The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Fargo, North Dakota, USA.

Prior to 20th century

1670 – Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, is a territory established in British North America comprising the Hudson Bay drainage basin. 1811 – The Selkirk Concession (a land grant issued by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) to Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk) begins the Red River Colony colonization project. 1871 – A.H. Moore's house (residence) built. 1873 Headquarters Hotel in business. Cass County established. January 5, 1875 Fargo incorporated in Dakota Territory. First Cass County Courthouse built. 1876 – Population: 600. 1880 Fargo Daily Times newspaper begins publication. Population: 2,693. 1889 – Town becomes part of the new U.S. state of North Dakota. 1890 – North Dakota Agricultural College opens. 1891 North Dakota Agricultural College College Hall (Old Main) is built. Concordia College founded in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. 1893 June 7: Fire. Mechanical Arts Building built on North Dakota Agricultural College campus. Opera house built. 1894 – Fargo Forum and Daily Republican newspaper in publication. 1897 – North Dakota Harness Company in business. 1898 Fargo Golf Club formed. Fram Norwegian-language newspaper in publication. Northern Pacific Railway Depot is built. 1899 – Cathedral of St. Mary built.

20th century

1900 – Population: 9,589; county 28,625. 1903 Public Library built. St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church founded. 1904 – Fargo Street Railway begins operating. 1906 The Cass County Jail is built. State Fair begins. Grand Theater opens. 1908 – St. Luke's Hospital opens. 1912 April: Preacher Billy Sunday visits town. July: Sangerfest (song festival) held. 1914 – Princess Theatre opens. 1915 – The Ford Building is built. 1917 Woodrow Wilson High School built and established. John Miller Baer becomes U.S. representative for North Dakota's 1st congressional district. 1920 Pence Automobile Company Warehouse built. Population: 21,961; county 41,477. 1922 – WDAY radio begins broadcasting. 1926 June 26: Gustaf of Sweden visits town. Fargo Theatre built. 1927 – August 26: Charles Lindbergh visits town. 1928 – Regan Brothers Bakery in business. 1929 – Veterans' Hospital built. 1930 – Post Office and Courthouse built. 1931 Black Building in Downtown Fargo is built. Fargo Civic Orchestra established. 1935 – Dovre Ski Slide erected. 1938 – Dacotah Field opens on the North Dakota State University campus. 1939 – June: Olav of Norway visits town. 1940 – November 7: Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live recorded. 1948 KFGO radio begins broadcasting. American Crystal Sugar Company factory begins operating in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. The Gorman dogfight UFO incident occurs over Fargo.

1954 – Herschel Lashkowitz becomes mayor. 1955 – Dacotah Field is moved to the NDSU North Campus. 1957 – 1957 Fargo tornado. 1960 – North Dakota State University active. 1964 – Public educational KFME (TV) begins broadcasting. 1966 – Fargo North High School and Daughters of Dakota Pioneers established. 1969 – Red River Valley Genealogical Society founded. 1970 Bison Sports Arena built. Population: 53,365; county 73,653. 1972 – West Acres Shopping Center in business. 1974 – Sister city relationship established with Hamar, Norway. 1975 – Plains Art Museum founded. 1978 – Jon Lindgren becomes mayor. 1983 – Greater Fargo-Moorhead Area Food Bank established. 1986 – Hector Airport terminal built. 1987 – Sister city relationship established with Vimmerby, Sweden. 1990 – Historic Preservation Commission established. 1992 – Fargodome stadium opens. 1996 Newman Outdoor Field opens. Sundog company opened for business. Fictional Fargo film released. 1997 – April: 1997 Red River flood. 1998 – City website online (approximate date).

21st century

2000 – Population: 90,599. 2004 – The Ed Schultz Show (radio program) begins broadcasting. 2006 – Dennis Walaker becomes mayor. 2007 – Open magazine begins publication. 2008 – Scheels Arena, initially known as "The Urban Plains Center" is built. 2009 – 2009 Red River flood. 2010 – Population: 105,549. 2013 Dakotah Field is renovated. Sanford Medical Center construction begins. Kevin Cramer becomes U.S. representative for North Dakota's at-large congressional district. 2014 – Tim Mahoney becomes mayor. 2016 – Bison Sports Arena is renovated and reopens as Scheels Center for the 2016-17 season. 2017 – Pride parade begins (approximate date). 2020 – RDO Building is built and becomes the tallest building in Fargo at 235 feet. 2021 – Woodrow Wilson High School renamed to "Dakota High School" 2023 – Lashkowitz High Rise is demolished.

See also Fargo history List of mayors of Fargo, North Dakota

References

Bibliography

Published in the 20th century . + Chronology A Century Together: A History of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo-Moorhead Centennial Corporation (1975) Fargo-Moorhead: A Guide to Historic Architecture, R. Ramsey (1975) Fargo's Heritage, N. Roberts (1983) History and Growth of the City of Fargo: Historic Context Study, by Tim Holzkamm and Dean Dormanen, 1993. Revised and edited by David Danbom, 2001. Crossings: A Photographic Document of Fargo, North Dakota, C. McMullen & D. Arntson, et al. (1995)

Published in the 21st century

The History and Growth of the City of Fargo, T. Holzkamm & D. Dormanen; D. Danbom (2001) Fargo, North Dakota: From Frontier Village to All-America City, 1875–2000, Heritage Publications (2001) Images of America: Fargo, North Dakota 1870–1940, D. Danbom & C. Strom (2002)

External links

Items related to Fargo, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).