Dennis Ford and Bridgit King from Goderich/Seaforth, Huron, Ontario, Canada who moved to North Dakota, USA
Notes: They had 11 children
perhaps lived in Kintail, Ontario Canada.
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One of Dennis's son named Dennis died from Pneumonia contracted in 1880 from herding their cattle from Canada to their Homesteads in Dakota. He is buried at the village of Kingsbridge in Ashfield Township, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada. Another son named Patrick was killed on his Homestead in Section 12 form a run away horse team accident involving a hay Rake in 1887.
The first mass in St. Leo's Catholic Parish of Casselton was held int he summer of 1879 in the farm home of Dennis Ford on the SE 1/4 of Section 12. A missionary priest, Father Spitzenberger, made the trip from Moorhead, Minnesota on Horseback to offer the Mass. Services were held once a month in the Ford home until 1880. St. Leo's Catholic Parish was organized in the Ford home in 1880.
Dennis Ford was an active in Public affairs and served as Gill Twp assessor. Mr. Ford died on November 16, 1887 and is buried at St. Leo's Catholic Cemetery in Cassleton.
All of the Ford Farm homes, those of WIlliam and Catherine Ford Cosgrove and John Ford in Section 12, Michael Ford in Section 1, all in Gill Twp. and Morgan J. Ford in Section 36 of Wheatland Twp. were built by a nephew of Dennis Ford from Superior, WI named Thomas Ford; a carpenter during the late 1880's and early 1890's.
I think there is a strong possiblilty that Catherine Ford was one of the first, if not the first, unmarried woman to apply for and receive a Patent Homestead in her own name in the Present State of North Dakota. Date of the Homestead application on Section 12, Gill Twp. Cass County, Dakota Terriotory was March 17, 1878. Date of patent was September 15, 1884.
Her Homestead was in the immediate vincinty of the original Cass-Cheny "Bonanza" Farms managed by Oliver Dalrymple. The Dalrymple farms were started in 1876 with 1,280 acres of Wheat planted which was the first "Bonanza" farm in Dakota Terriotory. In the spring of 1878 Catherine Ford, a Neighbor, commenced her farming operations.