George Ingram Foster was born December 29, 1837 at Hillsdale, Columbia County, New York, the son of Albert and Clarissa M. (Maxson) Foster.  He attended local schools and the Homer Academy.  In 1861, he enlisted in the 76th New York Volunteer Infantry and saw action in the second battle of Bull Run, as well as Gainesville, South Mountain, and Antietam.  Mr. Foster returned to New York until 1864 when he came to Yankton, Dakota Territory with a group of New York settlers, led by his brother, James.  There he applied for land as well as working in the office of surveyor-general and as deputy United States Marshal.  From 1864 to 1874, he served as Clerk in the Territorial Legislature and also as clerk, for five years, of the Territorial Supreme Court.  In 1871, Mr. Foster became clerk of the Third District Court at Pembina and in 1872, he began to reside at Fargo.

The Foster Collection consists of several letters, a manuscript by Mrs. Foster, and various subject files.  The correspondence consists of only ten in-coming letters, all of which date from 1874, except one in 1876.  They deal mainly with Mr. Foster's duties as Clerk of court for the Third District Court at Pembina.  The collection includes letters from Judge J. H. Burdick, U.S. Attorney William Pound, A. H. Barnes, and Jefferson P. Kidder.  Of special importance is Mr. Foster's 32-page scrapbook of newspaper clippings from 1871 to 1874.  The newspaper clippings deal mainly with political events in the Red River Valley, including Fargo, Pembina, and Moorhead as reported in such newspapers as Union Dakotaian, Yankton Press, Union County Courier, St. Paul Daily Press, St. Paul Pioneer, Dakota Herald, Fargo Express, and Red River Star.  Many of the articles were written by Mr. Foster to inform others of the good qualities of this region as well as counter charges made on some of the political events occurring in the Valley. 
 

Politics and Government