The Northern Pacific Railroad was built through this locality about 1885 and the station was named for Mr. Barlow. Mr. Alvia Niccum was the Depot Agent. The depot served an important function in the town from 1901 to 1969. Mr. Niccum made his home in the quarters that were provided in the depot.
For years the activities at the Barlow depot were a familiar routine as a small train unit consisting of a diesel engine and an all purpose car arrived each morning. Arrival time might be as early as 9 a.m. sometimes as late as noon. Return time was between 3 and 6 p.m. In later years this unit, nicknamed "the Goose", went from Jamestown to Leeds and back.
This train carried mail, express and passengers. Freight came by another train scheduled several times a week. Grain cars and for many years carloads of livestock were picked up at Barlow on the return trip to Jamestown.
When the daily train arrived at the depot, the routine was a familiar one. Mail bags were dropped off to be taken to the post office, parcels and smaller articles shipped by train were unloaded, and passengers, if any, stepped down from the coach to be met by someone waiting.
Then mail would be placed aboard the train, occasionally a passenger got on and articles waiting for express shipment were loaded.
For years a principal commodity shipped by train from towns like Barlow was cream. Most of the farmers kept herds of milk cows to supplement family income. The milk was separated and the cream was taken to the train.
The cream was transported in cans of five, eight and ten gallon capacities. Many farmers timed their delivery of cream just before train arrival time; however, since that was indefinite, often cans of cream stood in the summer heat many hours before being taken into a warm train car. Some of the cream was sent as far as the Twin Cities, and likely none sent from here was graded sweet on arrival.
This was a situation duplicated at most towns on railroad branch lines in North Dakota. Arrival of the train was a highlight of the day. The services provided were essential to the comfort and well-being of the community residents.
On a few occasions when the train failed to come, because of mechanical trouble, mishap on the tracks or too much snow, it was a disappointment of the day for most local residents. It was the day's main topic of conversation.
On November 26, 1970 the long familiar depot at Barlow was loaded and moved to a new site. The building was acquired by the Central Racing Association and was moved east of Barlow along Highway 281. The Racing Association disbanded and now the depot may be found at the residence of Dr. Wagner just north of Carrington.
Mr. Barlow walked all over the county getting signers so a Post Office could be started. The first Post Office and store were located near his shanty just north of the present site of Barlow On June 3, 1884. Mr. Barlow was the first postmaster and the station was named after him. It cost 151 to rent a post office box for three months in 1909.
Mr. Barlow was a staunch Republican. He was elected to the first legislature of North Dakota. He also served as a Senator. It was through the untiring efforts of Mr. Barlow that North Dakota entered the union as a dry state. He was also county commissioner and held many township offices. He built a small store in Barlow which was the first building there. He ran the store from 1883 to 1889. He died April 1, 1901.
As the population grew, many businesses started. "The Barlow Enterprise" was the village newspaper. A.S. McMillian was the publisher. The subscription rate was $1.50 per year, payable in advance. The first paper was published September 4, 1907, and the last issue was February 3, 1911.
The telephone office in Barlow served 135 families on its lines that went as far as the Brantford and McHenry areas. Gust Swanson was the manager and Lena Greitl (Bloomquist) was the first operator. The exchange was in the Swanson home, a cement blockhouse. Lena Greitl was the first white child born in Birtsell Township.
The Hotel‑Cafe was operated by Mr. and Mrs. Melby. Barney Engberg owned the jewelry store. Arthur Swanson was the first president of the Farmers State Bank in Barlow. There was also a Security State Bank. Fife and Turner started a general store in 1902. John Eggleton was the photographer and took most the early pictures of this area. A1 Steele owned and operated a three‑chair barbershop. Chaffee and Hansch and Pete Peterson owned and operated the other General stores. Iver Roaldson managed the Bovey‑Schute lumberyard and Pete Person also owned his own lumberyard. Andrew Beck operated an icehouse and also ran the dray line. The two livery stables were managed by Joe Edinger and Charlie Tomlinson. Frank and John Fahrer owned and operated the meat market. John G. Schmid owned and operated the hardware store. He also opened a tire shop later when the horseless carriage became popular. This store opened in 1905 and continued in business until 1942. In later years, it was owned and operated by John's son, Benjamin Schmid.
The two real estate offices were located here too. John and David Geiger managed one and J.B. Ewald managed the other. There was also an insurance and loan office.
Mr. Stewart operated the pool hall and bowling alley. They used wooden balls when bowling. The village blacksmith was Fred Hanson.
John Holth came to Barlow in 1905. He told his children that he was citizen number 701. This was the time when the population of Barlow was at its peak. Mr. Holth had a wood‑working shop. Some entries in his daily ledger in 1916 showed he charged 251 for the handle and putting it on the shovel. He also charged 251 for working on a gasoline engine for the Farmers Elevator. Twelve 8 x 10 inch pieces of glass cost $1.25. He sharpened a lawn mower for 251
He also began what was then called an "Auto Livery". Today, we would call it a taxi service. In 1910 he purchased a one cylinder Cadillac which went 12 to 20 miles per hour, depending on the wind. There were three steps to go up to get into the back seat. When he went by the Mike Greitl farm in his car at 15 miles per hour, Mrs. Greitl would say, "That man will kill himself driving so fast!"
In 1914 he sold the Cadillac and bought a model "T" Ford. With this car, he drove the trails to Jamestown and Devils Lake taking salesmen to their destinations. He also got doctors from Carrington and New Rockford and took them to sick people. He would get $5 for a round trip to Jamestown or Devils Lake. Sometimes it took 12 hours or more because he would get stuck in the mud or fall asleep at the wheel. Sometimes, he got lost at night because cars only had kerosene lights then.
Carpenters were important people during this time because of all area buildings going up and homes in Barlow. Some of the pioneer carpenters were William Keller, Sam Massier, John Walters, John Holth, John Weippert, Albert Frizzle, and Lewis Bergum. When Ole Lura came to the Barlow area in 1913 from Norway, he worked as a carpenter before starting to farm.
Because Barlow is located in one of the best agricultural areas of the state, grain was also a big business in Barlow. There, five grain elevators handled about 500,000 bushels of grain a year. The Farmers Elevator was managed by Mr. Jewett. Axel Nelson managed the Powers Elevator. Anon Jancobson ran the Monarch Elevator and O.B. Tauson managed the Acme Elevator. The name and manager of the fifth elevator cannot be remembered. People from as far east as Brantford and McHenry brought grain to Barlow. This would be a two‑day trip. The men would bring it over one day, sell it, stay overnight, and start home the next day.
During the prohibition days every town had "Blind Pigs" which were business places that also sold liquor illegally. For a while liquor was sold this way at the pool hall. When they would get caught the operation would be moved to another place.
Religion was an important part of the community. The people held church in the driveway of the Farmers Elevator from 1889 until the Congregational Church was finished in 1903. The first minister was Rev. J.R. Beebe. He also held services in New Rockford. The church had an active Ladies Aid and Sunday school. A beautiful stained glass window in the church was dedicated to Mr. Barlow.
Barlow became a school district by a special act of the legislature. It had eight sections - four taken from Birtsell Township and four from Estabrook Township. The first school in Barlow was built in 1902 on the west side of town. This school burned in 1908. A cement building was built in 1909 on the east side of town. This school had two grade rooms as well as high school rooms offering two years of high school studies. This school stood until 1952 when it was struck by lightning. A new one-room school was completed by January 1953. In 1920 when Caroline (Holth) Greitl was in grade school in Barlow, there were 48 students in the four lower grades and 37 in the four upper grades.
In 1957 this school was closed for lack of students. The district decided that it was cheaper to pay tuition for the six students to go to another school. The schoolhouse was sold about 1962 to Elmer Lura who used it as an addition to his home.
Sickness and epidemics were a part of early Barlow, too. Dr. McNamera was the physician and dentist. Mr. Buck, who was a four‑foot midget, was a pharmacist and operated a drug store.
In 1908, a typhoid fever epidemic went through the area. Caroline Martinson was one who became very ill with typhoid fever. She was taken to the Fargo hospital in the baggage car of the train. In those days, the baggage car was where sick people or ones who had died were placed.
In 1918 a very bad flu epidemic known as the "Spanish Influenza" hit Barlow and many other towns. Many people died.
Barlow believed in law and order, so a jail was built. Mr. Swanson was the first chief of police. The only person every to occupy the jail was a transient laborer who was found dead in a wheat field. He was kept there overnight until he was identified.
Barlow had many people who are still remembered for doing good deeds to others and overcoming extremely hard circumstances to make a living. Mary (Mrs. Mike) Greitl was one of these, she was known as the "Mother of the Community". When trouble or sorrow came to any family, she was the first one there to help. Her family once counted 131 babies she had helped to bring into the world and there were more after that.
Dick Stokke Thorson, known as "Blind Dick" came from Norway to Barlow to live. He planned to send for his wife whenever he had enough money. Before he was able to do this, he became very ill and lost his eyesight. After he regained his health, he started a small gasoline station even though he was blind. He used the dry hose type of gasoline pump on his driveway, and thus was able to set the stop for the amount of gasoline ordered. He kept an accurate record of the gasoline he sold by a "Pebble can" system which he devised, one can containing a number of small pebbles which equals the gasoline he has on hand. The other can was empty when he began his week. For every gallon of gasoline sold, he would transfer a pebble to the empty can. He recognized silver money by his highly developed sense of touch and he never accepted currency from a stranger unless someone he knew was present to verify the denomination. He kept track of these bills by placing the largest denomination on the bottom of his stack, then relying on his memory, which rarely failed him. He could tell who most of the people were that came by the sound of their cars or by their footsteps. People claimed that he was cheated out of very little money. Twenty years after he first came here, he was finally able to send for his wife.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 156