North Dakota’s first official immigration promoter later became a U.S. represenative

FARGO — When North Dakota turned a state in 1889 the person given the accountability for overseeing all of its agricultural pursuits, in addition to manufacturing and mining enterprises, had solely lived on this state for 2 years.

In that quick time frame, Henry Helgesen had accomplished very properly. He constructed a thriving ironmongery shop in Milton, owned worthwhile farmland, and managed a booming actual property enterprise.

Immigrants had been the most important cause for a lot of his unbelievable success as a result of he offered new property to them in addition to the lumber and instruments to construct their new houses. Helgesen reasoned that if North Dakota was to prosper, it wanted many new immigrants to stay and work on this state.

Henry Thomas Helgesen was born June 26, 1857, on a farm close to Decorah, Iowa, to Thomas and Marit (Anderson) Helgeson, immigrants from Norway. Whereas rising up, Henry helped on the household farm and in addition labored on neighboring farms. For his elementary schooling, he attended public faculties after which studied beneath the tutelage of John Breckenridge, a famous educator in Decorah.

Henry attended Breckenridge’s personal regular institute for highschool after which was a pupil at Decorah Enterprise School, which was organized by Breckenridge and run by John Rowe Slack. Following faculty, Henry went to work at a neighborhood grocery retailer and, in 1880, married Bessie Nelson.

With three younger kids in 1887, and seeing solely restricted alternatives in Decorah, Helgesen realized concerning the successes that quite a lot of the individuals from his hometown had achieved after transferring to Dakota Territory. instance was Martin Johnson, a big land proprietor in Nelson County who later turned a U.S. senator.

Helgesen liquidated his holdings in Decorah and, along with his household, boarded a Nice Northern Railroad prepare to Dakota. The GNRR had reached the small village of Milton earlier in 1887, and Helgesen reasoned that this hamlet had the potential for fast progress, and determined to make Milton his new dwelling.

Milton is situated in southeastern Cavalier County with no different massive cities inside 50 miles. Helgesen obtained some farmland close to Milton and erected the primary enterprise home within the city. That enterprise was a ironmongery shop that additionally offered lumber and furnishings.

Helgesen additionally obtained a license to promote actual property, and his timing was good. In 1888, over 100 homes had been offered in a three-week interval, and the city of Milton was integrated on Might 2, 1888.

With the city and group rising quickly, Helgesen’s companies had been booming and, in 1888, he constructed the most important home in Milton.

Helgesen turned a group chief and embraced Republican politics. He was one of many main proponents of selling immigration and, with North Dakota about to turn out to be a brand new state in 1889, he determined to run for commissioner of agriculture and labor, a newly created division by members of the 1889 Constitutional Conference. One of many obligations of the fee was immigration promotion. On August 21, 1889, in Fargo, the Republican Get together held its first state conference and Helgesen turned the social gathering’s option to run for that workplace.

The commissioner was to advertise agriculture and horticulture and manufacturing and home arts. This was the one division created by the brand new state structure that had oversight of the overwhelming majority of staff within the state. The commissioner was approved to make by-laws, guidelines, and laws that associated to the division. He was additionally liable for monitoring the agricultural trade and labor conditions, and for mediating labor disputes, ensuing from strikes or lockouts.

As well as, the commissioner was liable for selling immigration within the state and was the state statistician. He additionally served because the state dairy commissioner and was to be the promoter of inventory breeding, horticulture, manufacturing, mining, and home arts. His division was liable for holding district festivals, farmers’ institutes, and inventory reveals.

Within the November election, Helgesen was elected to be the state’s first agriculture and labor commissioner. North Dakota was a predominantly agricultural state and, in 1890, over 75% of the individuals labored on farms. There have been 27,611 household farms, on which a further 14,575 farm laborers had been employed.

Moreover looking for the farmer’s pursuits, Helgesen was additionally entrusted with different labor points involving staff at flour, grain, and noticed mills; brick yards; print institutions (primarily newspaper-owned); boiler factories; cigar factories; butter and cheese factories; harness and saddle outlets; tailor outlets; and coal mines. Whereas Helgesen was commissioner, there have been solely three native labor unions within the state.

Helgesen was re-elected as commissioner in 1890, however throughout his second time period, he was changing into disgruntled. He acquired criticism from different states for recruiting staff from these states to assist out North Dakota farmers through the harvest season. He was additionally dissatisfied with the buddies of Gov. Andrew Burke as a result of they gave credit score to Burke for issues Helgesen achieved. Consequently, he didn’t search re-election in 1892. With a wage of $150/month, he reasoned that he may make more cash by devoting extra of his time and a focus to his enterprises in Milton.

Moreover tending to his companies and spending extra time along with his rising household, Helgesen served on the Milton College Board from 1893 to 1901, the final 4 years as chairman of the board.

In 1901, he started shopping for extra land in different elements of the state and, in 1905, offered his retailer. From 1907 to 1913, Helgesen was a member of the board of the College of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

In 1908, Helgesen was able to return to North Dakota politics. Thomas Marshall, who had served 4 phrases within the U.S. Home, introduced that he wouldn’t search re-election in order that he may run for the U.S. Senate. To fill that emptiness quite a lot of outstanding Republicans introduced their candidacy: Erastus A. Williams, Louis Hanna, James Robinson, George Younger, and Helgesen. Alexander McKenzie, who was the acknowledged kingmaker in Republican politics in North Dakota, made it recognized that he wished Hanna elected, and, on the June 24 major election, Hanna turned the Republican candidate.

In 1910, A. J. Gronna, the opposite U.S. consultant from North Dakota, determined to not run for the Home in order that he may run for the Senate. Within the major election, Helgesen and Hanna had been elected to run because the Republican candidates for the U.S. Home and, within the common election, they defeated their Democratic challengers, Tobias Casey and Melvin Hildreth, by a two-to-one margin.

Helgesen was a progressive Republican and was re-elected to the Home 3 times. In 1912 he defeated Verner Lovell, in 1914 he triumphed over Fred Bartholomew, and in 1916 he was victorious over George Bangs.

When the U.S. tried to help its ally, Nice Britain, throughout its battle with Germany, Helgesen turned alarmed that the U.S. may get drawn into the battle, and he was probably the most vociferous congressmen to warn towards any overt actions. Regardless of Helgesen’s warnings, incidents stored occurring that escalated into complete mistrust of Germany by nearly all of People, and Congress declared battle on Germany on April 6, 1917. Three days later, Helgesen was hospitalized with appendicitis and due to issues throughout surgical procedure, he died the following day.