FOUNDER OF COUNTY SEAT, TOWN, FORMAN, PASSES AWAY.

Colonel Forman has passed on. The founder of Forman, the county seat of Sargent county, has passed to the Great Beyond, the land from which no traveler returns. In the fullness of his years the weary pilgrim has gone to his reward. Colonel Forman suffered a paralytic stroke in 1920 and has since been confined to his room at the home of his son, Harry. Up to Friday of last week, he was with apparent full mental vigor and seemed to enjoy the visits of his relatives and friends and to discuss public affairs and early events of the town and county.

On July 15th, of 1921 his friends arranged a festival in his honor, with band music and visiting and the Colonel was very much delighted. Last Friday he suffered a second stroke which rendered him speechless and he lingered only till Monday when he passed peacefully away.

A man whose history is inseparable from that of Forman was Cornelius Hagerman Forman. He identified himself with its material advancement from its earliest history. The township, the school district, and the Village all bear his name, since he was the owner of the original townsite. In April, 1883, he took up a claim on land which is now the city of Forman, and as it was the center of Sargent county, Col. Forman interested himself and was chiefly responsible for the location of the county seat at this point as preferable to Milnor, and in so doing he sacrificed his private fortune of $30,000, so great was the ardor of his
public spirit. As long as the Colonel retained his health, the first interests of Forman were his.

Col. Forman was a native of New Brunswick, having been born at St. Johns, July 15th 1828; his people came of old New York stock of the 17th century, after graduating from the common schools of Hamilton, Ontario, he engaged in business there, continuing until 1856, when he removed to Brantford, Ontario. Here merchandising and farming occupied his attention until 1872, at which time he went to Michigan, and with his brother founded the town of Forman. The manufacture of lumber was his chief interest for the following eleven years. In April, 1883, he came to Sargent county, bringing a colony of Michigan settlers with him, founded Forman, and won honor and distinctions as man of unassailable principle and unselfish devotion to the public welfare. For 15 years he was justice of the peace, in which office, by the exercise of diplomacy, tact and sheer kindness of heart, he made friends of all with whom he came in contact; he had nevertheless a keen sense of justice, and his decisions met with universal approval. He was township supervisor for twelve years and of the village for ten years, and was for over twenty years school clerk. That Col. Forman was interested in religious work may be seen by his liberal donations of two lots where the Congregational church now stands. He drew up and headed the subscription list for the erection of the church building with a liberal amount of money. Among other buildings erected by the Colonel may be mentioned the Midland Hotel, now the Graf hostelry, the building adjoining Steimke & Sons on the south which for many years was occupied by Dyste Bros. The Groff store on the site now occupied by C. A. Walloch, the Mullen residence occupied by the Colonel until the death of his wife. That the colonel was a stand patter may be realized when it is known that he won out in the county seat contest over adversaries who were Milnor, Dunbar and Ransom City. In his make up there was no room for such a thing as failure.

He was married in 1851 to Adeline Kelly of Ontario. Five children were born to this union: Mrs. Elizabeth Groff and Mrs. Mary Ann Purdy both residing in Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. Lida F. Gilborne of Casper, Wyoming, Clifton Forman of Duluth and Harry W. Forman of this place, and Jessie Gilbert, who died in Michigan at the age of twenty-six. He is also survived by a brother, W. C. Forman, Sr. of Hankinson, and eight great grand children.

And thus passes a prominent personality whose worth can only be estimated by noble life and works he performed which remain as a monument to his sacred memory.
The remains were laid to rest by the side of his wife in the Forman cemetery.
(Sargent County News, March 15, 1923)

FOUNDER OF COUNTY SEAT, TOWN, FORMAN, PASSES AWAY.

Colonel Forman has passed on. The founder of Forman, the county seat of Sargent county, has passed to the Great Beyond, the land from which no traveler returns. In the fullness of his years the weary pilgrim has gone to his reward. Colonel Forman suffered a paralytic stroke in 1920 and has since been confined to his room at the home of his son, Harry. Up to Friday of last week, he was with apparent full mental vigor and seemed to enjoy the visits of his relatives and friends and to discuss public affairs and early events of the town and county.

On July 15th, of 1921 his friends arranged a festival in his honor, with band music and visiting and the Colonel was very much delighted. Last Friday he suffered a second stroke which rendered him speechless and he lingered only till Monday when he passed peacefully away.

A man whose history is inseparable from that of Forman was Cornelius Hagerman Forman. He identified himself with its material advancement from its earliest history. The township, the school district, and the Village all bear his name, since he was the owner of the original townsite. In April, 1883, he took up a claim on land which is now the city of Forman, and as it was the center of Sargent county, Col. Forman interested himself and was chiefly responsible for the location of the county seat at this point as preferable to Milnor, and in so doing he sacrificed his private fortune of $30,000, so great was the ardor of his
public spirit. As long as the Colonel retained his health, the first interests of Forman were his.

Col. Forman was a native of New Brunswick, having been born at St. Johns, July 15th 1828; his people came of old New York stock of the 17th century, after graduating from the common schools of Hamilton, Ontario, he engaged in business there, continuing until 1856, when he removed to Brantford, Ontario. Here merchandising and farming occupied his attention until 1872, at which time he went to Michigan, and with his brother founded the town of Forman. The manufacture of lumber was his chief interest for the following eleven years. In April, 1883, he came to Sargent county, bringing a colony of Michigan settlers with him, founded Forman, and won honor and distinctions as man of unassailable principle and unselfish devotion to the public welfare. For 15 years he was justice of the peace, in which office, by the exercise of diplomacy, tact and sheer kindness of heart, he made friends of all with whom he came in contact; he had nevertheless a keen sense of justice, and his decisions met with universal approval. He was township supervisor for twelve years and of the village for ten years, and was for over twenty years school clerk. That Col. Forman was interested in religious work may be seen by his liberal donations of two lots where the Congregational church now stands. He drew up and headed the subscription list for the erection of the church building with a liberal amount of money. Among other buildings erected by the Colonel may be mentioned the Midland Hotel, now the Graf hostelry, the building adjoining Steimke & Sons on the south which for many years was occupied by Dyste Bros. The Groff store on the site now occupied by C. A. Walloch, the Mullen residence occupied by the Colonel until the death of his wife. That the colonel was a stand patter may be realized when it is known that he won out in the county seat contest over adversaries who were Milnor, Dunbar and Ransom City. In his make up there was no room for such a thing as failure.

He was married in 1851 to Adeline Kelly of Ontario. Five children were born to this union: Mrs. Elizabeth Groff and Mrs. Mary Ann Purdy both residing in Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. Lida F. Gilborne of Casper, Wyoming, Clifton Forman of Duluth and Harry W. Forman of this place, and Jessie Gilbert, who died in Michigan at the age of twenty-six. He is also survived by a brother, W. C. Forman, Sr. of Hankinson, and eight great grand children.

And thus passes a prominent personality whose worth can only be estimated by noble life and works he performed which remain as a monument to his sacred memory.
The remains were laid to rest by the side of his wife in the Forman cemetery.
(Sargent County News, March 15, 1923)