Fargo Past and Present
This page was originally done for PDs On First, but after the restaurant was sold and moved. They didn't support the web site and let it lapse. I always liked this page, which gave credit to the photos in the restaurant. The idea to pair the photos with current views came from my father. I decided to repost this page after attending a class on the history of Fargo-Moorhead: "Gateway to the Northern Plains: Railroads and Birth of Fargo & Moorhead" by Carroll Engelhardt.
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About The Artwork At PD's On First The black and white photos were provided by the Institute
For Regional Studies & NDSU Archives Photographic Collections,
NDSU Libraries in Fargo. The numbers on the map above correspond to the
old photographs below. The descriptions are from the NDIRS data files.
My comments are in blue. There is also a nice site by John Caron which has over 1000 photos of Fargo.
Front Street looking east from Eighth Street, [1926?] Looking east on Main Avenue (formerly Front Street) from the north side of the street, showing primarily the Waldorf Hotel and deLendrecie's department store, with other businesses in the far distance. Numerous automobiles are parked on both sides of the cobblestone street. The street car rails are visible, as well as several signs visible for ice cream/soda and billiards. The six hundred block still is standing. (From the Delendrecie's building east, until the next block when you hit the Community First Building.) Institute for Regional Studies
The Lars Christianson Drug Store in 1882 "The figures are marked, left to right: 1. customer, 2. jeweler, 3. L. Christianson, 4. T. (S?)olberg," Handwritten on back of print. This structure is long gone. There isn't much on the 300 block of Main Avenue. I'm not sure I'm even on the right side of the street. Institute for Regional Studies
Fargo Dairy Day booth set up every month on N.P. Ave. at Broadway,
Aug. 9, 1923 Looking west on N.P. Avenue from Broadway showing a wooden pen with canopy, and people looking into it. Visible are business signs on both sides of N.P. Ave. including Alex Stern & Co., Union Light Heat and Power Co., Orpheum Theatre, Alfred Dudlin's Goodyear Shoe Repair, and the U.S. Dept. of Labor's employment office. In distance is Fargo city hall with bell in tower. In foreground cobblestone street visible and streetcar rails. Based on newspaper account, the pen contains Sam F. Crabbe's N.D. state record dairy cow, " Noble's Golden Marguerite." You can see why I shot my photographs on Sunday morning. I could photograph the intersection of Broadway and NP Avenue without getting run over. NDIRS-NDSU, Fargo, (51.23.2)
Herbst Department Store exterior Crowd of men and women standing on street in front of department store entrance, apparently waiting for it to open for the "Dollar Day" sale. To left is the Luger Furniture Company and sign, and in distance the Hagen-Newton Co. sign; view shows buildings on west side of Broadway, looking south, between N.P. Ave. and the NP railroad tracks. I was a little surprised the buildings are so recognizable. Herbst Photograph Collection, Institute for Regional Studies
May Festival parade on Broadway, Fargo, N.D. Looking north up Broadway from Front Street. Marching band just crossing railroad tracks, led by men on horses, one of whom is carrying a U.S. flag. Automobiles parked by curb and in center of street while others driving on Broadway. Street car visible in far distance. Various business signs visible as well as railroad crossing arms. Taken from window of Moody's Dept. Store. The Inter-High School May Festival was sponsored by the North Dakota Agricultural College. The 1922 festival was the 15th annual. I couldn't get up high enough to match this angle. The street is still pretty wide but I don't think it's as wide as 1922. Odd that on a quiet summer Sunday morning, road crews were still working, so I couldn't get a clear shot down Broadway. Institute for Regional Studies
Girls in white costumes in Fargo Dairy Day parade Long line of girls dressed in white dresses with white caps (to appear a milk bottles?) marching north on Broadway in Fargo Dairy Day parade. Lead girls are in intersection of Broadway and First Ave. North. Business signs visible on east side of Broadway include Hull Insurance Agency, First National Bank building, and Fargo Glass & Paint Co. Institute for Regional Studies
Fargo policemen by their motorcycles in front of Fargo Cycle Service
Co. Three policemen in uniform stand behind their Harley Davidson motorcycles in front of the Fargo Cycle Service Co. Various signs over large front doors and other Harley-Davidson signs and notices are visible. One sign is for Doc's Parcel Delivery. Business owned by Foster J. "Doc" Gardner. The Fargo Cycle Service Co. appears in the 1930 to 1934 city directories at the Front St. (now Main Avenue) address. Foster J. (Doc) Gardner was the initial owner with Lars Lohn listed as taking over in the 1936 directory. In the 1927 directory, this address was listed as Doc's Parcel Delivery & Baggage Transfer. By 1940 another firm was located at this address. Foster J. Gardner on extreme right and Lars Lohn possibly on extreme left--Information provided by Milford H. Milligan, 1995. Similar to 51.42.1 (RS-1-05277) which identifies L to R: Lars Lohn, Mons Helmerson, Henry Hagen (?), Lee Hanson [Leland Hansen], and Foster Gardner. Here is the Professional Building at the corner of University Drive and Main Avenue; across the street from Diamond Vogel paints. Institute for Regional Studies
M. Mattson Restaurant, 419 Broadway, Fargo, ND. View of front and south side of business with man, perhaps Mr. Mattson, beside bike standing by corner of building. Beyond restaurant is the Great Northern Depot with men visible standing on station platform. The Great Northern Railroad Depot must have burned down or was rebuilt, for the depot is now back half a block. Institute for Regional Studies
Building at 505 Broadway, Fargo, ND Three unidentified men standing outside wood-frame store front on wood sidewalk. No business sign visible, but other signs for laundry and Tom Keene cigars. The awning over store front is raised. On extreme right side railroad tracks visible. Fargo c. 1897. Storefront N. Broadway, just N. of GN depot"--Typed label on back of cardboard mount. Kaye's Printing is on the other side of the Great Northern Depot. Institute for Regional Studies
Salvation Army booth; H. W. Gearey at center, Fargo, ND Two unidentified girls selling poster to man standing in center. Booth in center of street with large signs and poster on display. One girl holding poster while other girl and man exchanging poster and money. Sign on booth reads "A Xmas war cry in every home in Fargo, have you bot yours, Help us put Fargo on the map." Other signs include "Buy-10 cents" and "Painting of this house donated by the N. Dak. Decorating Co." Booth located just east of Broadway in center of NP Ave., with bank building in background and automobile parked at curb. In the original photo, the booth looks like it's sitting in the middle of the street. In 2002-2004 Fargo did some major renovations along Broadway. Here is one of the new markers at the corner of NP Avenue and Broadway. Institute for Regional Studies
Roberts Street in Fargo, ND showing the US Federal Building Looking down Roberts Street showing buildings on west side of street, including A.O.U.W. Building, federal building and post office and in distance the Gardner Hotel. On the A.O.U.W. Building is a sign for Merchants National Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Numerous automobile parked along curbs. They torn the old post office down (in the middle) and built a courthouse, which in these photos looks pretty similar. This was taken in front of the Graver Inn. Institute for Regional Studies
Great Northern depot, Fargo, ND and locomotive 2578 Looking east from Broadway toward depot with train on tracks and people
in distance appearing to board train. A railroad employee is working on
front of train, there is a car in distance, street light, and man pushing
a two-wheel empty luggage cart on Broadway. There is a large billboard
at corner "$5.70 round trip between Fargo and Minneapolis, five Great
Northern trains daily to Twin Cities." You have to get up pretty early in the morning to catch the one Amtrak train leaving Fargo. I'm sure a ticket is more than $5.70. Institute for Regional Studies
Headquarters Hotel, Broadway and N.P.R. tracks, Fargo, D.T. Elevated view looking west across Broadway towards Headquarters Hotel, with B. D. Ruford Co. plows and flatcars loaded with logs in foreground, and tower in background behind hotel. I can't make out Broadway in the original photo, but I figured the tracks were in the same place. Institute for Regional Studies
Fargo Theatre, 1937 Front and south sides of theater taken from across the street. Truck parked on street in front and to right of entrance, and cars in parking lot to south. Broadway street is cobblestone. Film playing was Three men on a horse with Frank McHugh and J. Blondell. Theater designed by Henry Orth and completed in 1926; built in the Renaissance Revival style. They remodeled the Fargo Theater a couple years back. Too bad the street is all tore up this summer. The movie playing was "Three Men On A Horse". Institute for Regional Studies
NP Ave. looking west towards Broadway, Fargo, ND View looking to the west from the southwest corner of NP Avenue and 5th Street North. Business fronts visible on the north side of NP Avenue are NP Avenue Meat Market, Elgin Hotel, South and Spicer Cigar Shop, Postal Telegraph Co., and the Metropole Hotel. On the south of NP Avenue is the State Theater marquee and a garage. There are two men walking on the sidewalk. There are automobiles parked on both sides of the street. A street railroad car in also visible. The only thing remaining from the original is the bank at Broadway. The State Theater is now occupied by the Fargo Bus Depot. Institute for Regional Studies
Three men in kitchen Man standing beside meat block with meat on block and knife in hand, and two other men beside table in a kitchen, likely in a restaurant. Man on right identified as Cloyd Shopbell [Paul Dobbins], other two not identified. All wearing white shirts, aprons and caps. Although things have changed in Fargo, one thing has not. It takes hands on care, by highly trained chefs to deliver the finest meal possible. At PD's On First, quality never goes out of style. Institute for Regional Studies
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