Arneson Family Photograph Collection

Collection

Identifier: Photo 2042-Photo Folio 76

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Arneson Family Photograph Collection contains a rich variety of images of the Fargo area as well as some images from Moorhead, and other areas in North Dakota and Minnesota. Some were accumulated by the W. J. Lane Co. and later by Harry R. Arneson, Jr., as well as personally accumulated by the Arneson family. The photographs have been organized into two series: Fargo, and Topical. The original glass negatives have been linked to photographic copies that are interfiled in the appropriate file. Most of them are scenes in Fargo. The Fargo, N.D. Series is arranged topically and includes images from the 1880s to the 1950s, although most are not dated and few have written identification. Among the larger files are the 1934 American Legion convention parade in Fargo, aerial views, Broadway scenes, businesses and buildings, churches, 1950s fires, houses, the W.J. Lane Co., and parades. The Topical Series is arranged by subject or geographic area, as appropriate. The major files include Moorhead, Minn., Detroit Lakes, Minn., the 1950 fire at Christine, N.D., threshing and harvesting, Jack Spratt Grocery at Breckenridge, Minn., lake cabins, and homestead scenes. A unique image is a baseball game at Dilworth, Minn. on July 5, 1909.

Dates

1880s-1950s

Creator

Arneson, Harry, 1914-1997. (Person)

Access

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

Copyrights

The Institute does not own the copyright to the images in this collection.

Biography

Harry R. Arneson, Sr. began working for the W. J. Lane Company of Fargo in 1904. He served as the company’s president until 1972. He was born on January 7, 1886 in Moorhead, Minnesota. He attended North Dakota Agricultural College and Dakota Business College before becoming associated with W. J. Lane Co. Harry Arneson married Mable Torgerson on September 1, 1908. They had two sons, Harry Jr., and C.A. Mrs. Arneson died in 1968 and Harry Arneson on May 9, 1973. Son, Harry Arneson, Jr., began working for the W. J. Lane Company after he returned from military service in World War II. His career was in appraisals, and apparently he established his own company of Harry Arneson, Jr. and Associates around 1954. This business worked out of the W.J. Lane Company office, handling its appraisal work. In 1972, the firm became the Arneson Company operated by Harry Arneson, Sr. and his son, Harry, Jr. After Harry Arneson, Sr. died Harry Arneson, Jr. appears to have continued his appraisal business as well as the Arneson Company until his death on May 4, 1997.