Hallock History

Hallock History. . , Charles Hallock, a well-known New York naturalist and writer, referred to the area that would become the town of Hallock as "a Sportsman's Paradise." Hallock penned articles about its birds, grasses, flora, and wildlife for Harper's magazine, the New York Times, and the Evening Post. In 1873, he established a magazine called Forest and Stream, which later merged with Field and Stream. , Hallock first visited northwestern Minnesota around 1875. A few years later he set out to establish a farm colony in Kittson County for sportsmen. His vision included a large hotel and summer cottages. The town of Hallock was incorporated in 1887. , Hotel Hallock was completed in 1880. In promoting the hotel and the area, Mr. Hallock wrote, "Bands of elk came within a few miles of town, moose ran through the village, a black bear came to play with the kids at recess." On Christmas Eve of 1892, the hotel, which had no insurance, was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Hallock chose not to rebuild. , Railroad tycoon James J. Hill, "The Empire Builder," was CEO of a number of railroad lines, which made their way through Hallock and played a major role in the settlement of the area. He built a house north of Hallock, in Northcote, that still stands. , James J. Hill's son, Walter Hill, lived in the house. He is pictured below with his wife and workers on the Hill Farm. , Indigenous people, including Cree, Assiniboine, Lakota (Sioux), and Ojibwe (Chippewa), long traversed this region. During the 1800s, the Metis people, descendants of Europeans , mainly French trappers , and Indian women primarily from the Pembina and Red Lake Band, took up residence in St. Vincent, 19 miles north of Hallock. They, along with local Ojibwe Indians, known as Chippewa by European newcomers, became frequent visitors to Hallock. Because the Ojibwe regularly traded at the Lindegard Bros. store, Axel Lindegard recorded many details about their visits in his diary. , Frederick McKinley “Casey” Jones is one of Hallock's most famous residents. He was the first African American to receive the National Medal of Technology, which was awarded posthumously in 1991. His inventions include portable cooling units, like refrigerated trailers and rail car containers, and sound-on-film equipment for movie theaters. He cofounded ThermoKing and received more than 60 patents for his refrigeration technology, x-ray machines, ticket-dispensing machines, engines, and sound equipment. , First Indoor Ice Rink in Minnesota was built in Hallock in 1894. , Fargo was filmed in Minnesota in 1995. Due to a lack of snow in the rest of the state, some of the scenes were shot in Hallock and nearby.