The New International Encyclopædia/Fargo

FARGO, fär′gō̇. A city and the county-seat of Cass County, N. D., 250 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minn., on the Red River of the North (at the head of navigation), and on the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul railroads (Map: North Dakota, J 3). Fargo is an important grain market, and has an extensive jobbing trade in agricultural implements, groceries, and notions. It has a public library, a United States land office, Saint John's Hospital, Fargo College (Congregational), opened in 1887, and the State Agricultural College, founded in 1890. Other features of interest are the Roman Catholic and Protestant Episcopal cathedrals, and Island and Woodland parks. The government is administered under a charter of 1895 which provides for a unicameral city council, and a mayor, who is elected biennially, and controls the appointments to the several municipal boards. The city owns and operates its water-works. Settled in 1871, Fargo was incorporated in 1875. A fire on June 7, 1893, destroyed property valued at $3,000,000. Population, in 1880, 2693; in 1900, 9589.