Robert M. Pollock

Robert Middleton Pollock also knowen as R. M. Pollock was the son of James Pollock and Evaline Halstead. In 1879 he had compleated his study of law and passed the examination for the Wisconson Bar.

He had heard of the new country to the west, and the fact that the Northern Pacific Railroad went there; So he planed to go to Fargo seeking a place to live. When he got to Fargo he said that it was the worst looking, most unattractive place he ever saw. There was a great deal of traffic on the Red River between Fargo and Winnipeg and Fargo was more a "river town" than anything else. Every other store front was a saloon. It had rained and the the inpossiable gumbo mud which makes up the Red River Valley a rich agricultural area, was very deep. He was quite discouraged and considered returing to Racine, Wisconson. The railroad was built, at that time, as far as Second Siding; It was later named Casselton, and is twent miles west of Fargo. Before deciding not to stay, Robert Pollock decided to go look at that place. He saw a community of tense, sod houses only a few houses were built in the usual manor. A sign on the tent indicated that it was a restaruant, and he went in it to get some dinner. Being a new man in town, they asked him who he was and what he did; he allowed that he was a laywer from Wisconson.

In about a year and a half he had established himself, bought a lot, and built a house. He arrived in the early summer of 1879; he returned to Rasine at the end of 1881 to be married.

He was elected as speaker of the house for North Dakota in 1901. He was a republican from the 9th district. Having returned to North Dakota while Dakota was a territory and later when the Dakotas were admited as states he was very active in politics. He sat in the Constutional Convention in 1889. He was the author of the phrobition clause in that constution. He served in the legislature in the seventh (7) session, January 8th - March 8th, 1901. He was Speaker of the House in that session.

All facts are from the book " A Memoir of the Robert Middleton Pollock Family" Written by Hewsion Pollock 1968.