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BHistory
History · Fargo

Fargo dates to 1871, and 30 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 63% of U.S. towns · #5 of 23 in North Dakota. What drives it

Most of Fargo was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. 30 places in town are on the National Register, among them seven historic districts with 539 buildings between them. Below: 39 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.

1871founded
30on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
39old photos & papers
91famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Fargo’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Fargo began

When was Fargo founded?

1871

Fargo dates its founding to 1871 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 2,693 in 18802020 census: 125,990155 years

How historic is Fargo?

B

More historic than 63% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1871.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Fargo’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fargo is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #5 of 23 in North Dakota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fargo’s overall grade.
Founding era1871, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19408.3% of homes (±0.9) · typical ND town 7.2% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register30 listings, 564 historic buildings, 42.8 per 10,000 residents · typical ND town 2.8 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 63%
NewerOlder
North Dakota towns of 2,500+ (23)Ahead of 82%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Fargo ranks #200 on History.

North Dakota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical North Dakota town has 2.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fargo’s 42.8 sits above most of its state (90% of North Dakota towns have fewer) while its 564 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1871.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Fargo’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Fargo South Residential District takes in 260 historic buildings.A town in old photos39 old photos, postcards and papers, 1876–1996.Landmarks on the Register30 places on the National Register.Famous sons and daughtersJake Hager, Bobby Vee and 89 more were born here.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

30 listings protect 564 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
30
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
564
each building in a district counts
first listed
1975
Northern Pacific Railway Depot
Northern Pacific Railway Depot, built 1898Masonic Block, built 1884Grand Lodge of North Dakota, Ancient Order of United WorkmenLewis HouseDeLendrecie's Department StoreDibley HouseFargo Theatre Building, built 1926Knerr Block, Floyd Block, McHench Building and Webster and Cole BuildingPowers HotelCass County CourthouseNorth Dakota State University DistrictFargo City Detention HospitalJames Holes House, built 1879North Side Fargo Builder's Residential Historic DistrictNorth Side Fargo High Style Residential Historic DistrictBarrington ApartmentsResearch Plot 2Research Plot 30Pence Automobile Company WarehouseUnion Storage & Transfer Cold Storage Warehouse and Armour Creamery BuildingFargo Oak Grove Residential Historic DistrictWilson, Woodrow, SchoolBeebe, M.E., Historic DistrictBlack Building, built 1931George and Beth Anderson House, built 1958Fargo South Residential DistrictDowntown Fargo DistrictFederal Building and U.S. Post OfficeFargo-Moorhead YMCA SignFirst Presbyterian Church
BuildingsDistrictsSitesObjects

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival6
Classical Revival5
Italianate3
Romanesque2
Richardsonian-Classical2
Art Deco2
Northern Pacific Railway DepotBuilt 1898
Masonic BlockCommercial · Built 1884
Grand Lodge of North Dakota, Ancient Order of United WorkmenCommercial Classical
Lewis HouseVictorian
DeLendrecie's Department StoreRomanesque
Dibley HouseClassical Revival
Fargo Theatre BuildingArt Deco · Built 1926
Knerr Block, Floyd Block, McHench Building and Webster and Cole BuildingBuilding
All 30 listings
Powers HotelBuilding · listed 1983Cass County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1983North Dakota State University DistrictDistrict · listed 1986Fargo City Detention HospitalBuilding · listed 1987James Holes HouseBuilding · listed 1987North Side Fargo Builder's Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987North Side Fargo High Style Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987Barrington ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1989Research Plot 2Site · listed 1991Research Plot 30Site · listed 1991Pence Automobile Company WarehouseBuilding · listed 1994Union Storage & Transfer Cold Storage Warehouse and Armour Creamery BuildingBuilding · listed 2007Fargo Oak Grove Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2011Wilson, Woodrow, SchoolBuilding · listed 2012Beebe, M.E., Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2015Black BuildingBuilding · listed 2016George and Beth Anderson HouseBuilding · listed 2017Fargo South Residential DistrictDistrict · listed 1983Downtown Fargo DistrictDistrict · listed 1983Federal Building and U.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 2021Fargo-Moorhead YMCA SignObject · listed 2022First Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

By decade

Fargo, decade by decade

9 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s–1900s9 items
Bird's eye view of Fargo, Dakotac. 1876Bird's eye view of Fargo, DakotaMap of Proposed Location of Bridge Between Moorhead and1882Map of Proposed Location of Bridge Between Moorhead a…MapColored Man's Plea1900Colored Man's PleaMasonic Temple in Fargo, N.D., circa 1900c. 1900Masonic Temple in Fargo, N.D., circa 1900Broadway looking north1909Broadway looking northFargo Mercantile Co1909Fargo Mercantile CoCampus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]1909Campus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]Campus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]1909Campus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]Campus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]1909Campus, N.D.A.C. [North Dakota Agricultural College]
1910s–1930s19 items
Broadway at Night1917Broadway at NightNorth Dakota1917North DakotaScandinavian American Bank advertisement, Fargo, N.D., 19171917Scandinavian American Bank advertisement, Fargo, N.D.…Fargo, N. Dak1921Fargo, N. DakLocomotive engineer1939Locomotive engineerRailroad station1939Railroad stationRural road near Fargo, North Dakota1939Rural road near Fargo, North DakotaGrain elevator and flour mill1939Grain elevator and flour millSigns at entrance to office building1939Signs at entrance to office buildingNorthern Pacific railroad tracks west of Fargo, North Dakota1939Northern Pacific railroad tracks west of Fargo, North…Northern Pacific railroad tracks west of Fargo, North Dakota1939Northern Pacific railroad tracks west of Fargo, North…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad station1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad stationUntitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engineer1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Locomotive engin…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Rural road near Fargo, North Dakota1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Rural road near …
1940s4 items
Fargo, North Dakota1940Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North Dakota1940Fargo, North DakotaStreet corner1940Street cornerErecting neon sign1940Erecting neon sign
1950s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1980s–1990s2 items
Star Lite Outdoor Theater1980Star Lite Outdoor TheaterRed River of the North1996Red River of the North
Date unknown5 to date
Fargo and Railroad StationDate?Fargo and Railroad StationFarming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D.TDate?Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D…Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D.TDate?Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D…Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D.TDate?Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D…Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D.TDate?Farming. Plow gangs in the Dakota Territory, Fargo, D…
Today49 recent
A welcome mural2021A welcome muralScene at the Fargo Botanic Garden2021Scene at the Fargo Botanic GardenScene at the Fargo Botanic Garden2021Scene at the Fargo Botanic GardenScene at the Fargo Botanic Garden2021Scene at the Fargo Botanic GardenHector International Airport (KFAR) Airport Diagram2020Hector International Airport (KFAR) Airport DiagramBookFargo, North Dakota. - Flickr - -RodrixParedes2019Fargo, North Dakota. - Flickr - -RodrixParedesUS81 I-29 South - Exit 64 - 38th St 13th Ave2018US81 I-29 South - Exit 64 - 38th St 13th AveOrchard Glen Park2018Orchard Glen ParkI-94 Facing East at University Drive2018I-94 Facing East at University DriveI-94 East - Upcoming Exits in Minnesota2018I-94 East - Upcoming Exits in MinnesotaI-29 US81 North - Upcoming Exits 66-692018I-29 US81 North - Upcoming Exits 66-69I-29 US81 North - Exit 67 - US81 Business2018I-29 US81 North - Exit 67 - US81 BusinessI-29 South - Upcoming Exits 65-63AB2018I-29 South - Upcoming Exits 65-63ABDowntown Fargo Aerial - Facing Southeast2018Downtown Fargo Aerial - Facing SoutheastBusiness US81 South2018Business US81 SouthFargo, North Dakota2017Fargo, North DakotaUniversity dr2016University drFercho Branch YMCA in Downtown2016Fercho Branch YMCA in DowntownC.S. Bell Company bell being installed at Myriad Mobile2016C.S. Bell Company bell being installed at Myriad Mobi…Hotel Roanoke From the Wells Fargo Tower2015Hotel Roanoke From the Wells Fargo TowerBob-DL-square2015Bob-DL-squareRedRiverTollBridge2014RedRiverTollBridgePreschool activity 130523-Z-WA217-0122013Preschool activity 130523-Z-WA217-012PPTV2013PPTVKVRR2013KVRRJack Dalrymple, 15 September 20122012Jack Dalrymple, 15 September 2012Coca Cola Fargo IMG 12722012Coca Cola Fargo IMG 1272The film Fargo being projected on the Radisson Hotel in2011The film Fargo being projected on the Radisson Hotel …FARGO2011FARGOExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior detail, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseElevator lobby, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Elevator lobby, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseCourtroom, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Courtroom, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseCourtroom, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Courtroom, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseExterior, Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse2010Exterior, Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseND State Senator Merrill Piepkorn2010ND State Senator Merrill PiepkornND State Senator Merrill Piepkorn (cropped)2010ND State Senator Merrill Piepkorn (cropped)Fargo Arc2010Fargo Arc2010.05.22 marismuseum20102010.05.22 marismuseumGreetings from Fargo, North Dakota - Large Letter Postcard2010Greetings from Fargo, North Dakota - Large Letter Pos…DocumentGreetings from Fargo, North Dakota - Large Letter Postcard2010Greetings from Fargo, North Dakota - Large Letter Pos…DocumentTheatre Marquee2008Theatre MarqueeNorth Dakota ANG F-16s before retirement 20062006North Dakota ANG F-16s before retirement 2006Untitled photo2005Untitled photo
The story

How Fargo came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Fargo.

Read it all →

Historically part of Sioux (Dakota) territory, the area that is present-day Fargo was an early stopping point for steamboats traversing the Red River during the 1870s and 1880s. The city was originally named "Centralia", but was later renamed "Fargo" after Northern Pacific Railway director and Wells Fargo Express Company founder William Fargo (1818–1881). During the initial settlement of Fargo, there developed two cities: one (unofficially) called "Fargo on the Prairie" and the other "Fargo in the Timber". "Fargo on the Prairie" was known for being well run by Northern Pacific engineers, while "Fargo in the Timber" remained mostly lawless and full of apparently "desperate and reckless characters", according to The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Eventually, "Fargo in the Timber" would see its demise after a crackdown by federal authorities, and the modern Fargo would develop out of "Fargo on t…

ChaptersEarly history20th centuryRecent history

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Fargo, 1871 to 1982

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1871
    FoundingFargo is established
  3. 1871Post officeThe Centralia post office opens
  4. 1872Post officeThe Centralia post office closes
  5. 1872Post officeThe Fargo post office opens
  6. 1876In the archiveBird's eye view of Fargo, Dakota
  7. 1879BuiltJames Holes House is built
  8. 1882In the archiveMap of Proposed Location of Bridge Between Moorhead and
  9. 1884BuiltMasonic Block is built
  10. 1898BuiltNorthern Pacific Railway Depot is built
  11. 20th century
  12. 1900In the archiveColored Man's Plea
  13. 1917In the archiveBroadway at Night
  14. 1921In the archiveFargo, N. Dak
  15. 1924Born hereWilliam H. Gass is born here
  16. 1926BuiltFargo Theatre Building is built
  17. 1939In the archiveLocomotive engineer
  18. 1943Born hereBobby Vee is born here
  19. 1959On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  20. 1982Born hereJake Hager is born here
On the map

Fargo on the map, 1959 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fargo. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Fargo on the 1959 USGS mapFargo on the 1971 USGS mapFargo on the 1993 USGS map1959Fargo North sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Fargo.

Every building

Fargo, building by building, 1884–1929

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Fargo fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 1 of 10
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Bird's eye view of Fargo, Dakota
Retake this viewBird's eye view of Fargo, Dakota, c. 1876

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fargo’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Fargo, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000120,000140,00018801900192019401960198020002020125,990

Grew from 2,693 people in 1880 to 125,990 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fargo’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

91 famous people were born in Fargo

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Jake HagerFormer american professional wrestler and mixed… · b. 1982
Bobby VeeAmerican singer · b. 1943
W
William H. GassAmerican fiction writer, critic, philosophy pro… · b. 1924
CariDee EnglishAmerican model · b. 1984
Dalton KnechtAmerican basketball player · b. 2001
D
Daniel ChongAmerican filmmaker · b. 1978
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Fargo’s post office has been open since 1872. Another post office, Centralia, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Centralia
1871–1872
Fargo
1872–today
18701950today
13cemeteries and burying grounds inside Fargo
Beth ElCass County Cemetery Number 1Cass County Cemetery number 2Cass County Cemetery Number 3Fargo Hebrew CongregationGethsemane Cathedral ColumbariumGethsemane Cathedral Memorial GardenHoly CrossMessiah Lutheran Church ColumbariumRiversideSaint Stephen's Episcopal Memorial GardenSpringvaleSunset Memorial Gardens

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Fargo’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
7 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo5 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBird's eye view of Fargo, Dakota: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Stanley TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townReed TownshipIts storyDWest FargoIts storyDHoraceIts storyC−FrontierIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townPleasant TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBriarwoodIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Fargo’s history

What year was Fargo founded?

In 1871, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Fargo’s post office opened in 1871, and the census of 1880 counted 2,693 people here.

How does Fargo rank for history?

Fargo is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #5 of 23 in North Dakota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Fargo?

30 listings: 20 buildings, among them the Northern Pacific Railway Depot (listed 1975, the first), 7 historic districts with 539 contributing buildings, 2 sites, and 1 object. 564 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Fargo?

8% of Fargo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 7.2% for a North Dakota town; the median home was built in 1991.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (48), the Library of Congress (40), Wikidata (26), the National Register of Historic Places (30), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.