Today in History, 1937: Records reveal purchase of North Dakota land by William Rockefeller

On this day in 1937, uncovered records revealed that William A. Rockefeller, father of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, once lived near Park River, N.D., where he bought and sold land in the late 1880s.

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

Exhumation of dusty records reveals a North Dakota chapter in the lives of the Rockefeller family.

Almost forgotten in the near half century, but revived with the death Sunday of John D. Rockefeller at his Ormond Beach home in Florida, is the story of the bizarre William A. Rockefeller, the oil tycoon’s father, who lived in Park River in the ’80s.

Search for records began after Daniel E. Flynn, Bismarck businessman, reported he recalled hearing a story that Rockefeller lived in the Park River vicinity.

Establishing the veracity of his residence in Walsh county is a musty document in the register of deeds’ office in Grafton. It tells the story of William A. Rockefeller buying seven quarter sections of land for $6,000 on June 23, 1886, from P. D. Briggs.

On Oct. 10, 1890 — slightly over four years later — another transfer is recorded. With Rockefeller business sagacity the transfer price had gone to $10,000. Part of the present city of Park River is located on the land.

The story of the Park River Rockefeller dovetails with the Rockefeller life story. The elder Rockefeller was shrouded in mystery. Supposedly he abandoned his family.

Always in funds, he led a sequestered existence, revealing little of his life before coming to North Dakota. He later was known as Dr. William Rockefeller and the deed on the land transfer bore that name.

He sold patent medicine cure-alls, old timers in the Park River area recall. He remained in the Park River district for about four years. In Freeport, Ill., in 1910, well past 90, he died.

Harry O’Brien, publisher of the Walsh County Press at Park River, said C. D. Lord, a pioneer banker and real estate man, still a Park River resident, handled the land transfer in 1889.

Another story, unsubstantiated, is that John D. Rockefeller visited his father on several occasions. He came by private train, the train routed by night into Park River, and few people were aware that he had come into the community.

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.