Charles Thurber was a black man lynched in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on October 24, 1882. A plaque was installed in 2020 to memorialize Thurber, whose lynching took place on the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway (later becoming the Great Northern Railway) bridge over the Red River between Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Thurber was accused of raping two white women, one the wife of a railroad worker and the other described as a 14-year-old "Norwegian servant girl". According to one of the illustrated North Dakota Mysteries and Oddities books, at least one of Thurber's accusers may have recanted her story. That said, Thurber had previously served two prison terms for attempted rape in Wisconsin.
Accounts The lynching was described in the Daily Herald (which is now the Grand Forks Herald) in articles that are quite shocking to modern readers.
For example, at one point the headline writer used poetry, as follows:
Quiet and Peace Entirely Restored and with an Investigation no One will be Bored Public Opinion Carefully Sifted and Every One Rejoices that the Negro was lifted No Investigation Required and None Need Fear for Themselves in the Trouble being mired Thurber, the Negro Rapest Fell off the Bridge and was Hurt while Mr. Thomas COVERED HIM UP WITH RED RIVER DIRT.
Racial expletives were used in headlines. According to the existing historical accounts, a mob of citizens broke down the doors of the jail to abduct Thurber before any trial could take place. Some law enforcement members fought to prevent Thurber from being removed from the jail, but were reportedly overpowered. Rival mobs put two nooses on Thurber's neck and engaged in a tug-of-war there in the street. Thurber may have already been dead when he was lynched from the middle of a railroad bridge over the Red River. According to the Grand Forks Herald newspaper account of October 24, 1882, Thurber admitted to the crime before he was lynched.
Burial A description of Thurber's burial comes from the Daily Herald.
References
Lysengen, Janet Daley & Rathke, Ann M. (eds); "The Centennial Anthology of North Dakota", Journal of the Northern Plains, State Historical Society of North Dakota. This publication lists Thurber as the state's first lynching victim.
External links Lynching picture of Charles Thyrber