Society columns were once a popular feature in newspapers. Here are some examples from this date in 1892 from the Fargo Society column of the Wisconsin Afro-American.
"Mrs. Ella J. Johnson keeps a fashionable dressmaking establishment at 43 N.P. Avenue. Every lady should give her a call. There will be services at the First Baptist Church next Sunday afternoon, preaching by Rev. Alex Moore."
"The Wisconsin Afro-American can be bought at Nathan Norris' Barber, 63 1⁄2 Broadway. Nathan Norris' barbershop would probably have been upstairs or downstairs of Segal Clothing Company, a men's clothing store at 63 Broadway. The column went on to report, Mr. George Hayes is quite an artist with a guitar."
"Mr. John Spencer made a flying trip to Jimtown and returned in six hours. The whole distance is 180 miles. Mr. James Woodfork left last night for Chicago."
The Wisconsin Afro-American's previous issue on August 13 reported:
"Mr. Arthur Johnson is organizing his baseball team, the Blue Caps, and he bets that they can beat anything in the North. Also, Mr. Ford presented his daughter, Miss Alberta, with a fine Halen piano, one of the finest in the Northwest."
The Black community of Fargo was so prominent that it merited a Society column from several "Afro-American" newspapers. These newspapers included the Wisconsin Afro-American, printed in Milwaukee, The Appeal, printed in Minneapolis, and The World, also printed in Minneapolis.
Three years earlier, on March 2, 1889, The Appeal had reported:
"Mr. Amos Thomas left Monday night for Washington, in company with W.T. Montgomery, the large farmer in Christain, Dakota. Mr. Montgomery is the largest colored farmer in the Northwest."
Four years later, on June 27, 1896, The World would report:
The young men of this city will organize a baseball club Thursday night. And, Mrs. Anthony started to build her new residence on the North Side Wednesday, and when it is completed, it will be an exceedingly nice one."
These snippets about the routine daily lives of Black Americans from 19th century Fargo provide an interesting window into that era long ago.
Dakota Datebook written by Andrew Alexis Varvel
