John Bergquist

John Bergquist. . , In the late winter of 1871, 22-year-old John Bergquist was one of very few settlers living in this area. Far from his native Sweden, he chose this spot for his new home. , Like many immigrants, John was drawn to the Minnesota Frontier by the Homestead Act, which promised 160 acres of free land to anyone willing to settle the West. John claimed his homestead on this bend of the river, spent three months building this cabin, and began farming that spring. That fall, the Northern Pacific Railway reached the Red River just one mile south of this house. Moorhead and Fargo were created at the crossing of the railroad and the river. , As the two cities grew rapidly, John jumped at an opportunity. He established a brickyard a few blocks east of here. For the next several years, he made millions of bricks from clay deposits just underneath the soil. Like our city, his fortunes rose and fell over the years, but Bergquist's homestead, as well as his bricks, literally provided the foundation of Moorhead. , Timeline , January 11, 1849 , Born in Småland, Sweden, 1868 , Emigrated to the United States, worked on farms and railways in Wisconsin and Minnesota , June 1870 , Filed his Declaration of Intent to become a US citizen in Alexandria, Minnesota , February 3, 1871 , Filed his Homestead Claim in Alexandria , February-April 1871 , Built a cabin on this bend of the Red River , September 1873 , Joined by his recently emigrated brother Peter , November 15, 1876 , Became a United States citizen , May 18, 1877 , Proved up on his homestead, May 1884 , Moved out of cabin after selling site , March 24, 1928 , Died at the age of 79 in Moorhead , For more information, visit the Clay County Archives at the Hjemkomst Center.