Beaver Creek Church, Hofflund Township, Williams County 75th Anniversary

• Main Author: Shemorry, Bill, 1914-2004;
• Format: Still Image
• Language: unknown
• Published: State Historical Society of North Dakota; 1979
• Subjects: City & town life; Churches; Men; Women; Children; Boys; Girls; Automobiles; Anniversaries; Beaver Creek Church (Williams County); Williams County (N.D.); Beaver Creek
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/shemorry/id/4020

The congregation of the Beaver Creek Church, in Hofflund Township, pose outside of the church during the 75th Anniversary celebration. Film negatives; 35 mm "Beaver Creek Church in Hofflund Twp 75 Anniv 9-79"--Handwritten on envelope containing negatives Title created by staff. William E. "Bill" Shemorry was a native of Williston, N.D. who began work in the newspaper industry as a newsboy selling the Williston Herald and the Williams County Farmers Press. In 1953, he started to publish the Williston Plains Reporter, which he operated for 25 years before selling to the Williston Herald. Shemorry then began to concentrate on his own writing and photography. In addition to writing many books on the history of Williams County, he also collected photographs of early North Dakota photographers. Shemorry was an active member of the Williston Fire Department, was Civil Defense Chief of Williams County for three years in the 1950's, and was a combat photographer in World War II. Shemorry's photograph of the discovery of oil in North Dakota on April 4, 1951 at the Clarence Iverson No. 1 is one of the most famous oil photographs ever taken, and was published in many national publications.