Melville Fixit Club

Featured in Forum story:

Melville and its Fixit club members were the subject of a half‑page feature story in the Sunday Fargo Forum by the Forum's special writer, Alma Riggie. Six pictures illustrated the article. Most of the story centered around C.L. Kyte, Melville postmaster and the secretary of the club, whose newspaper writing received one of the six "country correspondent" prizes offered in a national contest by the Country Home magazine. Mr. Kyte's weekly report on Melville news, and comments on state and national affairs, is a regular feature of the Foster County Independent.

Every small town has its group of men who drift together in front of one of the stores in the summer time, and around a hot stove in the winter time, and proceed to settle every question‑ local or national that is in the public eye. In Melville, this is the "the Fixit Club". Colonel Kyte reports on these meetings in his own inimitable manner in his weekly news letter. And the Fixit club is becoming famous.

Some interesting Melville history was brought out in the feature article. Melville started out to be Newport in 1883, located a mile south, but the railroad company and the owner couldn't agree on the price of the townsite so the company accepted a free site from Lyman R. Casey, a bonanza farmer, who changed the name from Newport to Melville, honoring Melville Hanna.

Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 363