The constant in Fargo's history is its steady rise as a retail, financial and medical center.

First, Fargo was the jumping-off point for prairie settlement. Then it was the destination for country folks who came for dresses, dishes, doctors and financial deals.

Today, it remains a shopping destination for the surrounding countryside. More importantly, it's a people collector ... a catch basin for former farmers, Class B kids who found their future in the city and retirees who want to be near clinics and their kids.

Increasingly, North Dakota's money and people flow toward Fargo. Today Fargo tallies nearly one-fourth of all taxable purchases made in North Dakota. And 1 in 7 North Dakotans lives here.

From 1900 to 1950, Fargo's population nearly quadrupled. From 1950 to the present, it doubled again.

Here's a look by decade:

1900 - 9,589

1910 - 14,331

1920 - 21,961

1930 - 28,619

1940 - 32,580

1950 - 38,256

1960 - 46,662

1970 - 53,356

1980 - 61,383

1990 - 74,115

Now - 83,778 (1986 estimate)

- Continued -

Three biggest deals in Fargo history

The Forum - 01/10/1999

Dave Danbom, history professor at North Dakota State University:

* The decision of the Northern Pacific Railroad to cross the Red River here, which put the city here in the first place.

* The decision to build West Acres, and to build it in the southwest part of the city. It changed the city's demographics and the direction of the city's growth. It also assured Fargo would remain a major retail center.

* The decision to put North Dakota Agricultural College (NDSU) in Fargo. Not only has it been a major employer but it's brought thousands and thousands of hard-working, highly dependable people into the city. They supplement the labor force. NDSU is now being recognized as a force in economic development as more and more jobs of the future are knowledge-based.

Bill Guy, Fargo resident and North Dakota governor 1963-1971:

* Southwest Fargo being chosen as the site of West Acres and I-94 and I-29 intersecting in southwest Fargo. "We could see that the intersection of I-94 and I-29 would develop into a huge business area."

* Jet aircraft coming to Hector Airport in the 1960s and making national and international air travel readily available.

* The abolition of North Dakota's personal property tax in 1965. "That was one of the pivotal happenings in North Dakota history." Before that, people limited purchases of big-ticket items such as cars, tractors and televisions because they had to pay a tax on it each year. The tax's demise helped Fargo flourish even more as retail center.

Judge Myron H. Bright:

* Locating West Acres in southwest Fargo instead of downtown. The first wave of Fargo urban renewal cleaned up an unsightly area of eastern Fargo and gave us city hall, the library, the civic center and the hotel north of city hall. The second part of urban redevelopment was slated for Main Avenue. West Acres developers first proposed putting the mall downtown, as part of the second phase of urban renewal. Instead, phase two of urban renewal became the Fourth Street professional building, new bank buildings along Main Avenue and the high-rise apartment building. "It changed Fargo from having a vibrant downtown to a dying downtown."

* Bringing in new industry, particularly technical businesses and computer companies.

* Development of sugar beet processing plants, which contribute to the overall prosperity of the area.

Mike Simonson, Fargo native who's now a historian with the North Dakota Historical Society:

* When the Northern Pacific Railroad crossed the Red River here it virtually guaranteed success for the city which sprang up at the crossing point.

* Bonanza farming made the rest of the world aware of the huge agricultural potential of the Red River Valley.

* The 1893 Fargo fire destroyed much of downtown but ultimately resulted in construction of high quality brick structures which replaced lesser quality buildings. The nicer brick buildings gave Fargo a more substantial, impressive appearance which heightened its appeal to prospective settlers. And, locating the land grant college (NDSU) in Fargo hugely affected the city's growth and
development the past century.

Foss Associates thriving after 100 years on the job
By Gerry Gilmour
The Forum - 01/09/1999


The towering Community First building on Fargo's Main Avenue was completed in 1974.Special to the Forum.

A business launched 100 years ago by a Scandinavian immigrant remains one of the most prominent and enduring in the region.

- Continued -