History of Grand Forks County : with special reference to the first ten years of Grand Forks City, including an historical outline of the Red River Valley

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: State Historical Society of North Dakota
• Subjects: Grand Forks; Hudson; Hudson Bay
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/39029

76 HISTORY OF GRAND FORKS COUNTY yard. This was located upon the river bank a short distance above .the point. During the winter of 1873-4, there was built here, or rather lengthened, the steamer Dakota, which had previously been built at Breckenridge as a ninety feet boat. During these early years there was considerable flatboating being done on the river despite the presence of steamboats. The business seems to have reached its culmination in 1872. Pine lumber could now readily be obtained at Moorhead that had been shipped in by railroad, and scores of flatboats left that place for down river points, many people journeying in this manner witli their goods and chattels. There must have been either high freight charges on the steamers or lack of adequate transportation facilities, causing vexatious delaj's, to account for this flat- boating business which seems to have sprung up as a temporary expedient to save costs and time. Before the railroads reached different points in the valley pine lumber was apt to have been scarce material in any section of it, and it is related that the famous Joe Rolette, who died at Pembina. May 16, 1871, was buried in a coffin made from lumber of a flatboat that opportunely arrived there just at that time. The boats were always taken to pieces for the sale or use of the lumber. The old policy of the Hudson Bay company was to confine their business to the fur trade, but time, with its changing conditions, often causes associations as well as individuals to adapt their course so as to conform to altered or changing circumstances; hence, Donald ,0. Smith having succeeded Hudson Bay governor McTavish, this policy was changed so far as to trade with all of the people. The old post at Georgetown, Minn., had a succession of "factors" as the asrents were called, the last one in charge there being Walter J. S. Traill, for whom Traill county, was named. The post consisted of a few buildings constructed of hewn logs, and, at times, there was stored here peltries of enormous value. In 1873 the buildings were sold and the business moved to Grand Forks where the company acquired property interests. Mr. Traill also came to Grand Forks to take charge of the company's affairs here. They bought out, the store and sawmill already located here and proceeded to establish a general store of their own, also a hotel called the Northwestern. Their store was located on the corner of Third street and Kittson avenue where the Union National bank building and Platky's store now stand, while the hotel stood on the corner of Third street and DeMers avenue, or on the site now occupied by F. W. Schla- berg's Drug store. Frank Viets is a native of Ohio, born in 1839, and served in tlie civil war. Himself, wife and little daughter came to Georgetown in August, 1870; and opened a hotel in one of the old post buildings. He was obliged to team his furniture and supplies from Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.