1/17/2006:
Park Company Realtors of Fargo traces its beginnings to this day—fifty years ago—when real estate agents Phil Jung and Vernon Struck organized Island Park Associates. From the first office location adjacent to Island Park, to its current location on north 10th Street, the company has moved several times, but it has always been headquartered in the downtown area.
There have been a number of changes between Island Park Associates and today’s Park Company. In 1982, it joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service, which was later acquired by GMAC Home Services. In recent years, branch offices opened in West Acres and also in the Minnesota lakes area. By June of 2005, co-owners Kris Sheridan and Steve Stoner were ready for the company to once again become an independent, residential, real estate company.
Fargo was a much smaller city in January 1956. But, it was growing, and the prospects for the real estate business were good. The Golden Ridge neighborhood had been recently annexed into the city, and was referred to as “the west end.” To the south, new homes were going up in what is now known as the Lewis & Clark neighborhood, north of Interstate 94. And the lakes area…well, “lake cabin” had quite a different meaning back in the ‘50s.
Interstate highways were being discussed in Washington, but they weren’t yet funded, let alone built. Downtown Fargo was thriving, and West Acres Shopping Center was still 15 years in the future. Looking at a city map today, it’s clear that a great deal of real estate has been added to the city, and it’s understandable why Island Park Associates’ original partnership has grown in proportion to its hometown.
Of course, real estate prices have changed in 50 years – along with the value of a dollar. A year’s subscription to the The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican was then $12. Homes advertised in the January 17th issue ranged from $3,000 to $16,000. For $12,300, the Jackson Company could set you up with a newly built 3-bedroom bungalow with a ranch style roof and concrete driveway.
To furnish your new home, you could purchase a top-of-the-line 9.6 cubic foot refrigerator for $178, a 3-piece bedroom suite for $98, and a Hydroswirl washer for $138 – or if you preferred, a wringer washer could be had for $88.
You could stock your kitchen with un-sliced white bread from Cox’s Bakery at 2 loaves for 25 cents. Whole bean coffee was 69 cents a pound. For a nice getaway, a one-way ticket to Minneapolis on the Great Northern Railway’s Empire Builder was a mere $5.78. And, why not? Best to leave your Studebaker parked on your concrete driveway, especially since it’s January and there’s not yet an I-94.
Also in the real estate news on this date in 1956…the Forum reported over 16,000 people toured a new downtown building during a two-day open house hosted by American Life & Casualty Company, WDAY, and other tenants. And where was this eye-popping piece of prime real estate located? 207 North 5th Street – which is now home to Prairie Public Television and Prairie Public.
Back to Park Company – happy 50th birthday! Better get out your poodle skirts to celebrate this one!
Sources:
The Fargo Forum. January 17, 1956.