Fred Joseph Fredrickson (1891-1968) known as "Mr. Water" and as "North Dakota's ambassador to Washington, D.C.'', was born near Adams, Walsh County, North Dakota. His parents, Carl F. and Anna Augustson Fredrickson, were pioneers in Walsh County, coming from Sweden in 1882 and 1884. In 1911 Fred came to Valley City, North Dakota, from Mayville where he had studied law in the office of Judge Ames. He worked and studied law in the law offices of Winterer and Ritchie and passed the bar examination just prior to entering military service in World War I. On his return to Valley City, he established his own law practice which he maintained until going to Washington, D.C. in 1942.
On September 10, 1919, he married Ina M. Jefferson of Hope, North Dakota, daughter of Gordon and Annie Dorrance Jefferson, pioneers of Steele County, North Dakota. The Fredricksons have one son, Robert E., who is a chemical research engineer with Dow Chemical Corp., of Freeport, Texas. He and his wife, Dorothy Bergh Fredrickson, have three children: Laurie (Mrs. Robert Walker), Carol and Craig. Daughter Jean
Hagen Hastings of Renton, Washington, has two children, Kristen and Kent.
Fred served as Barnes County Tax Supervisor, City Treasurer, elected Mayor in 1928 and served 16 years; elected to the North Dakota Senate in 1936 when he helped to establish the State Water Commission. In 1942 he was selected Washington Representative by the G.N.D.A. He was also employed by the Water Commission until 1962 when he retired from G.N.D.A. to remain consultant to the Water Commission and deputy administrator for the Souris-Red-Rainy River Commission until his death June 25, 1968.
In his years in Washington, D.C. he saw Garrison, Baldhill, Homme, Heart Butte, Dickinson and Jamestown dams and reservoirs move from blueprints to completion. His planning, preparing and presenting proposals and briefs resulted in completion of six major water conservation, reclamation, flood control or recreation projects, plus other industrial, research, medical and transportation facilities that have been of untold benefit to North Dakota. He said, "There is no substitute for water, practically every other element can be replaced but not water. Without it life on this planet is doomed."
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 72