4/2/2011:
Walter P. Macomber was born on May 10, 1859 in Bangor, Maine, and he was to play an important role in the development of an important industry in North Dakota. Coming west in 1899, he settled in northern Burleigh County on the McLean County line. He helped plat the town of Wilton and was engaged in the grain and land business. However, his main interest lay in the region’s vast coal resources.
As president of the Washburn Lignite Coal Company he had been largely responsible for developing one of the largest mines in the area and was often spoken of as the father of the lignite industry. On this date in 1925, Walter Perkins Macomber died from a stroke at age 65.
Dakota Datebook written by Jim Davis
Source:
The Bismarck Tribune April 3, 1925