West Fargo law firm marks its 60th year
By Gerry Gilmour
The Forum - 07/24/1999

West Fargo's most prominent law firm was founded 60 years ago this summer.

Manfred Ohnstad in 1939 was the sole practitioner of a firm that grew to become Ohnstad Twichell.

The firm today - with 15 practicing attorneys - is one of Fargo-Moorhead's largest.

Daniel Twichell, who went to work with Ohnstad as a young attorney, said Ohnstad was a hard-working attorney known for his dry sense of humor.

"He was pretty much a legend," Twichell said. "He was a very good lawyer."

Born in Argusville, N.D., Ohnstad graduated from Concordia College and taught school for a year at Argusville before earning his law degree from the University of Minnesota.

When he launched his law firm, the community of West Fargo - incorporated then as the village of Southwest Fargo - consisted mainly of the Armour packing plant.

Ohnstad was political as a young attorney. After failing to win the endorsement of the Republicans, he won the endorsement of the Cass County Non-Partisan League (NPL) party and in 1940 was elected to serve in the North Dakota Legislature. He declined the endorsement in 1948 to concentrate on his practice.

"He just decided you can't practice law and be in the Legislature at the same time," Twichell said.

Ohnstad in 1948 drafted language for the incorporation of Southwest Fargo (now West Fargo) as a city.

Ohnstad formed a partnership with Arthur McCauley in 1949 and the firm was known as Ohnstad and McCauley until 1955, when McCauley moved to Minneapolis to practice.

Daniel Twichell, a Mapleton, N.D., native and University of North Dakota School of Law graduate, joined Ohnstad in 1955 to form Ohnstad and Twichell. He remains as the firm's senior member today.

Ohnstad and Twichell, though working mainly in estates and probate, developed a reputation for municipal and water law.

Twichell said Ohnstad was genuine in his practice, an attorney who believed in taking care of the client.

"He was very much a general practitioner - like most rural attorneys," Twichell said. "He was extremely thorough. Never surprised. He examined every possibility involved."

The firm grew gradually over the years. It became Ohnstad, Twichell and Maxwell when former U.S. Attorney Ralph B. Maxwell joined the firm. He left in 1968 to become a district judge.

"(Ohnstad) always had more work than he could handle," Twichell said. "But it wasn't like hiring a new guy every year, like some firms do now."

Among those who have belonged to the firm over the years are Ralph Erickson, now a Cass County District judge, and Mary Maring, now a North Dakota Supreme Court justice.

Ohnstad retired in 1983, and died in 1987.

Twichell said the firm's members decided to keep his name as part of the firm's identity. "It used to be that when somebody died, the name came off the door," Twichell said. "That has changed."

Ohnstad and Twichell in 1987 merged with the Hillsboro law firm Berg and Juelson and in 1990 with the Mayville firm Vinje and Engelman. The firm continues to maintain offices in those communities, as well as an office in downtown Fargo.

It also staffs offices once a week in the communities of Page, Hope and Finley.

For years the firm's primary home was in the West Fargo State Bank building on West Main Avenue. Today it occupies the second floor of the First National Bank building at 901 13th Ave. S.W.

Twichell said he personally prefers working with communities and rural attorneys. He said the size of the Ohnstad Twichell firm allows its attorneys to specialize. The firm works in three areas: litigation; probate, estate and real estate; and municipal law and bond counsel.

The Ohnstad Twichell firm serves city attorney functions for a dozen communities, including Moorhead, West Fargo, Hillsboro and Mayville.

It also provides bond counsel services to numerous government units in eastern North Dakota, including Fargo, Valley City, Jamestown and Wahpeton.

"Most attorneys now are pretty well specialized," Twichell said. "We've always advanced our ability to do that. We're pretty well rounded."