Meeting Minutes Series
Series
Scope and Content
The Fargo Board of City Commissioners meeting minutes consist of the original minutes of the commission and its council predecessor from 1875 to 2002. They are recorded in 16 bound volumes with typed minutes beginning with February 11, 1904. The first three volumes (1875-1888) are transcribed copies from burnt originals which likely were damaged in the June 1893 fire which destroyed much of the Fargo business district. There are several gaps in the first two volumes including the periods August 10, 1875 - April 11, 1876, August 9, 1876 - April 4, 1877 and February 9 - May 3, 1880, possibly caused by the fire. Included in the minutes for 1883 to 1900 are the minutes of the Board of Equalization.
The meeting minutes give a good, detailed account about the operation of Fargo city government for the period. Included in the first folder (Box 1, folder 1) is a 30-page index done by Roy Johnson to some of the minutes from 1875 to 1910.
The meeting minutes give a good, detailed account about the operation of Fargo city government for the period. Included in the first folder (Box 1, folder 1) is a 30-page index done by Roy Johnson to some of the minutes from 1875 to 1910.
Dates
- 1875-2002
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyright is held by the State of North Dakota.
History
The City of Fargo had its origins in the early 1870s with the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1871. On September 22, 1871, a post office was established on the present site with the name Centralia. In 1872 the name was changed to Fargo in honor of William G. Fargo, who was the founder of Wells Fargo Express and on the Northern Pacific Board of Directors. Fargo developed slowly in the 1870s becoming the county seat of Cass County in 1873. On January 5, 1875, the Dakota Territorial Legislature
passed "An Act to Incorporate the city of Fargo." In response to that law, the organizational meeting of the Fargo City Government was held in the office of S.G. Roberts on April 12, 1875. Those in attendance were S.G. Roberts, W.D. Maddocks, A.C. Kvello, P.H. McCarthy, E.A. Grant and George A. Strout, all of whom had been elected alderman in an election of April 5, 1875. The council form of government was retained until 1913 when the city voters on April 7 approved a change to the commission form of
government. The change was effected on May 6, 1913 remaining in effect to the present.
Extent
From the Collection: 28 Linear Feet (28 linear feet)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
The collection consists of meeting minutes and other documenting over one hundred years of city government in Fargo, N.D..
Provenance
The 1875-1934 minutes deposited by Fargo Board of City Commissioners, 1976 (Acc. 1944). Complete set of minutes 1942-2002 deposited by City of Fargo, 2016 (Acc. 2016-021irs).
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
Creator
- From the Collection: Fargo (N.D.). Board of City Commissioners. (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu