He never set foot in the frontier town named after him, but the fingerprints of William G. Fargo are everywhere -- from the city's banks to the railroad tracks running through it.
And now a small exhibit, which details the life of Fargo -- a businessman who helped shape the western United States through transportation and financial ventures -- is on display at Bonanzaville USA in West Fargo.
Steve Stark, executive director of the Cass County Historical Society at Bonanzaville, said the new exhibit is the next piece of the puzzle as the museum adds to its regional timeline.
"It's nice to bring something like this in because many people have no idea how the city of Fargo came to be," Stark said.
William Fargo, a Northern Pacific Railroad director, was largely responsible for the railroad's expansion west. It eventually reached Fargo-Moorhead, then the tiny villages of Centralia and Burbank. Centralia was later renamed Fargo, and Burbank was changed to Moorhead after another Northern Pacific director, William Moorhead.
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A dedication ceremony for the exhibit is set for 11 a.m. Friday at Bonanzaville, a day that marks the 131st anniversary of the Northern Pacific's crossing into North Dakota.
"As we call June 6, 1944 D-Day, as far as I'm concerned, June 6, 1872 is F-M Day," Stark said.
Stark said the new exhibit, mounted on a wall in Bonanzaville's main museum, was pieced together by historians at the Wells Fargo corporate offices in San Francisco, a company William Fargo co-founded in 1852 with Henry Wells, another railroad tycoon.
Kirk Dean, Wells Fargo regional president for North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, said the William Fargo exhibit is not only insightful to the city's history, but also to that of Wells Fargo and the old West.
"As a company, we emphasize local connections and roots," Dean said. "It only seems appropriate to have this kind of exhibit."
Dean said Wells Fargo has museums across the country detailing the company's history.
The idea for a William Fargo exhibit, however, originated with Stark about a year ago.
"I find history of names fascinating," Stark said. "The fact that Fargo was founded by a man synonymous with banking and transit is fascinating."
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Included in the exhibit is biographical information about William Fargo as well as the history of Wells Fargo in the city. Photographs and memorabilia are also in the display, which was paid for by Wells Fargo.
Stark said the exhibit has already received positive feedback.
"The people I've spoken with, especially the ones from Fargo, love hearing these stories," Stark said. "Kids love hearing that cities are named after real people."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Nick Kotzea at (701) 235-7311
