M.L. Berg

The first case involving murder or manslaughter from Ward County was tried in Minnewaukan in January, 1887.

Elmer Fosberry (or Fausberry), a teamster, had shot and killed contractor Frank Finnie at a corral near Gasmann Coulee on Monday, August 23, 1886. At his trial, held on Thursday, January 20, 1887, Fosberry was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. (The judge presiding at Fosberry’s trial was Judge William Francis, who had also presided over the trial of the Marquis de Mores in Bismarck in September, 1885.

He had been charged with the murder/manslaughter of a cowhand named William “Riley” Luffsey during an exchange of gunfire just outside of Medora on June 26, 1883.)

Finally, Minnewaukan was also one end of the Villard to Minneweaukan mail route. Like the Villard to Washburn route, a mail contractor was responsible for mail delivery. The mail contractor in Minnewaukan was Frank Weisz, whose last name was usually spelled ‘Wise’ in newspaper accounts. The 1885 census of Benson County listed him as a 24-year-old carpenter from Ohio. Weisz built a large livery in Minnewaukan in 1885, which is probably the year mail service began with Villard (and other points).

The Minnewaukan mail carrier was usually Alexander Spencer. He hailed from Nova Scotia and turned 30 years of age in 1885. He was a liveryman by trade and married to Elora, who was also from Nova Scotia. They had two daughters, Mabel and Ella, and a son, Frank, the first of their children to be born in Dakota Territory, in 1883. The distance between Minnewaukan and Villard was about 85 miles. Spencer likely called at Newport before going to Villard, which lay eight miles further downstream.

Newport had had a post office two months earlier than Villard. Newport’s first Postmaster was Charles Jones, who was placed in office on September 3, 1884.

For some reason, Alex Spencer switched mail routes in 1886, transferring to a mail route between Fort Totten and Churchs Ferry, previously Grand Harbor. Early in 1887, Frank Weisz sold his large livery barn to J. D. Barrett for $700. (See ‘Pioneers and Progress’, page 52.) Perhaps Weisz was anticipating – or had been informed of – changes coming to the route to Villard from Minnewaukan.

In any case, the Villard Leader informed its readers on page four of its issue for April 16, 1887, that mail services between the two towns were officially ending as of Saturday, April 23, 1887. Henceforth, mail coming to Minot from the east was to be delivered aboard trains operating on the Manitoba Road line, which had begun regular runs to Minot six months earlier, in October, 1886.

M.L. Berg of Minot enjoys researching local history.