Fargo, William George (1818-1881), was a partner in the gold rush express company of Wells, Fargo & Company (see Wells, Fargo & Company). His company’s stagecoaches provided the best and fastest transportation between the East and the West in the mid-1800’s. The city of Fargo, North Dakota, is named after him.
As a young man in Buffalo, New York, Fargo was a messenger with Wells and Company, the first express company to go west of Buffalo. Later, he became part owner. After the California Gold Rush began in 1848, demand grew for the transport of goods to and from California. As a result, in 1852, Fargo and other investors formed Wells, Fargo & Company, a transcontinental express service that carried goods across the country to San Francisco. Wells, Fargo operated in most parts of the United States. When the transcontinental rail line was completed in 1869, the railroad took most of the express business.
Fargo was born on May 20, 1818, in Pompey, New York. He served as mayor of Buffalo from 1862 to 1866. He died on Aug. 3, 1881.
