SOUVENIR BOOK CASSELTON DIAMOND JUBILEE JUNE 16*17 1954 CASS ELTON, WORTH DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY 3 3105 00662 3506 Dedication This volume is dedicated, with the sincerity of loving sons and daughters of successive generations, to our City. Our City, contemplated and conceived on virgin prairie, quickened by the diligence of human hand, nourished by a bountiful and God- granted environment, animated in perpetuation by the personality of its citizens, bequeathed the traditions of its offspring, consciously aware of each inhabitant's joys and concerns, and matured by hardship and integrity, provides us with our heritage. She has been gracious to us. We trust that you will pass through the ensuing pages in a panto- mine rhythm comparable to the fleeting years portrayed. Caution that each pictorial recordation may speak many words and provoke memory. Each year has required something of our City, but replaced in equal kind. It is thus with admiration and respect that we have come upon today, to admonish none of her 75 years, but as one of the benefactors of her fancy, to appropriately record for posterity her cur­ rent motivations, the functions of business, religion, social endeavor and community life. In so doing we acknowledge in stalwart faith our trust in her future, our City. Pause and ponder, we have contributed but one chapter. Diamond! ^ubifee (Pnognam On June 16, 17, 1954, the City of Casselton celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a memorable agenda reiterated hereunder as a portion of this annual to refresh your memory years hence. The Pioneer Day program includes Registration, Old Timer Breakfast, Horseless Carriage Taxi Shuffle; Ground Observers Test Flight and Air Demonstration, Parade of the Past, Pioneer Luncheon, Firemen's Dutch Lunch, Rodeo and Horse Show, Hose Cart Race and Water Fight, Homecoming Speech by Senator Langer, Casselton Chorus Concert, German Band Umpa, Square Dancing, Mexican Fiesta and the Whoopee John Street Dance. The Modern Dav program is comprised of an Early Golf Tourna­ ment, Current Day Parade. Mayors and Visiting Dignitaries Smorgas­ bord. Style Show, Cooking Demonstration, Light Diamond Anniversary, Wildlife, Greater North Dakota Association and Oil Exhibition, Dedi­ cation Veterans Memorial Building Site, Political Platform Soeeches. Free Kiddies Movie and Carnival Tickets, Afternoon Rodeo and Horse Show, Baseball Games, Horseshoe Tournament, Beauty Pageant, Rand Concerts, Speech by Governor Brunsdale, Awarding Attendance Prizes, Releasing Liberty Balloons, Fireworks Demonstration and Modern Day Street Dance. Such is the selected manner for celebrating the Day. North Dakota State Library E Boulevard Avenue Bismarck, MD 58505-ObOO Sale of Diamond Jubilee buttons to general com­ mitteemen. Community Club meeting April 1, 1954. Frank Woell, R. M. Larsen, Sophus Trom, William M. Strehlow. The Casselton Community Club, organized in the fall of 1947, is composed of the businessmen and farmers in the Casselton area. The main purposes of the or­ ganization are to bring about a more friendly relationship between the farmers and businessmen and to make Casselton a better place in which to live. The club, from the beginning, has taken an active part in the programs of the community, sponsoring annually the 4H Achievement Day for all Cass County, An­ nual Community Day in June, to which everyone is invited for a day's activity of fun, swimming program for our youth, Santa Claus Day, decorative street light­ ing program, Boy Scouts, baseball, golf and many other activities for the benefit of the Casselton community. This year Casselton is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee sponsored by the Com­ munity Club. With the assistance of many other organizations and individuals, it is the desire of the Community Club to make this celebration a success. It is the hope of the Community Club that in the years to come Casselton will be a better place in which to live because of the activities sponsored by this organ­ ization. The present site of Casselton was chosen in 1871 by George W. Cass, president, and Peter B. Cheney, a director of the Northern Pacific Railroad as the location for an experimental station. The name given it was Swan Creek. In the spring of 1873 the company sent Mike Smith of Minneapolis to take charge of tree planting. He was furnished with a boarding car, sodded on the roof and sides to make it com­ fortable for the winter. It stood north and south on the southside of the tracks. The first year he set out cottonwood and willow plantings and successfully raised vege­ tables, mostly potatoes for his own use. In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Emil G. Priewe came up from Northern Pacific junction. Their first home was a sod shanty where their son Harry was born March 28, 1875. He was the first child born in Casselton. Later Mr. Priewe built a small house south of the tracks which served as a home for his family and Casselton's first furniture store. William Craswell became agent for the Northern Pacific and postmaster in 1876. He and Mr. Priewe laid out the townsite in 1877 changing the name from Swan Creek to Casselton in honor of Cass. At that time there were five people liv­ ing in the town, Mr. and Mrs. Priewe and their baby, William Craswell and Willi­ am Casper. Ten additional people came that year ar.d by 1882 the population was 1200. N. K. Hubbard and E. S. Tyler built the first store in the spring of 1876 next to what is now the Woell building. Thev operated an elevator and lumber yard in con­ nection with their store. The first church services, conducted by ministers of Moorhead and Fargo were held in Hubbard and Tyler's elevator. The school was organized in 1878. The first annual meeting, held in 1879, showed two children of school age in Casselton, Harry Washburn and Victor Lan- quist Jr. The other seven or eight children attending came from nearby claims. Fred Everhart built the Ontario Hotel in 1878 on the corner now occupied by the Casselton State bank. It was moved to the present location and enlarged when Dr. M. L. Shanks built the bank building. Casselton was incorporated as a village in 1880 and as a city in 1883. R. A. O'Connell served as the first, mayor; Andrew H. Burke, recorder; E. T. Slingsley, treasurer; James W. Moore, William H. Strehlow, Dr. M. L. Shanks, George Munger, It. Gallup and A. F. Norrish, aldermen. Casselton, North Dakota, 1881 Golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Emil G. Priewe, the first settlers, who came to Casselton in 1875 Harry Priewe—first child born In Casselton, D.T. March 28, 1875 W. S. Lindsey's Jewelry Store Emil Priewe Furniture Store Territorial days William Craswell, first N.P. depot agent and postmaster 1876 House built by William Craswell, Casselton's first post­ master, now occupied by the present postmaster, Mrs. Leo Roden and Mr. Roden William H. Strehlow farm machinery, 1880's Commercial Hotel, built in 1882 Occidental Hotel, built in 1882 Co. K North Dakota National Guard, Dr. W. T. Sprake, Capt. Preparing for an Indian uprising, 1890 Horseback riding, 1889. Anna Rose and Laura Rose, country school teachers Bicycling in 1890. Chauncy Cornwall and Hubert Strehlow Methodist Sunday school class 1900. Row 1—Pearl Dickenson, Ethel Hazelett, Helen Knight, Mrs. D. A. Griffeth, Mabel Bell, Mabel Jeffries, Bernice Farrell, Hazel Farrell. Row 2—Unknown, Laura Sheppard, Pearl Oderkirk, Meda Morton, Florence Jeffries, Myra Demming. Row 3—Bessie Jeffries, Laura Halliday, Gertie Wendorf, Lizzie Filk, Emma Wendorf, Isabel Demming, Ethel Standish Milk Maids' Convention 1895. Kow 1—Selma friewe, Sarah Cooney, Mary Greene, Mae Wimans, Evelyn Pollock, Alice Elder, Stella Lanquist. Row 2—Mary Wright, Delia Strehlow, Johanna Button, Edna Ritter, Zoe Watson, Bertha Townsend, Mary Poole. Row 3—Eugenia Strehlow, Lena Smith, Ger­ trude Metcalf, Dr. W. T. Sprake, Bertha Ritter, Hazel Jewitt, Ella Morrison Front street looking east. Knight block (Frank English) winter 1896-97 Flood, spring of 1897. Looking north from southside bridge Standing, Edwin Buchholz. Lloyd Buch holz in carriage. About 1897-98 F. T. Buchholz and Son General Store. Ed Buchholz and F. T. Buchholz Queen Esther Play 1897. Row 1-Prof. Wells and daughter Row2-Bemlce Delow Dr. H. J. Rowe, Dr. W. T. Sprake, Charles Stone, Dr. C. S. Putnam, Paula Kittel, Lena Smith, R. C. Kittel The morning after the "big fire"—January 31, 1900. The fire burned from Frank English building to Langer Avenue Port's Restaurant, H. F. Strehlow Hardware Store, H. R. Strehlow Drug Store; The Big Store, New Opera House. 1901 L^BW mm Mr' • 1 i .MY—fH?~---*»**u > Miami •• r^ | a , /1 r* ' • " I -'i. Jj *• 'ist- - ~1. ~*~ ' Great Northern coal shute about 1905 Dakota House 1901. Charles Palmer, Lizzie Bierbauer, Mrs. Henry Bierbauer and some of their roomers John Wright's cigar factory. Center three Carl Bierbauer, J. Wright, Nick Sinner. 1901 January 28, 1907. My dear Mr. Lynch: I thank you for your gift, and appreciate it. And yet I am really sorry that you had to kill that buffalo bull, I am surprised that there should have been no market for him in the different parks and muse­ ums of this country, for I would have thought there would be plenty of people who would like to have him. With great regard and thanks, I am, Sincerely yours, {Scr-cr&C^^Z?-' Mr. Frank Lynch, Casselton, North Dakota .-.v f."S s Prohibition in North Dakota Womens' Benefit As­ sociation St. Patrick's Play 1920. Row 1— Mabel Armstrong, Al­ ice Cooney, Edna Prie­ we, Amy Anderson, Eva Scott, Mrs.