Henry R. Martinson was born in 1883 the son of Norwegian immigrants. In 1906 Henry and two friends went to northwestern North Dakota to homestead. He moved to Minot where he became a painter and decorator. There, his interest in politics was awakened and he became an active member in the Socialist Party of North Dakota in 1908. A nearly broke Henry, joined the Nonpartisan League as an organizer and worked in North Dakota and Minnesota in 1919. In 1937, he became Deputy Commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and Labor, an office he held until 1965. He died at Fargo on November 20, 1981.

The Henry R. Martinson papers is a collection of diverse material documenting his life and involvement in the Socialist Party. There is also a manuscript copy of his "Comes the Revolution," and several poems and song lyrics written by him.
 

Politics and Government