A history of Bigfork,
then and now
Postcards, papers and photographs of Bigfork from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Bigfork originally began as a settlement when Damase "Uncle Tom" Neveaux built a log cabin on the Big Fork River, claiming the stand of pine there, and began logging activities. Though Neveaux reached the area in 1887, and the settlement began in 1892, officially, he was a squatter until the land was opened for settlement in 1900.
By 1902, a post office was established, and in 1906, a station was added to the Minneapolis and Rainy River Railway.
On January 17, 1907, less than a year after the railway stop was completed, Bigfork was incorporated as a village. Bigfork Village Hall, built in 1936 with WPA funds, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Finish Bigfork’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewEdge of the Wilderness - Bicyclin…, 1995: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people close to Bigfork
See all 6 →
Bigfork, decade by decade
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bicycling the Byway in1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Kiosk1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bigfork Interpretive Site1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bridge in1995
CommonsEdge of the Wilderness - Bridge in1995Nothing in Bigfork is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Bigfork has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Bigfork Village Hall in Bigfork, 4 miles away.
Bigfork and the nearest listed places
Closest to Bigfork
How a place gets listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
From Wikimedia Commons (11) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.