Downtowner

Duane’s House of Pizza – what can you say?  It’s pizza nirvana.  Ever since I first tasted it in their old location by the river many years ago (or am I dreaming it was by the river…?) on a visit to Fargo (long before I lived here), I have loved it.  Greasy, sloppy, crunchy, and chewy, it’s an amazing culinary delight…

Today was the 25th Anniversary of the Hjemkomst voyage.  It was an amazing adventure – a mystery to most, insane to some, but anyone who appreciates where they come from, and enjoys the diversity of what is the human community, understands quite well…

Deadwood as portrayed in the ongoing HBO series, ain’t got nothin’ on it’s northerly neighbor, Fargo. According to actual historical records, it was quite the place in the early days…

Title: [Samuel and Sarah Griswold arraigned for operating a place of prostitution in shanty near railroad bridge
Newspaper: Fargo Times
Date: May 24, 1879
Page: 4
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Griswold, Samuel / Griswold, Sarah /
Article id: 7816

Title: Police Court
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: September 18, 1893
Page: 4
Notes: Cases in Fargo city court included A. Whitmore for being drunk, Melvina Massey for operation a house of prostitution and two of her employees, Mary Jones and Mrs. C. F. Ward. Other cases listed
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Fargo Police Court / Massey, Melvina /
Article id: 7806

Title: Wanted to die, Viola Lyons, a woman of the towns, makes two desperate attempts to end a miserable existence
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: October 30, 1895
Page: 5
Notes: Prostitute at Cad Devine's establishment
Index Terms: Prostitution / Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Lyons, Viola /
Article id: 7502

Title: Jennie came to grief
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: August 03, 1896
Page: 4
Notes: Jennie Stoltz arrested, told to get out of town in three days, along with husband Charles
Index Terms: Prostitution / Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Stoltz, Jennie /
Article id: 7565

Title: Heart was breaking
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: August 31, 1897
Page: 4
Notes: Laura Spencer who worked for Madame Morton thought committed suicide, but ill due to 'broken heart.'
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Spencer, Laura /
Article id: 7882

Title: Made a raid
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: December 19, 1898
Page: 8
Notes: Arrests were made of Charlie Reid for operating a gambling place
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Fargo, ND - Liquor / Jag wagons /
Article id: 7881

Title: Madame skipped
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: December 21, 1898
Page: 8
Notes: Madame Morton pleaded illness and was not arrested during rail or houses of prostitution. She immediately left town and states heard that she is now at Kansas City.
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution /
Article id: 7877

Title: Are stickers, the denizens of the Hallow are still at the old stand and bid fair to remain
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 01, 1899
Page: 8
Index Terms: Fargo, ND - Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7587

Title: Bound over [two men found in Minnesota House with two under age girls]
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: February 6, 1901
Page: 8
Notes: Arrested were Hugh Shauger and Harry Steffers
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Crime and criminals / Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Shauger, Hugh / Steffers, Harry / Minnesota House (Fargo, ND) /
Article id: 6257

Title: James Campbell assult charged dismissed
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: August 17, 1903
Page: 5
Notes: In City Locals section, charged for assult of woman in Madam Melvina Massey’s business in Fargo
Index Terms: Campbell, John / Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Massey, Melvina /
Article id: 7239

Title: Houses of prostitution; residents in hollow ask for injunction
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: May 19, 1904
Page: 7
Notes: Mentions if closed, Fargo would loose substantial revenues
Index Terms: Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 563

Title: Daisy has lost her rabbit’s foot
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: May 20, 1904
Page: 8
Notes: Daisy Johnson, a Fargo prostitute, was ordered to leave the city, moved to Moorhead, Minn., arrested and ordered to leave town, heading for Mandan or Dickinson, N.D.
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution / Moorhead, MN – Prostitution / Johnson, Daisy /
Article id: 7714

Title: State must interfere, private persons cannot stop immoral houses, local attorney believes that Judge Pollock will refuse to grant a restraining order chasing the houses of prostituion
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: May 30, 1904
Page: 5
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 7898

Title: Houses of prostitution, arguing whether they are to be or not to be, a legal battle that is on the tobasco sauce order, opinion prevails that Judge Pollock will grant the injunction
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 02, 1904
Page: 4
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7798

Title: Madams must leave hollow, court’s order in mond matter settles question, attorneys may ask supreme court to file supersedeas bonds, rumored that madams will undertake to evade court’s order
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 04, 1904
Page: 8
Index Terms: Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 7796

Title: Bawdy houses must suspend, supreme court refuses application fo bonds, the stay of execution on the order of injuncion issued by Judge Pollock will expire tomorrow, madams said to be seeking new locations
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 06, 1904
Page: 2
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7792

Title: Fight for the madams, attorneys in hollow case will ask supreme court to file supersedeas bonds
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 07, 1904
Page: 5
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7793

Title: Are madams in contempt, charged with ignoring court’s restraining order, five deputies raided hollow houses last night and the madams made bond for their appearance to court July 1
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: June 16, 1904
Page: 2
Notes: Warrants issued for five women who were arrested, names not listed
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7790

Title: John Campbell arrested on assault charge on woman at Madam Melvina Massey’s resort in Fargo
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: August 15, 1904
Page: 4
Notes: No title, rather short news note
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution / Massey, Melvina / Campbell, John /
Article id: 7238

Title: Cases were dismissed, tenderloin women have secured their freedom, Judge Pollock reconsidered his former ruling and held the complaints count not be amended, he issued a warning to the women
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: August 29, 1904
Page: 8
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Prostitution /
Article id: 7768

Title: Big mass meeting, workers to remove the houses of ill-fame held a large meeting yesterday
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: September 05, 1904
Page: 4
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 7699

Title: Make new complaints, another effort is being made to close the tough joints of the city
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: September 07, 1904
Page: 8
Notes: Reports five injunction cases currently on the court docket
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 7700

Title: They used dynamite, new house of Corrine Holmes was attacked
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: October 21, 1904
Page: 8
Notes: Newly constructed hotel at First Ave. in the ‘hollow’ may have been throught to be house of prostitution
Index Terms: Holmes, Corrine / Fargo, ND – Explosions / Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Hotels, motels, etc. / Dynamite /
Article id: 7857

Title: Gathered in a pair
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: September 02, 1907
Page: 4
Notes: Theodore Gulickson of Klinkert Brewing Co. arrested for selling beer, and Cora Ohman for conducting a ‘road house’
Abstract: Arrested by Sheriff Wilson
Index Terms: Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Liquor /
Article id: 7895

Title: Old man caught in police raid, Thomas Conway, 60 years old, is taken to jail along with Mrs. Jeanette Bowman, a nigress accused of conducting disorderly house
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: February 03, 1909
Page: 10
Index Terms: Afro-Americans / Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution / Conway, Thomas / Bowman, Jeanette /
Article id: 6844

Title: More Black women in the city jail, riad in near-hollow district lands pair of female shines behind the bars, colored family in jail is doubled
Newspaper: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican
Date: October 16, 1909
Page: 6
Notes: Arrested for prostitution were Marie Brown, Mary Bates and Carl Anderson
Index Terms: Prostitution / Fargo, ND – Prostitution /
Article id: 7373

Herd about the Prairie has hit the downtown metro areas of Fargo and Moorhead.

While strolling the downtown of Fargo last evening, my partner and I saw several of the amazing Bison that are part of this ambitious art project sponsored by the Lake Agassiz Arts Council. The artistic style and subject matter/theme of each piece is unique – some serious, some humorous.

I just hope the Bison find a permanent home after the public display. I hear that Prairie Public TV is making a documentary about the project, and that a DVD will be available to sponsors and partners. To those of us little people who cannot afford to be an outright patron of the arts, I hope we get a chance to buy a copy of the DVD…

The Vinyl Lady.  The Foot Fetish Man.  The Bladder Woman.

These are all citizens of the Fargo/Moorhead metro area.

At least, that’s how I know them.  I have no idea what their real names are, but I know them the second I see them, and I have a reason for their aliases…

Positive sexpert Susie Bright has Fargo roots via her mother.

This week, Susie writes about some old valentines she recently found that had belonged to her Mom, and had been bought (and exchanged) in the Fargo area many years ago…

I’ve been doing some research on curling for a blog I have on my hometown. I’m going to be posting a story about the curling rink and what it meant to the town in the town’s early days, and personalize the story by connecting it to my own family through my grandfather, who was an avid curler.

It was through this research that I discovered that Bemidji is the home of the U.S. Olympic Curling teams (men & women) – pretty cool, I think! One of the team members is even from Bemidji itself. They just got to Torino a few days ago. You can read about it on their blog…

Lone Prairie is an intelligent, witty, and fun website run by Julie Neidlinger. I especially appreciated this recent post about ANOTHER person disparaging North Dakota, and her response to it…!

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As a downtowner, and an avid film fan, I always look forward to the annual Fargo Film Festival. If you’ve never taken the festival in, you’re missing out on an amazing local event…