It isn't easy to visualize the area in and around Hannaford in 1879 and the years following when government surveyors came into the area and were followed by the first settlers, but we must try to picture in our mind's eye a view of the countryside then as compared to 1975. What was to become Wheatland and later Greenfield Township was surveyed in November 1879. The surveyors noted there were a few trees along the creek and a little brush. When we stop to notice the creek even today, there aren't many, if any trees, along its bank, but the countryside has taken on a whole new face due to the continuous efforts of the people through the years. Notice the lack of trees on the early picture of Hannaford. How hot it must have been in the summer and how cold in the winter without tree protection. The dusty or muddy roads over which the early settlers traveled and which started out as trails are also hard to fully picture. Immigration into the area really began in 1881.
The first post office in the area was called the Montclair Post Office and was located 41/2 miles northwest of the present Hannaford in the SW corner of Section 20145-59, according to an early map. One account states that the name Montclair was a composite name - the last syllable of Sinclair and Mont for hill. Another account says it was probably imported from Scotland by the Sinclairs. The Sinclairs owned the land in that area and Montclair overlooked Bald Hill Creek. The Montclair Post Office was established July 11, 1882 with Archibald M. Sinclair as postmaster. Montclair was also the name of the Township. This was changed to Bald Hill Township in 1888.
The Cooper Brothers, bonanza farmers around Cooperstown, harvested their first crop in 1881. They felt a great need for a railroad in the area and worked to make this a reality. The Sanborn, Cooperstown and Turtle Mountain Railroad, a branch off the Northern Pacific at Sanborn, reached a point midway between Dazey and Hannaford in 1882. During the summer of 1883 it was completed through Hannaford and reached Cooperstown on August 27, 1883. This was as far as it was to go until 1899.
In July of 1883 the Cooperstown Courier reported that two new towns were to be platted between Sanborn and Cooperstown, 1 at Daisy's and the other on Bald Creek, by the railroad. In August they reported these towns were platted and on the market. Hannaford was named for J. M. Hannaford of St. Paul who started as chief clerk in the general freight office of the Northern Pacific Railway and eventually became president and chairman of the board. Mr. Hannaford came through on the railroad on several occasions and died in 1934.
Andrew Langdon owned much of the land on which Hannaford was located. He and his son W. C. Langdon, who was called Chancey, came from Buffalo, N. Y. At one time they owned eight Sections of land in the area. They called their farmstead, Wallow Hill Farm. It was located in Section 7-144-59 of Greenfield Township where Lester Steiners live today. A foreman was in charge of the farming operation and the Langdons would spend their winters in the east. Chancey also attended the Agricultural College in Fargo.
The first Wheatland School District was outlined by the County Commissioners in March of 1883. It was made up of pans of Sverdrup, Broadview, Bald Hill and all of Wheatland Townships. For the first election of school Township officers the polling place was the house of Joseph Downing and the judges were Charley Nelson, S. B. Merryman, and John G. Mills. The first schoolhouse for the children in the Hannaford area was built in May 1884 on the Merryman land. It was located on the SE corner of 6-144-59, which is on the west edge of Hannaford today - part of the Louis Larson farm. Hannah Martin Roberts, Lottie Riley and Belle Merryman were some of the first teachers. School was held for only short periods in the summer and the teacher received $30 a month.
The telegraph line was completed in the fall of 1883 and a loading platform erected so grain could be hauled in sacks up to the tracks and loaded into boxcars. The year 1883 saw most of the homesteads in the area around Hannaford taken up. These men and women came in most cases with nothing more than two strong arms and a determination to make a home for their loved ones. All they asked was a piece of land and a long day to work in. This they got.
Wheat was king in the early days. With four oxen the pioneer turned the sod and in the early spring would sow his fields with wheat. A small strip was reserved for oats to raise feed for his oxen or horses. In December of 1883 the Cooperstown Courier reported the cost of raising wheat per acre in Griggs County. They said the first year, the breaking would cost $3.00, the back-setting from $1.50 to $2.00, harrowing and seeding, $.75, seed wheat (11/2 bushels) $1.50, and harvesting and threshing $3.25 for a total cost of $10.50 per acre. Each succeeding season it would cost $3.00 less. Crops averaged 20-30 bushels and would safely bring $.90 at threshing, giving the farmer $18-$27 per acre for his crop or a profit of from $7.50-$17.50 per acre cultivated with $3.00 more following years.
Early in 1884 the first building was erected in Hannaford by the Lenham Brothers of Sanborn. It was a small shack west of the track and was used for storing grain. When it blew down it was replaced by the Cargill Elevator, which was a flat warehouse. The railroad erected a water tank at Bald Hill Creek to supply water for the trains in 1884. Bridges were erected across Bald Hill Creek in Sections 33 and 29 of Montclair Township. Citizens were beginning to petition for roads that year too. The first road began at the Barnes County line at the SW corner of Section 32-144-59 and followed the Section line (the Cooper Trail) to the NE corner of Section 6-144-59. It then went in a northeasterly direction to the NW corner of Section 34-145-59, due north to the north boundary of Wheatland School Township diagonally across Section 15-145-59 to the NW corner of Section 14, due north on the Section line to the NW corner of Section 26-146-59.
By the end of 1885 the Lenham warehouse was shipping a large amount of grain and it was beginning to look as if a good town would grow up. Another grain warehouse was also completed and ready to receive grain. The farmers of Montclair had formed a club called the Farmers Club for the purpose of discussing farm questions. Mr. Mills was the president and A. M. Sinclair, secretary.
Little building was done until 1886. R. C. Brophy arrived in Hannaford in August of 1886 to take the Cargill Elevator. He also started a store. His ads in the Courier said he would buy wheat and all kinds of country produce, carry in stock flour, feed, lumber, coal, wood and a full line of general merchandise, groceries, dry goods, clothing and hardware. Reuben Brophy was a native of Illinois and a nephew of Grover Cleveland. He studied dentistry under his brother, Prof. T. W. Brophy, a professor in Rush Medical College in Chicago and had practiced dentistry for two years. He'd been in the machine business at Glyndon, Minnesota, the wheat business in Duluth and in Cooperstown, had been in the employ of the Lenham Elevator and Lumber Company, and later ran the Cooper Brothers' elevators. After leaving Hannaford he continued in the wheat business.
After Brophy arrived, a large station platform was erected at Hannaford and Tom Robinson built a livery and feed stable and a lunchroom. November 20, 1886, R. C. Brophy was appointed postmaster at Hannaford and this was the first Hannaford had a post office. The Montclair post office was then discontinued and that mail was sent to the post office at Helena. The townsite of Hannaford was platted by the Langdons the end of 1886 and Postmaster Brophy took care of the handling of the lots.
Mr. Brophy built a house in Hannaford and moved his family from Cooperstown in 1887. The house, which we know today as the Boe House, was described as a handsome and convenient residence with the finest cellar in the country. It was back-plastered all over an inch thick with an air space making it as warm as possible. When Brophy left, this became the E. H. Groven home.
The Hannaford Machine Company, which transacted business with J. I. Case, was established in January 1887 with Edwin Olsen as the largest stockholder. John Brekke started a hotel and Nelson Kiil moved his blacksmith shop from Cooperstown to Hannaford. That year too the Hannaford Baseball Club was organized with W. D. Mills as captain and A. Sinclair, secretary. They were ready to receive challenges from any other club in Griggs County.
The first elevator as we know them today was built in 1888 by Cargill. They used their warehouse as an annex. December of that year Brophy sold his business to E. H. Groven and left for Duluth. Groven had been living in Hannaford since 1887 and farming here since possibly 1884. Groven also became postmaster.
Crops in the area had been poor for several years. Crops were late in 1885 and frost in August destroyed a lot of them. They continued poor from 1886 through 1890. In 1889 the county commissioners floated seed wheat bonds amounting to $12,000 to aid needy farmers.
The year 1890 found a Blacksmith Olsen in Hannaford and Tom Olson groomsman for E. H. Groven that winter. Fred Markwood was prepared to teach the winter term in the school, but it was decided that winter school in Hannaford was not a success. A. M. Sinclair purchased the stock and merchandise of E. H. Groven in March of 1891 and went into the store business. John Berg built a blacksmith shop in 1892 and M. L. Patterson a carpenter shop. In 1893 the Groven Brothers, E. H. and Halvor, were selling all kinds of farm implements. H. Arestad and Thos. Helland formed a partnership to carry on a general merchandise business, which gave Hannaford two general stores.
Hannaford had its first celebration July 4, 1896. It turned out to be a fair day, a good crowd and program. There were pony, foot, bag and potato races, a ball game and fireworks. This was the first of many Fourth of July Celebrations. Social life was very active in these early years. Birthdays for all ages were celebrated. Dances were held in the homes, school and Groven's Hall. Hannaford had a literary society and a dramatic club, a very active baseball club, a racetrack was reported in 1895. The Hannaford Amusement Club scheduled a dance in 1902 with tickets, including supper, selling for $1.25. Tennis courts were installed in 1904, a community band started, and baseball grounds two blocks west of the school installed in 1905.
Wheatland Township became Greenfield in 1895. Moore Brothers erected a livery barn and also a restaurant in 1896 and in 1897 Stonemason Brakke was in business. Also in 1897 Crane & Johnson bought out the small stock of lumber, which Groven carried and opened, with a complete stock of lumber. They also had a yard in Cooperstown. Mr. Hetherington managed the lumberyard.
In March of 1893 Merchant Sinclair informed the Northern Pacific Railroad that Hannaford demanded a depot, but no action was forthcoming until October of 1897 when the Northern Pacific depot at Odell was moved to Hannaford.
The old schoolhouse was for sale in the spring of 1898 and the school board advertised for bids for the erection of a new one. The original school, which stood on the Merryman land, had been moved into town in previous years and still stands today. It is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Anundson. The new school was built by C. H. Johnson and was built as a one-room structure. In 1900 a partition was put in to provide for two teachers. The comment was made that now the building was spoiled for church meetings. This school stood where the Lutheran church stands today.
Claus Jackson and Halvor Arestad formed a partnership to go into the farm machinery business in January of 1898. The Helland and Arestad partnership then dissolved. Berg Brothers & Company of Cooperstown opened a branch of their farm machinery business and Olson & Cox had a farm machinery business. The Langdons erected a barn, house and windmill outfit on their farm and Walter Richardson decided to make Dakota his home and rented the Hyde farm for 5 years.
In 1899 Ole Jaeger, an experienced tinner was employed by Groven Hardware to fix anything and everything. A. M. Sinclair erected a store building on Wheat Street for a mercantile business and Emelie Fjelstad (later Mrs. Conrad Kolberg) opened a millinery shop. Miss Colby also sold bonnets. The Lutheran Church was erected that year.
The population of Hannaford in 1900 was 120. In the spring Groven sold his merchandise business to Andrew Strandness and Knut Furaas. Mr. Strandness had worked for Syverson in Cooperstown and Mr. Furaas farmed in the Hannaford area. Groven now gave his entire attention to the hardware business. Other business places in operation that year were Arestad & Jackson, Berg Brothers & Company, Crane & Johnson, and the Hannaford House (rooms, meals and livery). W. S. Hyde was a dealer in feed, seed and a shipper of grain. Miss Fjelstad sold millinery and together with Miss Claudia Jackson also had a dressmaking establishment. A. M. Sinclair sold furniture, undertaking supplies and insurance. R. M. Kerr and John Berg were blacksmiths, M. L. Patterson and Louis Larson were carpenters, Mrs. N. E. Farrington had a restaurant and Ed Olson the meat market. H. Anundson had a dray line, which he sold to John Brekke and a wood yard, which he sold to Hiram Guest. Dr. Tymms, M. D. from Dazey came to Hannaford every Thursday and held office hours.
Mr. Hyde was editing a page in the Cooperstown Courier during part of 1900, which was called the HANNAFORD BUDGET. He reported quite a number of trees were being set out that spring. He said, "The next move should be towards seeing that no stock is allowed to run at large on the townsite. We surely have got past pasture stages of progression." In June of that year the Hannaford merchants decided not to open their places of business on Sunday. The post office, however, would be open from 12 to 1 o'clock. In the fall the long distance phone lines were in and being used.
The Olson Elevator was built in 1901 and the Hyde Elevator in 1902. The Hannaford State Bank was organized in the spring of 1902 and both this and a drug store went into Sinclair's building. H. A. Langlie received a druggist permit. In 1903 Strandness & Furaas left to start a business in Finley and Groven sold his hardware business to Aarestad Brothers & Troseth, who came from Shelly, Minnesota Groven was back in the general merchandise business. Hans Peterson was in the meat market and Crane & Johnson changed to Crane-Johnson Company. Dr. Leslie moved to town and had his office and operating room over the bank.
Dr. Berg established a magnetic institute in 1903. Mr. Hemmingsen and others were involved in the purchase of the building and fixing it up for a hospital. It was called the Hannaford Sanitarium. C. L. Berg, Dakota Territory was a masseur. Treatment of rheumatism was the specialty and people would spend several days and even a week here for treatment.
The Presbyterian Church was built in 1903. In the spring of 1904 a new bank building was built of stone. Today this building is the Hannaford Post Office. Mr. J. B. Arbogast started publication of a weekly newspaper, the Hannaford Enterprise.
Houses weren't all painted white in the early 1900's as we may imagine. H. H. Groven's house (now the home of the Gerald Andersons) was described as having deep red siding, all white trim, the shingled parts of the walls were the color of grass in June, and the panels between the windows in the upper story were buggy black. Homes were also painted blue, green, or ivory.
The population of Hannaford in 1905 was 215 people. It was a flourishing town boasting of 2 general stores, 2 hotels, 3 farm machinery firms, 2 livery and feed barns, I drug store, 1 harness shop, I blacksmith shop, 1 railway station, I concrete block factory, 2 furniture stores, 2 barber shops, 2 contractors and builders, 3 brick and stone masons, 1 newspaper, 1 hardware store, 2 lumber, coal and wood yards, 2 restaurants, 1 bank, 1 doctor, 1 shoemaker shop, 4 elevators, 1 meat market, 1 creamery, 1 tin shop, 2 pool rooms, 2 painters and paper hangers, 2 dray men, 1 telephone exchange and 2 churches. Over 2000 people attended the Fourth of July celebration. Carpenters and painters were paid $4.00 a day, brick and stone masons $3-$4 a day, farm hands $30-$40 a month for a season of 7 or 8 months and household help got $445 a week.
Ole Almklov bought the Langlie drug store in 1905. Also that year the Hannaford Lumber Company was organized with H. H. Swingen as manager. William VanScoik established a concrete building block manufacturing plant on a lot behind where the Hannaford Mercantile was built. In 1905 the Hannaford -Cooperstown Concrete Company was reorganized. Its officers were:
S. H. Berg president, Henry Haugen vice-president, A. O. Anderson secretary and treasurer, and Tom Swingen manager. This factory was temporarily located at the sand pit. In 1906 the Edlund Brothers built a concrete block manufacturing plant on the creek bottom in the south part of town. Most of the original sidewalks in Hannaford were manufactured by them. They also made a large outdoor flowerpot. It is believed that they manufactured the block for the cement block buildings in town such as the Mercantile, Jackson's store, telephone building, Ray's Barber Shop, schoolhouse and several homes. It is not known when any of these businesses were discontinued. The first two, at least, were not in operation for very long. Mr. VanScoik took charge of the business operated by George F. Campbell, which consisted of a poolroom and confectionery in January 1907. The school was built in 1907.
The Hannaford Mercantile was built in 1906 and was the successor to the Anderson-Reite business. A. G. Hoel was the president, Asher Anderson vice-president and C. Reite secretary -treasurer of the first Hannaford Mercantile business. In 1908 Asher Anderson and Ed Savre, who had been working in the Mercantile, bought the farm machinery business of the Mercantile and started to conduct the business under the firm name of Anderson & Savre. The Mercantile continued to sell general merchandise.
By a vote of 32 to 2 Hannaford decided to incorporate as a village in 1906. Members of the first village board were E. H. Groven, I. A. Kampen and A. O. Anderson, trustees, W. A. Olmstead, clerk, Richard E. Leiser, assessor, W. S. Hyde, treasurer, C. L. Berg, Marshall and I. A. Kampen, Justice of the Peace.
The year 1910 found Hannaford with a population of 340 people. That year the town organized a fire department. They had purchased equipment for fighting fires in 1907. In 1911 a Commercial Club was organized and work was beginning on the Surrey Cut-off through Hannaford by the Great Northern Railroad.
Many businesses were flourishing by 1915. Claus Jackson was in the general mercantile business, Aarestad Brothers & Troseth had a hardware and farm machinery business, William Angus had been in charge of the Farmers' State Bank since 1912 and E. E. Thoreson was president and R. L. Jones, Cashier of the First National Bank. Asher Anderson was the agent for the John Deere Line of machinery. Nording and Alm were in the Hannaford Hotel and also owned and operated a meat market, pool hall, confectionery and lunchroom, barbershop and a livery barn. A. E. Johnston had a jewelry store, W. D. Sinclair a furniture store, L. B. Moore a garage, W. H. Richardson operated a sale and feed barn, owned a meat market, was superintendent of several threshing rigs, ground feed and moved houses and other buildings. Crane Johnson was the only lumberyard in town with Henry Swingen as manager. A creamery had been started in 1914 along the creek. A. F. Kencke had the drug store, Rasmus Olson the blacksmith shop, Frank Paulson the dray line, and the Central North Dakota Co-operative Telephone Company was owned by businessmen and farmers. Dr. Taylor was the dentist, Dr. Bensen, the physician, and John Sad, attorney and counselor - at- law. Ole J. Kalvik had a dray line and delivered oil for Standard Oil. John Dahl drove the delivery wagon for the Manhatten Oil Company C. L. Berg was proprietor of the Continental Hotel and Cafe, S. B. Clark had a barber shop and Mrs. Clark a lunch counter. Zweig & Berg had a recreation parlor, Mrs. Clara Peterson a millinery shop, Krag's a lodging and eating place, Alfred Gustafson a shoe shop, Charles Hanson a dray line, Mrs. S. B. Clark a business for cleaning, pressing and repairing clothes, and Christ Reite was secretary and treasurer for the Griggs County Land Company Melvin Markuson managed the N. J. Olson & Sons Elevator and George Knauss had already managed the Farmers Elevator for 9 years. The Commercial Club had charge of the Opera House and there was an A. O. U. W. Lodge and a Literary Society. On the Board of Education in 1915 were Claus Jackson, president, Mrs. William Angus, Mrs. C. P. Schmidt, O. M. Westly, R. L. Jones and John Sad, clerk. C. L. Codding was principal of the school and Frances Lauder, assistant. Teachers were Cora Lykken, Margaret Rehberg, and Mrs. Mabelle Breesegard. By 1920 the population had increased to 420.
There was a flash flood on the Creek in 1921 and after this a dam was built on the north side of the highway bridge. The swimming hole was then moved from the north side of bridge to the south. Red Cross swimming lessons have been given at the swimming hole most years since 1920 and now in 1975 it is still the swimming pool for the community. A ski slide was erected in 1923 overlooking the creek and ski tournaments were held every winter. The slide was taken down in 1963.
The thirties brought the depression years. Grain prices in January 1933 were 26¢ a bushel for dark northern wheat, 88¢ for flax, 4¢ for oats. Crops of wheat ran 2 and 3 bushels per acre with a few reports of 10 bushels per acre. Food prices were also low. Post Toasties sold two packages for 23¢, prunes, 2 pounds for 19¢, hamburger and sausage 10¢ a pound, home-rendered lard 3 pounds for 25¢, P & G soap 10 bars for 29¢ on sale or regularly 6 for 25¢. Railroad fares were:
2¢ a mile one-way or 1.8¢ round trip
3¢ a mile for a sleeper one-way and
2¢ a mile round trip. At one time a total of 248 men were employed under P. W. A. Local farmers worked on graveling roads where wages were $15 a week for a 30-hour week. Later the hours and wages were cut in half so twice as many men could be employed.
The town continued, however, and in 1935 the Benson & Son Poultry Hatchery was built. Hareland & Sons were manufacturing concrete well curbings. In 1936 construction began on the Community Hall located uptown. Before it was completed that summer it was partly demolished by a tornado, but work continued after the rubbish was cleaned up. This hall was used as a school gymnasium and for all other school and community activities. Its use was discontinued after a gymnasium was built onto the school in 1968. Also in 1936 the overpass on Highway 1 was built over the Great Northern track. It was a hot, dry, windy summer, which blew dust from the excavating over the entire town. The Sinclair building which housed the post office and Spenningsby Cafe burned that summer and the post office moved into the empty Farmers State Bank building and remained there until 1959 when the Security State Bank, which had been started in 1927, built a new building and the Post Office moved into their old building. Sinclair built another building and Spenningsby opened the Green Lantern Cafe in the north half of the building and Bill Mohart the C & D Market in the south half.
Fire again raged in March of 1942 during a blizzard. Burned were the Hannaford Hotel operated by Fred and Dorothy Mathisen, pool hall operated by Douglas Lee, meat market operated by Frank Kaha and a barbershop. The building was not replaced. In 1948 the Locker Plant owned by Power Appliance Company of Jamestown was opened. It later was operated by B. A. Baling, Duane Baukol and Floyd Fogderud and probably others. This building was demolished in 1975.
Hannaford celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1956 with a three-day celebration. In 1958 a grade school addition was built onto the school and in 1959 the city water system was installed with the water tower coming from the capitol grounds in Bismarck. That year too Cal Vincent started a construction business and Intercommunity Telephone Company rebuilt old telephone lines and installed dial telephones. Stri-King Bowling Lanes were built in 1960 by stockholders and by that year the population had dropped to 277.
The Bald Hill Horseshoe club organized in 1967 and built courts in the northwest corner of Hannaford. An open tournament has been held every year since 1968 with people from several states entered.
The Commercial Club dissolved in 1968 and in its place a Community Club was formed to include the farmers as well as the businessmen of the city. Also that year a four-unit housing development for the elderly was built and a $175,000 addition to the school, which included a gymnasium.
The census in 1970 was 244.
In 1974 garbage removal was started with a man from Hope providing the service.
Cal Vincent is the mayor of Hannaford in 1975.
The Farmers Elevator is managed by Marvin Grosser, assisted by Allen Klipfel.
Joe's Coop Service Station is owned by Joe Simpkins.
Gerald and James Anderson have a laundromat, hardware and sporting supply store.
Farmland Coop built storage tanks and other facilities in Hannaford in 1975 and their bulk agent is Mark Almklov.
Jeanette Richardson Arbuckle is the Postmistress.
Melvin Haugen manages Stri-King Bowling Lanes.
W. O. Brown is President of Security State Bank.
Ray Arbuckle owns and operates Ray's Barber and Beauty Shop with Ruth C. Anderson as beautician.
Paulsen's Standard Station is owned and operated by Elgar Paulsen.
Hannaford Supply in the Mercantile Building is managed by Donna Larson.
Cal Vincent Construction is owned by Calvin Vincent.
The Liquor Store is owned by Butch Baird of Cooperstown
Mike's Recreation by Mike Adams.
Marcus Hook runs a repair shop at his home.
Floyd Olson is in the carpenter business.
Inter-Community Telephone Company began putting all their lines underground during the summer of 1975.
Roger Nilsen is their local service man.
Organizations active in the community include the Commercial Club, American Legion along with their Women's Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary, Homemaker's Club, Park Board, Fire Department, Youth Summer Program sponsored by the Park Board and American Legion, Parent-Teachers Organization and Music Mothers in connection with the school, and Faith Lutheran Church with its Sunday School, American Church Women with their three circles, and Luther League.
The Hannaford School has 12 grades with kindergarten in the spring. It employs a superintendent and 11 teachers plus a custodian, secretary -teacher's aide, and 2 cooks.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 106