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North Dakota man once created the world's largest trunk and turned it into a garage

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North Dakota man once created the world's largest trunk and turned it into a garage


FARGO — When it came to promotion and publicity, P.T. Barnum himself had nothing on Fargo businessman John Monson.

He was a seller of luggage, trunks, and valises, but showmanship and illusion were also his game, most notably creating the world’s largest trunk and eventually turning it into a garage.

But that is just one chapter in a very interesting life.

John Monson was born near Neenah, Wisconsin, Feb. 4, 1853. As a young man, he worked in logging camps in the white pine forests along the Wolf and Wisconsin rivers, according to his obituary.

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Later he rafted the logs down the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers to the city ports and sawmill cities downstream. After stops in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon he found his way to what was then Dakota Territory to make a name for himself.

The Monsons lived at this home on what is now University Drive.

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

In March 1882, he came to Fargo to open a men’s furnishings store on Broadway. In 1886, he married Mattie Judd, who was a school teacher in Wisconsin before the couple married.

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By 1900, John established the Monson Trunk Factory setting up shop at 614 Front Street (the current location of The Front Street Taproom). It later moved to 606 Main Avenue where it became Monson’s Luggage.

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Monson’s Luggage was located at 606 Main Avenue in Fargo in this photo date from 1970. It is the current home of Rhombus Guys pizza.

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

By 1910, the Fargo Census shows Monson living at 1024 University Drive South with Mattie and sons Leigh, 23; Lloyd, 21; and Fern, 15.

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That was also the year Monson and his business achieved international fame by constructing what he purported to be the “largest trunk in the world.” It was 18 feet in length, 10 ½ feet high, and 10 feet long.

Monson had the image placed on promotional postcards that seemingly invited people to come see his shop.

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After building the trunk, Monson had it put into postcards to use for promotional purposes. This one read: “This is to certify that the teacher to whom this card is addressed is entitled to discount as per our offer with calendar. Not transferable. Monson Trunk Factory, Fargo, N.D. March 1917.”

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

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The trunk was on display for a time at the Fairgrounds in Fargo.

It’s unclear when Monson’s trunk lost its promotional appeal. But when it did Monson had a plan. He moved the trunk to the backyard of his home and converted it into a garage.

Three years later, Monson must have figured he was due for another promotional stunt.

In an advertisement (which reads more like a newspaper story) from June 6, 1913, people were encouraged to come to downtown Fargo for “one of the most unique features of the entire week.”

At 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7th, Monson planned to throw one of his trunks off the top of the 5-story Waldorf Hotel, not far from his shop.

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The high dive stunt was meant to show the durability of Monson’s trunks. The ad goes on to say, “Moving pictures of this act will be taken and all who wish to get into the ‘movies’ should be on hand at that time.”

So far, we haven’t been able to find the film or any reports about the success of Monson’s stunt. However, the company continued to operate in downtown Fargo.

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Monson’s Trunk Company in 1904. You can see shelving along wall on left side filled with luggage and trunks on the floor. Toward the back of the room are a row of bicycles.

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

In 1919, John Monson turned over his business to his son who changed the name to the Monson Luggage Company and in the late 1930s to Monson’s Luggage. Eventually the store relocated to the West Acres Mall. It appears that both sons Lloyd and Fern worked for the company, while oldest son Leigh was listed in the census as working in police management and later as an attorney.

In the meantime, John and Mattie Monson weren’t content to just sit around. For the next few years they traveled around the country in their car. They eventually returned to Fargo in 1924, having logged over 42,000 miles.

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John Monson didn’t just dabble in large trunks. In this photo he’s pictured with his wife and one of their children, standing beside his car which he outfitted with a tent to make it a “Camping Car.”

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

According to his obituary, “They remained in Fargo only a very short time, as Monson had opened an elaborate tourist camp in the grapefruit area of Lake Alfred, Florida.”

He worked almost to the day of his death at his home at Lake Alfred in May 1945.

Mrs. Monson died January 6, 1943 at Lake Alfred.

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John Monson and friends try out the large trunk as a garage.

Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU, Fargo / Contributed

What happened to the trunk/garage?

Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of this story is just how long that trunk-turned-garage lasted.

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According to Dana Cook, the current owner of the former Monson home, the garage stood until 2005, shortly before she and her husband bought the property from her coworker.

“My coworker still parked her car in it until she was told it would have to be removed. She drove a (Honda) Odyssey and it just barely fit,” said Cook.

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The old trunk stood on the property as a garage until 2005 when it had to be torn down.

Dana Cook / Contributed

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Cook said the financing wouldn’t go through for the property unless the old structure was taken down. So the former owner and her husband spent a weekend with a chainsaw tearing it down and putting the remains into a dumpster.

It was hardly a glorious end to an internationally acclaimed trunk. But it survived for 95 years through snowstorms, hailstorms and all that Fargo’s weather had to dish out. Old John Monson would have been proud.


STEP BACK IN TIME WITH TRACY BRIGGS

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Tracy Briggs, “Back Then with Tracy Briggs” columnist.

The Forum

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Hi, I’m Tracy Briggs. Thanks for reading my column! I love going “Back Then” every week with stories about interesting people, places and things from our past. Check out a few below. If you have an idea for a story, email me at tracy.briggs@forumcomm.com.

Tracy Briggs

Tracy Briggs has more than 35 years of experience, in broadcast, print, and digital journalism.

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North Dakota

Today in History, 1930: North Dakota marks 8 bank robberies in a year, stealing a total of $13,555

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Today in History, 1930: North Dakota marks 8 bank robberies in a year, stealing a total of ,555


On this day in 1930, North Dakota bankers reported that nine bank robbers had been sent to prison after a year of holdups and burglaries across the state.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Bandits Loot North Dakota Banks of $13,555 in Year

NINE ROBBERS ARE IN TOILS

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Six Daylight Holdups, Two Night Jobs In Macfadden Report

The bank bandit business in North Dakota since July 1, 1929, has paid out about $13,555.08 to its tradesmen, but has sent nine of them away for long visits at the state penitentiary in Bismarck.

From July 1, 1929 to June 15, 1930, close of the fiscal year for the North Dakota Bankers association, there were six daylight holdups and two night burglaries in the state, the annual report of W. C. Macfadden, Fargo, secretary, shows. Mr. Macfadden released his report for publication Saturday.

See more history at Newspapers.com

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Up to June 15, the holdups had resulted in a total money loss of $12,356.08, but Friday two men held up the Commercial State bank at Sarles and escaped with about $1,200, bringing the grand total to $13,556.08.

The total loss resulting from daylight holdups in 1929 was $5,619.50 exclusive of damage losses. Attempts to obtain money in two night burglary attacks failed. So far in 1930 the loss amounted to $6,735.58, taken from the Citizens National bank at Wahpeton, May 29, plus $1,200 lifted at Sarles Friday.

Everyone Loses At Denhoff

The first bank case in the 1929 fiscal year of the association was at the First State bank of Denhoff Aug. 2, when $800 in currency was burned and the vault damaged beyond repair in a night time attack. Nobody profited by that deal—not even the bandits, for though they escaped, they couldn’t take the charred money with them.

Then came the Gwinner affair when four men broke into the Gwinner State bank under cover of night, cut open the vault, and then were forced to flee down a road ahead of an impromptu, but indignant posse which sprinkled them liberally with shot. All four of the bandits were captured and all of the money recovered. The four men, Thomas Kerwin, John Mitchell, George Smith and John Grant, each of whom won a plentiful aliases were sent away to Bismarck and will be there for some time to come.

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Sept. 10, 1929, the First State bank of Alamo lost $4,000 in a daylight holdup. Oct. 2, the Security National bank of Taylor was visited, and robbed of $1,619.50. None of the money has ever been recovered.

Three men held up the bank of Garske Oct. 7, 1929, were chased by townsfolk and ended up in Bismarck. The three convicted were Nicholas Schneider, Jimmy Russell and Louise Vivier.

John Peters was the next man to be sent away on a bank bandit charge. He entered the penitentiary convicted of having held up the Douglas State bank on Nov. 22. The full amount of money was recovered from Peters as it was from the Garske bandit trio.

March 19, 1930, Nicholas Mead shot and killed the cashier of the First National bank of Courtenay and for several days was in possession of illicit funds obtained by the process. Mead, however, was caught, convicted, and sent away for life on a first degree murder charge.

The Citizens National bank of Wahpeton is still loser by $6,735.58, the result of a daring daylight attack May 29 when three young men held up the bank employees, the board of directors and certain patrons, scooped up the money, walked out the door and to their car, escaping across the South Dakota border.

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The two recent bank attacks, neither of which is included in Mr. Macfadden’s report because they will fall in next year’s tally, are the Hurdsfield affair and the attack at Sarles Saturday. Ernest Swandlow, youthful bandit, who attempted to hold up the Farmers and Merchants bank at Hurdsfield last week, was caught the same day, has confessed.

Ads featured in The Forum on June 29, 1930. Newspapers.com

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Kate Almquist

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.





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EPA invests $1.6 million to improve drinking water in South Dakota, five other states

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EPA invests .6 million to improve drinking water in South Dakota, five other states











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Preparations for President’s North Dakota visit begin

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Preparations for President’s North Dakota visit begin


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) — The White House is preparing for President Trump’s visit to North Dakota on Wednesday, July 1.

Your News Leader witnessed two military transport planes arrive at the Bismarck Municipal Airport on Saturday afternoon.

Crews unloaded Marine One off of one of the planes and rolled it to a hangar.

The roar of those large military planes attracted a lot of attention on Facebook and at the airport, as onlookers watched the activity.

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This comes before the President’s scheduled visit to Medora on Wednesday as part of a series of America 250 celebrations and a dedication of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.



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