Fargo (N.D.) Board of City Commissioners Records
Collection
Identifier: Mss 176
Scope and Content
The Fargo, N.D. Board of City Commissioners records (Mss 176) consists of five series: Administrative files, including the correspondence of Herschel Lashkowitz; Calendar of commission meetings; General administrative files; Legal opinions of the city attorney; Urban renewal, and transportation and planning files. All of the records within each file are arranged in chronological order.
Fully half of the Administrative File Series is the correspondence of Herschel Lashkowitz. This correspondence consists of letters to colleagues and constituents, letters of congratulations and sympathy, as well as letters asking for information on such topics as urban renewal, home rule and housing. Notable in this correspondence are letters from Harry Truman (Feb. 8, 1963, box 1, folder 2) and from John Glenn (July 3, 1962, box 1, folder 2). Also contained in this series are the proclamations of mayors Herschel Lashkowitz, Richard Hentges and John Lindgren. Included in this series are subseries pertaining to the Home Rule Charter Commission, low-income housing, and the Police Youth Center located in the Burlington Northern Depot. The POW-MIA subseries focuses on the "week of concern," March 26-April 2, 1972, for POW-MIA members of the armed forces. The final subseries contains records concerning the creation and governing of the Model Cities Agency. The agency was responsible for programs such as vocational counseling, dropout prevention and preschool.
The Calendar of Commission Meetings (Agendas) Series contains the agendas for the Fargo Board of City Commissioners meetings from 1955 through 1979.
The General Administrative Series contains administrative records on several subjects including: Dutch Elm disease, flood control, Radisson-Fargo hotel, Sheyenne Diversion and the tornado disaster of 1957. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within each subseries.
The large Legal Opinions (City Attorney) Series contains twenty-seven folders spanning the years 1947 through 1973. The series contains legal opinions which were submitted to the Board of City commissioners by four city attorneys: Norman G. Tenneson, 1947; E.T. Conmy, Jr., 1947-1968; Scott G. Anderson, 1968-1970; and Wayne O. Solberg, 1970-1973.
The Urban Renewal and Transportation and Planning Study Series is composed of two subseries: urban renewal records, and transportation and planning study records.
The subseries concerning Fargo urban renewal contains resolutions of the Board of City Commissioners setting up the City of Fargo Urban Renewal Agency and the agency's records. These include inspections records detailing the condition of property in urban renewal areas. Correspondence in these subseries include correspondence with Herschel Lashkowitz, an advisory member of the Urban Renewal Agency; correspondence with federal authorities concerning funding; and correspondence with property owners within the urban renewal zones.
The subseries pertaining to the planning and transportation study are composed of reports and correspondence. The planning and transportation study was administered by a coordinating committee of officials representing Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth, Cass County and Clay County. The goal of the study was to evaluate the existing street system and develop a future street, highway, transit network and land use plan for the West Fargo-Fargo-Moorhead-Dilworth urban area and to execute the plan.
Fully half of the Administrative File Series is the correspondence of Herschel Lashkowitz. This correspondence consists of letters to colleagues and constituents, letters of congratulations and sympathy, as well as letters asking for information on such topics as urban renewal, home rule and housing. Notable in this correspondence are letters from Harry Truman (Feb. 8, 1963, box 1, folder 2) and from John Glenn (July 3, 1962, box 1, folder 2). Also contained in this series are the proclamations of mayors Herschel Lashkowitz, Richard Hentges and John Lindgren. Included in this series are subseries pertaining to the Home Rule Charter Commission, low-income housing, and the Police Youth Center located in the Burlington Northern Depot. The POW-MIA subseries focuses on the "week of concern," March 26-April 2, 1972, for POW-MIA members of the armed forces. The final subseries contains records concerning the creation and governing of the Model Cities Agency. The agency was responsible for programs such as vocational counseling, dropout prevention and preschool.
The Calendar of Commission Meetings (Agendas) Series contains the agendas for the Fargo Board of City Commissioners meetings from 1955 through 1979.
The General Administrative Series contains administrative records on several subjects including: Dutch Elm disease, flood control, Radisson-Fargo hotel, Sheyenne Diversion and the tornado disaster of 1957. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within each subseries.
The large Legal Opinions (City Attorney) Series contains twenty-seven folders spanning the years 1947 through 1973. The series contains legal opinions which were submitted to the Board of City commissioners by four city attorneys: Norman G. Tenneson, 1947; E.T. Conmy, Jr., 1947-1968; Scott G. Anderson, 1968-1970; and Wayne O. Solberg, 1970-1973.
The Urban Renewal and Transportation and Planning Study Series is composed of two subseries: urban renewal records, and transportation and planning study records.
The subseries concerning Fargo urban renewal contains resolutions of the Board of City Commissioners setting up the City of Fargo Urban Renewal Agency and the agency's records. These include inspections records detailing the condition of property in urban renewal areas. Correspondence in these subseries include correspondence with Herschel Lashkowitz, an advisory member of the Urban Renewal Agency; correspondence with federal authorities concerning funding; and correspondence with property owners within the urban renewal zones.
The subseries pertaining to the planning and transportation study are composed of reports and correspondence. The planning and transportation study was administered by a coordinating committee of officials representing Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead, Dilworth, Cass County and Clay County. The goal of the study was to evaluate the existing street system and develop a future street, highway, transit network and land use plan for the West Fargo-Fargo-Moorhead-Dilworth urban area and to execute the plan.
Dates
- 1947-1980.
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
5.5 Linear Feet (5.5 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Fargo, N.D. Board of City Commissioners records consists of administrative files, correspondence, calendar of commission meetings, general administrative files, legal opinions of the city attorney, urban renewal, and transportation and planning files.
Provenance
Mss 176 records deposited by the Commissioners Office with concurrence of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, 1986 (Acc. 2155).
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Fargo (N.D.). Board of City Commissioners Records
- 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