Downtowner

An interesting shot of the Black Building on Broadway, downtown Fargo, as it was being built…Look at those georgeous cobblestone streets.  The picture clearly shows the bricks used had a high glaze to them, made to last.  Alas, you can’t say that about the recent ‘upgrade’ to Broadway; the bricks used for the Renaissance Project are not glazed, and the oil and dirt from normal street wear and tear have discolored them to the point they probably can’t be cleaned back to their original cream and red colors, which were lovely.  Whoever decided on the type of brick for the project didn’t think too far ahead…

OK, who IS this guy?  Enquiring minds want to know…

For months now (since I’m a night owl…), I regularly visit the In-Forum to catch the day’s news as it comes off the presses so to speak.  Many times, this picture accompanies stories, but only for a short time.  It’s like it’s a filler photo until they upload the correct associated image. 

I am pleading with the Forum here:  Please, guys, if you have to have a filler photo, can you have something else?  This guy is creeping me out!!

The social structure of sidewalk life hangs partly on what can be called self-appointed public characters. A public character is anyone who is in frequest contact with a wide circle of people and who is sufficiently interested to make himself a public character. A public character need have no special talents or wisdom to fulfill his function — although he often does. He just needs to be present, and there need to be enough of his counterparts. His main qualification is that he is public, that he talks to lots of different people.

– Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, p. 89-90.

Downtown Fargo has its share of characters.  The recently-departed Bud aka "the popcorn man" was one such person. 

There is a fellow, I think his name is Jeff (someone correct me if I’m wrong), a tall, wiry man, who often would stop in at First Avenue when it was still open and wander through the crowd; he would randomly stop at tables, sometimes silent, other times engaging people in conversation.  Mostly just quiet.  Everyone knew him.  I still sometimes run into him at events.

Karen my friend sent me the quote above.  She works at the downtown branch of the Fargo Public Library.  She is a public character herself. 

Christopher, my boyfriend, is another.  In the eight years I’ve known him, I’ve experienced countless times when we’re out together where we run into people who know him, either well or casually, and they’re always happy to run into him.  Others say he reminds them of someone they know. 

One of the consistent things about these people is that they are around.  They walk the city, they meet or are at least exposed to the public through their sheer presence.  They may or may not be what some would call gregarious, but they are individuals who make an impression, and affect those they intersect with.  That can only happen if they make themselves available.

There is another component, I think.  They touch people by either what they do, or how they do it, sometimes both.  They show kindness, they help, they amuse, they teach…

Today was another long day for Rattie and I.

We arrived at ValleyCon shortly after 10:00am to stand in line and register.  As you can see here, Rattie is cunningly in costume as a ‘nerd’, with his glasses!

We toured the sellers room to see what there was for sale – things you don’t need, but must have!  Along the way, we encountered many people in costume.  Some were fun ones, but others were pretty scarey.  Here, Rattie has a close call with Leatherneck!

Here, Rattie is getting a little bored.  We’re waiting to see Kevin Sorbo!  Kevin is originally from Minnesota, and attended college in our metro area.  I’m a big fan of his, and he was fun to listen to as he answered questions and gave insider insights to his experiences.

Later on we left to check out the film festival at the Fargo Theatre, part of Valleycon.  We had fun watching a new low-budget independent (but well done) film of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Mark Redfield, from Redfield Arts Studio. Very Hammer-esque!

We finally headed wearily home around 6pm, a full day of silliness and fun behind us. 

I can’t stop smiling.  Take a look here …  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, raid 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

I love downtown Fargo, warts and all.  It’s mostly good, in my experience.  That includes an across-the-street daily commute from my apartment to my office.  It includes neighborhood merchants and residents I know and see on a regular basis, a colorful mosaic that’s as far from suburbia as you can get, and I thank heaven for it. 

Moving to downtown Fargo was no accident for me.  I deliberately took steps over a 4 year period to slowly get to where I’m at.  I knew it was where I wanted to be.  It’s convenient, alive, diverse, fascinating, and fun.  It’s got a history, a soul, and something called character.  I intend to be here for a very long time…

I am delighted to see the Forum offer this service to the community.  I hope it encourages a lot more community discussion as well as fun and creativity.

I’ll be using it mainly as a voice on local issues, as well as a gateway for my other online blogs, which are located on the sidebar to the right.  I encourage anyone reading this to read my other blogs to get an idea of what I care about, and who I am…