The Rev. Eben E. Saunders collection was assembled by an Institute staff member, David Palomaki, in 1982. The various newspaper series were accidently discovered on the microfilm copies of the Fargo Forum and Courier-News newspapers. Further investigation about Rev. Saunders and his writings indicated very little was available in other local collections or publications. A collection of his papers was found to have been deposited at the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Although totally unorganized, the collection was loaned to the Institute where copies were made of all his writings, correspondence and autobiographical material.  Thus over ninety per cent of this collection has been copied from that collection. Addition material came from other Institute collections.  Very likely our collection is not complete for all of Rev. Saunders' writings.
 
The Saunders Collection is a rich historical collection of material relating to the early settlement period of North Dakota, particularly the Red River Valley. As General Secretary of the Red River Valley Old Settlers Association (RRVOSA) for a number of years, Mr. Saunders had access to the historical data collected by the Association but which is now lost. This Collection has been organized alphabetically by the series title or subject of his writings with biographical and correspondence files as well.
 
The biographical file includes autobiographical articles, census extract and obituaries for Rev. and Mrs. Saunders. The correspondence consists of copies of scattered letters dating from 1914 to 1916. There are four letters from Elizabeth Preston Anderson all concerning sufferage and the North Dakota W.C.T.U., a letter from Governor Lynn Frazier requesting member ship in the RRVOSA; letters to H.W. Byerly, General Immigration Agent for the Northern Pacific Railway; T.N. Putnam; and several letters he wrote for publication in the Fargo Forum including one concerning James W. Foley, poet-laureate of North Dakota.
 
The remainder of the collection consists of Rev. Saunders' writings which were mainly published in the Fargo Forum and Courier-News in serial format.  The Barrie Community file consists of two newspaper articles on the "early history and development of the Barrie Community" which was located on the Sheyenne River in Richland County. The "Bits of North Dakota History" series, which is complete, was published from August 1922 to April 1923 in the Fargo newspaper Courier-News on almost a daily basis. As the title indicates each article is composed of many short historical pieces on very specific subjects, all related to North Dakota history. A table of contents has been prepared for all. Rev. Saunders also did a three-part series on the "Story of Congregationalism in North Dakota", two articles on the early history of Eddy County and New Rockford, North Dakota; and a seven-part series on the "Early History of Farmers' Alliance in North Dakota."
 
Possibly the major newspaper serial published by Rev. Saunders was his "Historical Letters." There were a total of 119 such numbered items published between September 1914 to January 1917 on a weekly basis in the Fargo Forum. Our collection is incomplete with 25 missing and 10 incomplete, although there is a complete list available in the collection. Each "Letter" is devoted to one subject. They cover many topics but especially prominent are articles on prohibition, religious groups, North Dakota Sunday School Association and various county and community historical items.
 
The file of religious and general historical writings contains various items including on the Lutheran Church in the Red River Valley, Methodism in North Dakota, Presbyterianism at Pembina, North Dakota, early days in Moorhead, and the "First meeting of Masons held in State in 1863." The Independent Dakotan was a monthly magazine devoted to temperance and prohibition and edited by Rev. Saunders. We have a copy (possibly incomplete) of the September 1894 (Vol. 3, No. 3) issue.
 
The "North Dakota Builders" series was published in the Fargo Forum from May to June 1918 which were brief biographical sketches of "people who have had to do with the early settlement and development of the territory and state of North Dakota." The "North Dakota Builders" is included in the on-line North Dakota Biography Index. 

The "Story of Presbyterianism in North Dakota" series consists of eight articles. Also included in this file is another article on early Presbyterianism in North Dakota. The series was published in the Fargo Daily Courier-News in 1916.
 
The "Red River and North Dakota Pioneers" series was a short lived series in the Courier-News from February to April 1921. It consisted of photographs of pioneers along with short biographical sketches. The Red River Valley Old Settlers Association consists of several of its letterheads and a biographical membership form filled out by John 0. Christianson.
 
The "Those Pioneers" series was another major serial publication of Rev. Saunders. It was published in the Courier-News from July 1918 to December 1919 on almost a daily basis. Each article has three to five short biographical sketches mentioning when and where they came to North Dakota.  "Those Pioneers" is included in the on-line North Dakota Biography Index. Rev. Saunders also published a five-part series on Traill County, North Dakota ("Some Early Traill County History") in the Hillsboro Banner. The Miscellaneous writings file includes an item on when potatoes first made the Red River Valley famous, two "Jaunts over the State" articles, and one titled "North Dakota Pioneers," concerning Judson A. Wright. 
 

Eben Saunders Collection  |  Local and Ethnic History