A view from Broadway and Front Street, 1909, looking west-southwest. The four-story Waldorf Hotel can be seen at the end of the block, opposite a two-story deLendrecies building.
Below: The scene in 2015. The Waldorf is long gone, the former deLendrecies building is a five-story apartment building, and the shops on the street now known as Main Avenue consist of trendy clothing shops, a coffehouse, a pizza restaurant with rooftop seating, and a diamond jewelry store, among others.
The photos and information on this site are just a small sampling of the book: Fargo Moorhead Lost and Found. Get yours!
Troy – do you have access to the original photo? The automobile in the picture has a license plate on it. Is it possible to determine the date or name of the state on the license plate? North Dakota didn’t begin issuing license plates until July 1, 1911 – and that plate had a black background with gold letters. The first “white” background plate in ND was 1912. Minnesota began issuing plates in 1909, but I don’t have current access to their color schemes. Fargo is known to have issued its own city plates but of the existing plates I am aware of, none had a white or light colored background. The date on the license will definitely date the photo.
All I have is a postcard, Jim. I zoomed in on it, and it’s a dark background with the number “28” in light colored digits. Does that tell you anything?
Just got back to town after being gone for 3 weeks – will dig in my old records (ND MVD records 1911-1912-1913-1914) and see what shows up for plate # 28 —- !!
The Waldorf section says the 5th floor was added “sometime prior 1909.” It’s still a 4 story here.
Maybe I should have said sometime AROUND 1909. We don’t have an exact date when the fifth story was added.