There was a time when not even the name of Arthur existed. The "hill", now one of the main residential parts of town, was nothing more than a slight rise in the land and perhaps looked much as it did when the waters of Lake Agassiz lapped quietly against its edges. If one could have stood on the summit of this barren hill and looked westward, he would have seen none of the trees that mark the town today; there would have been no cultivated fields, not a farmhouse, but only undisturbed prairie. However, a day was soon coming when this same land was to be the scene of new activity and development.

In the year 1879, if one had been watching from this same hill, he might have seen the humble appearance of only one of the first homesteaders, Samuel Bayard, astride a mule, making his way from Casselton to the present site of Hunter. There he met two others, who were that day choosing the sites of their homesteads. The two men informed Mr. Bayard of a quarter section of land they had observed earlier that day, so after riding back to look at it, he decided to file his claim upon it for his homestead.

In like manner, other early settlers came during the next three or four years. Among the earliest homesteaders in the area were Robert Stewart, Charles McKinnon, and August Faltz. About this time there were enough people to establish a small settlement, which they called Rosedale, named for Rose Gunkel, the sister of a prominent early pioneer. The name was later changed to Arthur in 1882, in honor of Chester A. Arthur, who had succeeded James Garfield as U.S. President. There was a post office established in 1880, located north of the present site of Arthur, which was called Mallette, but which was later renamed Arthur. The townsite was platted in May 1882, by Samuel B. Johnson.

The year 1882 seems to mark the real beginning of a business nucleus in the community, as more homesteaders found their way to this part of the Red River Valley. By 1883 these names became familiar in the community: Wallace and Wilbur Hackett, A.]. Schur, L.D. Roberts, I.S. Roberts, Richard Vosburg, Dan Webster, John Schlaet, and A.T. Burgum.

The construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad played a major part in the development and growth of Arthur, this tiny spot in an area of many thousands of square miles of prairie. The first depot, opened for business in 1882 by William Winston, was a crude building located on the westside of the railroad tracks. The first building constructed in Arthur was a general store built in 1881 by S.W. Hall. Soon another store and lumber yard was built and managed by John Brandenburg.

Before the fall of 1882, a schoolhouse had been built by Dave Comb of Hunter. This building served the community for twenty years as a place of learning and as a social center. Church and Sunday School were also held there, and the big event of the year - the community Christmas tree and its festivities - took place in that building.

Another of the earliest buildings constructed was the Confectionary Store built by William Wagner and John Russell in 1882. Standing in the middle of the block along Main Street, the business was bought by William 's son, Herman, who ran competition to Gus Schur, who had a cafe in the building just south of his. Elmer Schur, son of Gus, had a one-chair barber shop and advertised in a 1920 Arthur News as a ''tonsorial artist.''

The Arthur Hotel was built by John and Leontine lwen about 1910 or 1911. Previously they had farmed just west of the Arthur Farmers Elevator. The hotel had twelve bedrooms on the second floor and one large bedroom on the first floor. The first floor consisted of a large room or lobby as you entered from the street, with a long table next to a large window facing west on Main Street, where the card playing and games took place. Next to the door was a small counter where people registered, and a few boxes of cigars and snuff were displayed for sale.

The first barber shop was in the Arthur Hotel building on Main Street. Early shop operators were Elmer Schur and Oscar Olson. In 1931, Nels Severson purchased the shop from Oscar Olson, and with Nels coming to Arthur, Oscar moved to Casselton. Early prices for barber shop services were: haircut, 35¢; shave, 15¢; and neck clip, 10¢. Nels liked to recall that he had cut hair for five generations of Gebekes, and for several generations of other families. Children's first haircuts were free and quite often it was a special event in the life of both parent and child. Many parents recorded the happening with a picture which they would share with Nels. Over the years, he accumulated quite a collection of these "first haircut" pictures. You might even recognize the child in the top left photo below.

More pioneers continued to come to this little settlement and for them was the necessity of homes and buildings. With progress comes change, and these people had the courage and faith that was needed for growth and prosperity. This same strength was shared by many others living on the land around them.

Images and content provided by the North Dakota State University Archives Library and Digital Horizons.
Book Title: One Hundred Years with Arthur: Arthur Centennial, 1882-1982.