Scrapbook, 1871-1874

File — Box: 1, Folder: 9

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The Foster Collection consists of several letters, a manuscript by Mrs. Foster, and various subject files. The correspondence consists of only ten in-coming letters, all of which date from 1874, except one in 1876. They deal mainly with Mr. Foster’s duties as Clerk of court for the Third District Court at Pembina. The collection includes letters from Judge J.H. Burdick, U.S. Attorney William Pound, A.H. Barnes, and Jefferson P. Kidder. The 1876 letter is from Andrew McHench while attending the Republican Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. The manuscript by Mrs. Foster is entitled, “The Early History of Dakota Territory”. It is a thirteen-page, typed copy relating the early settlement of the Territory. The last three pages relate a trip by the Foster’s, and others, on the steamship “Dakota” from Fargo to Pembina, as well as social life in the Pembina community. The Subject Files Series include a copy of the Daily Press and Dakotanian for February 12, 1881 published at Yankton, Dakota; a share owned by Mr. Foster in the Fargo Republican Company (1881), and one in the Fargo Street Railroad Company (1882); a land patent assigned to Mr. Foster (1873); several Republican Party Campaign tickets; and a membership ticket in the Thespian Club of Fargo (1883). Of special importance is Mr. Foster’s 32-page scrapbook of newspaper clippings from 1871 to 1874. The newspaper clippings deal mainly with political events in the Red River Valley, including Fargo, Pembina, and Moorhead as reported in such newspapers as Union Dakotaian, Yankton Press, Union County Courier, St. Paul Daily Press, St. Paul Pioneer, Dakota Herald, Fargo Express, and Red River Star. Many of the articles were written by Mr. Foster to inform others of the good qualities of this region as well as counter charges made on some of the political events occurring in the Valley.