Joseph Lamont Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss 320-Mss 1596.20-Tape 254

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Joseph Lamont Family Papers is an small, eclectic collection of a wide variety of items related to various members of the Lamont family donated by his granddaughters. They provide a glimpse into the lives of Joseph Lamont‟s Civil War service, Masonic and Grand Army of the Republic memberships, and ownership of the Headquarters Hotel in Fargo. The copies of his wife Carrie‟s two piano compositions, El Zagal March and The Reunion help document her musical interests. In addition there are several items related to son Scott and granddaughter Grace Lamont Wilhelm. The Joseph Lamont Series includes a write-up at the time of his death, a death card, and several newspaper clippings in which he is named. The four certificates all related to his Masonic membership, including Knights Templar, Scottish Rite, El Zagal Shrine Temple of Fargo and demit document from Minneapolis Council No. 2. Perhaps of greatest interest are the documents related to his military service during the Civil War. There is his discharge 7th New York Cavalry on March 31, 1862; discharge from the Virginia 10th Regiment on June 16, 1863; discharge from the West Virginia Cavalry, 4th Regiment on March 7, 1864; list of names of Militia Company organized at Hastings, Minn. on Sept. 27, 1866; and a pension certificate for service in the West Virginia Cavalry, dated 1907. The Subject Files Series contain a variety of documents related to members of the Lamont Family. The items related to the Headquarters Hotel is a business advertisement card, and a newsletter page of the First National Bank and Trust Company in which the hotel is cites as its original home. The Grace Lamont Wilhelm “Life Story‟ reads as an obituary citing the main events in her life. She was born in 1909, but a date of death is not given. There are two items on son Scott Lamont include the newspaper article on his marriage to Elizabeth Grace Marquardt and his application for membership to Sons of Veterans, U.S.A. The membership cards include Joseph‟s in the Scottish Rite for 1913 and son Scott‟s in Shiloh Lodge, A.F. & A.M. (1909 & 1913). The Newspaper Clippings file features the obituary with his image for Charles Rice, Carrie Lamont‟s father who died in 1901 at Perth, Ontario, Canada and of an image of Fargo City employees of 1898. Joseph Lamont is included as „city weigher.‟ The poem The Passing of the Pole Cat is a typed copy with no attribution, although possibly authored by a family member. Of special interest are the photocopies of two musical compositions by Carrie Rice Lamont. The El Zagal March was published in 1895 by W.J. Dyer & Bro., St. Paul & Minneapolis, Minn. On the cover of the piano sheet music it states „Dedicated to the members of El Zagal Temple, A.A.O.M. of Fargo, N.Dak.‟ In addition there are individual orchestra parts for 1st and 2nd Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Flute, 1st & 2nd Clarinet, 1st & 2nd Coronet, Trombone, Horns in F and Drums. The Reunion sheet music is for a Redowa and also published by W.J. Dyer & Bros. The donors had both El Zagal March and The Reunion played and recorded on cassette tape shortly before the collection was donated. The Artifact Series contains several items from the Grand Army of the Republic, John F. Reynolds Post No. 5 of Fargo, N.D. One is a quite impressive, large coat pin of cloth and metal with red-white-blue colors. Another is a smaller item of metal eagle with cannons and a star with GAR part of design; connected with fabric flag. There is a simple color, cloth label for the Reynolds Post with „Minneapolis 1906‟ at bottom, likely used at convention held in Minneapolis. Finally there is a simple cloth label for „Pennsylvania.‟

Dates

1862-1913.

Creator

Lamont, Joseph, 1840-1913. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection are held by the Institute.

Biography

Joseph Lamont was born in Utica, N.Y. on January 1, 1840. He enlisted as a private during the Civil War in Co. D of the Seventh New York Cavalry on September 1, 1861. On September 29, 1862 he advanced to the position of the First Lieutenant of Co. D, Sixteenth Virginia Volunteers where he was until August 29, 1863 when he became the First Lieutenant of Co. I, Fourth West Virginia Cavalry. He was honorably discharged on March 7, 1864. Joseph Lamont, along with his wife Carrie Rice Lamont, a writer of prose, poetry, and a composer, moved to Fargo in 1881-1882 where Joseph became the landlord for the Headquarters Hotel, which also contained the Northern Pacific Depot and the telegraph and telephone offices. Carrie Rice was born circa 1856 in Canada. At the time of his death in 1913 Joseph Lamont was a deputy United States Marshall. Joseph was a member of numerous organizations including: the John F. Reynolds Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, Masons, Scottish Rite and Knights Templar. Joseph and Carrie had three children: Charles J., Scott Lindsey and Grace Lilian. Apparently Charles, born ca. 1875 in Canada, died young (possibly in 1887) while daughter Grace Lilian was born in 1888 but died young in 1897. They are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Fargo. Sometime between 1894 and 1900 Carrie Lamont left her family. Joseph Lamont died April 11, 1913 in Fargo. Scott Lindsey Lamont was born May 18, 1883 in Canada. He attended college at the North Dakota Agricultural College and married Elizabeth Grace Marquardt in Cooperstown, N.D. on November 26, 1908. They moved to Thief River Falls, Minnesota where Scott worked as a businessman for three years until moving back to Fargo. They had four children: Grace Elizabeth born October 26, 1909, who later married Thomas Paul Wilhelm, Winetta, Delores, and Jerome. Scott Lamont died May 12, 1951. Elizabeth Lamont died April 10, 1938. Both were buried at Riverside Cemetery, Fargo.