| Summary: | result that in five years following, it lost a third of its population. Sam Holland was the local mechanical wizard. He demonstrated the first electric light in town by setting up a small plant in his shop. He later manufactured automobiles- namely the Holland Special. "The Sam Holland Special" (L-R): Mr. and Mrs. (Gunna) William Skjerven, Sr.; Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Berger. The big local industry was the flour mill owned by Fred and George Honey. Their product was known far and wide. When the high school went in for football, one of the first coaches it had was Vilhjalmer Steffanson, who later gained fame as an Arctic Explorer. He was then attending the university at Grand Forks and came up to Park River between trains to coach the team. Fays Rooming House once stood on the corner which is now occupied by the Walsh County Curling Club. It was built in 1893 by Tom Catherwood. "Big Tom" as he was called, owned and operated a clothing store and, later on, a jewelry store. J.B. Taintor owned the first gas buggy in Park River, which was assessed at $100. Horse racing and baseball were the favorite early day sports. A half mile track was built where the present day high school is located. The Standard Oil Company owned the land upon which Park River was eventually built (the title was held by a certain Archibald, an official of the company). On a farm a couple of miles east of Park River known as the Arnot farm, lived a Dr. Livingston, the father of John D. Rockefeller Sr. He found it convenient to change his name to Dr. Livingston. He was a methodical farmer and made money farming and also as a veterinarian. He generally held aloof from the roustabout farmers. This farm is now occupied by Vernie Larson. Outstanding in the names of the pioneers who built Park River is the name of Roger Allin, the fourth Governor of North Dakota. Governor Allin homesteaded in Fertile Township, Walsh County on a 240 acre tract, Plat 22, in 1879. He and C.H. Honey conducted church services in the Kensington settlement until the services of a regular pastor was secured. The former farm of Gov. Allin is now owned and operated by Jens Torkelson. The late Gov. Allin is buried in Memorial Park Cemetary, Park River. His town residence in Park River after he retired was located on Code Avenue South. "THRESHING SCENE NEAR PARK RIVER" FRED HULTSTRAND "HISTORY IN PICTURES" North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies NDSU, Fargo, N.D. 58105 Another name of note connected with early Park River is the name Sinclair Lewis. He was the former owner of the farm which is now owned by Jay Penas, V-k miles south of Park River. While Mr. Lewis never lived in this area, and is said to have purchased the farm through a land agent as an investment, the glamour of his famous name indicated that this information should be included in this history "PANORAMIC VIEW, 1903" FRED HULTSTRAND "HISTORY IN PICTURES" North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies NDSU, Fargo, N.D. 58105 13 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
|
|---|