Ransom County Trust Company Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 2118-Photo Folio 79
Scope and Contents
The Ransom County Trust Company Photographs Collection contains photographs that reflect the company’s business activities, and land sales. The Farm and Farming Series is broken down into three folders. There are a number of photographs of farmsteads taken in the early 1900s, mostly in Ransom and Barnes Counties. The first folder are of identified farmsteads, with the owners names handwritten on the back. The farms represented belong to Lew Altman, Erick Anderson, John Arne, G. W. Balderson, Samuel Breaw, D. H. Buttz, Ole Christianson, ? Claus, Wallace Galbreath, John Gjesvold, J. L. Greene, Peter Halkstad, Hansen of Nome, “Robinson Farm” owned by Hoffman, Karl J. Johnson, Martinus Johnson, ? Koeniche, Herman Krueger, John Krueger, F. G. Lock, Wm. Luke, Meyer, Karl Miller, Richard Newton, Ole O. Olson, M. Opgaard, Robert Ratliff, A. E. Rife, Robert Robertson, Peter J. Roe, Hans Rolie, M. L. Satterlee, T. Severson, Wm. Short, Hans Skromstad, Henry Trapp, Urbach, Charles Uhrhammer, Fred C. Wall, R. Wallin, J. J. Wold, Jacob Walters, and Lorents Lorentson. The Unidentified Farms hold 23 photographs without any identification written on the back. The Farm Scenes folder are mostly reprints from a publication featuring cropland, harvesting and livestock.
The Towns Series has been broken down into two folders. The first contains four photographs from Lisbon, N.D. They include the Ransom County Courthouse, Sorenson Milling Co., First Baptist Church, and the Presbyterian Church. The second folder in this series holds geneal postcards and views from the towns of Enderlin, Fort Ransom, Sheldon, Sherwood, and Minot. The two from Minot appear to have the case number #4955 written on the back.
The Case File Series appear to be photographs pulled directly from the case files in the Ransom County Trust Company Records (Mss 764). They are filed under the name and case number. Of interest is the estate of David Houston, of Hunter, N.D. A houseboat called Dakota that belonged to Ed Pierce, and a portrait of a baby named Frances de la Bere whose guardianship file can be found among the records.
The Florida Series holds a file of photographs taken for the Florida Fruitland’s Company at Lake Alfred. Many taken by Fishbaugh Studio in Tampa. A number of these photographs have half tone projection negatives likely used for a publication, they are housed in the Institue Negative Collection under PN133 to PN149.
Stored separately in Photo Folio 79 is one copy of an advertisement rot the Hotel Horton, Lisbon, N.D.
The Towns Series has been broken down into two folders. The first contains four photographs from Lisbon, N.D. They include the Ransom County Courthouse, Sorenson Milling Co., First Baptist Church, and the Presbyterian Church. The second folder in this series holds geneal postcards and views from the towns of Enderlin, Fort Ransom, Sheldon, Sherwood, and Minot. The two from Minot appear to have the case number #4955 written on the back.
The Case File Series appear to be photographs pulled directly from the case files in the Ransom County Trust Company Records (Mss 764). They are filed under the name and case number. Of interest is the estate of David Houston, of Hunter, N.D. A houseboat called Dakota that belonged to Ed Pierce, and a portrait of a baby named Frances de la Bere whose guardianship file can be found among the records.
The Florida Series holds a file of photographs taken for the Florida Fruitland’s Company at Lake Alfred. Many taken by Fishbaugh Studio in Tampa. A number of these photographs have half tone projection negatives likely used for a publication, they are housed in the Institue Negative Collection under PN133 to PN149.
Stored separately in Photo Folio 79 is one copy of an advertisement rot the Hotel Horton, Lisbon, N.D.
Dates
- circa 1900-1920.
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the Institute.
Biography
The Ransom County Immigration Society was established in 1888 in Sheldon, N.D. Its initial purpose was the promotion of immigration and the development of lands in the immediate locality of Sheldon. It was incorporated in 1898 with the officers being F.W Froemke, president; P.W. Froemke, vice president; Thomas Pierce, vice president; Ed Pierce, secretary and attorney; Frank E. Shaw, assistant secretary; A.H. Lindemann, treasurer; and A.L. Opsal, assistant treasurer. The company was one of the largest real estate firms in North Dakota and was instrumental in bringing hundreds of farms from Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana to the state, settling on farms in Ransom, Cass, Sargent and other counties.
After the initial purpose of settlement of lands around Sheldon, the company changed to funds investment, farm management, farm lands, farm loans, insurance, and the handling of estates. The firm purchased a large tract of land in Foster County, N.D. circa 1908, establishing an office at Bordulac. It helped bring many farmers to that area.
On July 1, 1916 its name was changed to Ransom County Trust Company. At that time its assets and liabilities totaled $664,353.00. The company continued into the 1940s, although the exact time it closed is not known.
Extent
117 Photographic Prints (117 photographic prints.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Ransom County Trust Company Photographs Collection contains photographs from the Florida Fruitland Company that was owned by the Ransom County Trust Company. There are also photographs of other estates owned by the company in North Dakota and postcards from various locations in North Dakota.
Provenance
Donated by Frank E. Shaw in 1956 and Thomas Pierce in 1957.
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Ransom County Trust Company Photograph Collection
- Description rules
- Gihc
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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