Downtown in Fargo in Cass County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Ford Building & BNSF Railroad
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 4, 2023
1. Ford Building & BNSF Railroad Marker
Just like the name hints, the Ford Building was built in 1915 as a Ford automobile plant and showroom to service the Dakotas. Built in a Chicago style along the Great Northern Railroad tracks, this building boasted the perfect location to assemble cars, load them onto railroad cars, and send them on their journey. Ford moved its operations to Minneapolis in 1956 and the building became an appliance store, then a printing shop, and finally, retail and office space on the first and second floors and condominiums on the third. Fun Fact: Ford Day is July 23rd! This event was created to celebrate the completion of the building in 1915!
The Northern Pacific Railroad was Fargo's first major railroad and an essential catalyst of North Dakota's economy. The tracks were completed in 1872 and transported passengers West across the state to the capitol, Bismarck. The Northern Pacific Depot is currently home to the Fargo Parks Department and was the first building in Fargo to be inducted on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction of the depot began in 1898!
Erected by Downtown Fargo Community Partnership.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 23, 1915.
Location. 46° 52.86′ N, 96° 47.271′ W. Marker is in Fargo, North Dakota, in Cass County. It is in Downtown. It is on Broadway North north of 4th Avenue North, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located along the sidewalk, directly west across Broadway from the former Great Northern Railroad Depot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 424 Broadway North, Fargo
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Dakota’s Red River Valley. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: ROCO & Powers Hotel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Eddie and Hildegarde Kraus (about 300 feet away); The Changing Faces of Entertainment (about 300 feet away); Theaters of Fargo (about 400 feet away); The Wurlitzer (about 400 feet away); First Lutheran Church & Cathedral of St. Mary (about 400 feet away); The Ford Building (about 400 feet away); Black Building & Fargo Theatre (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fargo.
Regarding Ford Building & BNSF Railroad.
Northern Pacific Railway Depot
National Register of Historic Places #75001304. Also a contributing property in
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 4, 2023
2. Ford Building & BNSF Railroad Marker
Looking northeast across Broadway. Ford Building is in the background.
From the National Register Nomination:
The former Northern Pacific Railway depot at Fargo, North Dakota is more than simply a fine example of the grand railroad stations built in "turn of the century" America during the heyday of railroad influence and prominence in the Mid-west. It is a statement expressing both the confidence of the railroads in the potential of the West and the importance of the railroads to the West. Designed by Cass Gilbert during the period in which he was establishing a career that would earn him international recognition, the depot's direct, bold and friendly architectural form shows the influence of H. H. Richardson's mature work on the young Gilbert. As is true of many of Richardson's suburban stations, Gilbert's Fargo depot exudes a sense of shelter and protection.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Ford Assembly Plant. Excerpt:
The Chicago School style building was designed by Ford's head architect, John Graham of Seattle, Washington. The building had showrooms and a garage on the first(Submitted on February 2, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)floor, offices and a shop on the second floor and the assembly plant on the third floor. The plant was located along the Great Northern Railroad tracks and had a spur line running through the building. Automobiles were assembled, then taken to the roof by elevator and washed. This is the reason for the building's iconic "Ford" water tower on the rooftop. After the cars and trucks were washed and shined, they were returned to the ground level. The automobiles were loaded on to rail cars while still inside the building and sent to cities across the Midwest. The plant employed 200 people when fully staffed. Ford built the plant in Fargo to supply the Dakotas with Ford automobiles and to serve as the region's sales and service center.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 4, 20233. The Ford Building (west elevation)
2. Northern Pacific Railway. Excerpt:
Congress chartered the Northern Pacific Railway Company on July 2, 1864, with the goals of connecting the Great Lakes with Puget Sound on the Pacific, opening vast new lands for farming, ranching, lumbering and mining, and linking Washington and Oregon to the rest of the country.(Submitted on February 2, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Congress granted the railroad a potential 60 million acres of land in exchange for building rail transportation to an undeveloped territory. The Northern Pacific reached Fargo, Dakota Territory (now North Dakota), early in June 1872.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 4, 20234. The Ford Building (southeast elevation)
3. Northern Pacific Railway Depot. Excerpt:
At the time of the station's construction, Fargo-Moorhead was served by both the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern Railroad. In 1970, the two railway companies merged to form the Burlington Northern Railroad. Freight trains used the Northern Pacific tracks, while passenger trains used the Great Northern tracks. Therefore, passenger trains no longer stopped at the Northern Pacific station.(Submitted on February 2, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
4. Burlington Northern Railroad. Excerpt:
The Burlington Northern Railroad was the product of the merger of four major railroads: the Great Northern Railway (GN), the Northern Pacific Railway (NP), the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S) and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad(Submitted on February 2, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)(CB&Q). Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1995. Burlington Northern acquired the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway on December 31, 1996, to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (later renamed BNSF Railway), which was owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. That corporation was purchased in 2009 by Berkshire Hathaway.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 20225. Northern Pacific Railroad Depot (south/front elevation)Located five blocks south of this marker at 701 Main Avenue (US Highway 10). Currently houses the Fargo Parks Department.
From the National Register Nomination: Conceptually, the building is divided into three plan components: a central two-story portion originally housed ticket sales, toilets, men's and women's lounges, and office space; to the east of this central portion is a large waiting room given enclosure by open steel and timber trusses earring a wood deck; to the west of the central portion is a single story baggage room spanned with large timber trusses. The most dramatic interior space is the waiting room, large in volume with hardwood floor and Georgia pine ceiling and highlighted by a large and decorative brick fireplace.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 258 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 2, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
