This image may be restricted. Contact reference staff for assistance.Collection: 00032 - North Dakota Oral History Project Photograph Collection
Folder: RI-17
Item: 00015
Title: Emil A. Movius and sons, George Waring (left) and John William Movius (right) Lidgerwood (N.D.)
Date: 1902
Creator: Gertson, Fred W
Inscription/Marks: [on caption below photograph] Col. 32-RI/17-15 [embossed on photo left side of card] Gertson Lidgerwood N.D. [facsimile file] Written in Sprunk's handwriting on reverse in ink:E. A. Movius and sons George W. (Left) and John W. (Right).
Summary: Head and shoulders, full face studio portrait of Emil A. Movius and sons, George Waring Movius (left) and John William Movius (right). Photograph taken by by Frederick William Gertson of Lidgerwood (N.D.). Gertson, Frederick William--1876-1930; Movius, Emil A.--1858-1916; Movius, George Waring--1897-1965; Movius, John William--1893-1947 [Biography- North Dakota History and People Vol2p324-325] Emil A. Movius. That North Dakota offers excellent opportunities to the young man of ambition and energy but without capital has been proven by the record of Emil A. Movius, who was one of the leading capitalists of Lidgerwood and Richland County. He was president of the First National Bank of Lidgerwood and of the Movius Land and Loan Company, which is capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A native of Germany, he was born on the 5th of May, 1858, and was a son of John W. and Henriette (Bratz) Movius, also natives of that country, the former born in Burow. On emigrating to the United States the father settled at Glenwood, Minnesota, where he purchased land and also took up a homestead. He was a physician and practiced his profession successfully in Minnesota for a number of years. He passed away at New Ulm, that state. A more extended genealogy of the Movius family appears in the sketch of John H. Movius on another page of this volume. Emil A. Movius accompanied his parents to this country in 1867 and completed his education, which had been begun in Germany, in the schools of Ortonville, Minnesota, and Big Stone City, South Dakota. During his boyhood he gained valuable knowledge of farming through assisting with the work of the home place and after completing his education he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. Subsequently he engaged in the implement business at Big Stone City for three years but in 1887 came to North Dakota and took up his residence in Lidgerwood, where he continued to reside throughout the remainder of his life. For a considerable period he was engaged in the implement, furniture, livery and real estate business in connection with his brother, John H. Movius but later established a general mercantile business, to the conduct of which he devoted his time until he was burned out. He then concentrated his energies upon his real estate and banking interests, in which business he operated on a large scale. A number of years previously, or in 1888, he organized the Movius State Bank and in 1901 he established the First National Bank, which has larger deposits than any other bank in Richland County. In 1913, the institution erected a beautiful building, which it occupies, and its business is steadily growing. It is capitalized for fifty thousand dollars, has a surplus and undivided profits of over twenty-five thousand dollars and its deposits total over five hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars. In addition to its regular banking business the First National writes fire, hail and tornado insurance and does considerable business in those lines. Mr. Movius was also president of the German State Bank of Mott, North Dakota, and the Farmers State Bank of Great Bend, North Dakota. Although he gave careful attention to the management of the banks of which he was president, he devoted much of his time to the direction of the affairs of the Movius Land and Loan Company, of which he was the president and which is capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The concern buys and sells land and makes loans on land and is one of the largest companies of the kind in North Dakota. It has a surplus of fifty thousand dollars and pays excellent dividends to its stockholders, all of whom are members of the Movius family. Mr. Movius was married in 1881 to Miss Addie Waring, who was born in Virginia but reared in Missouri, and they became the parents of two children: John W., who is connected with the First National Bank of Lidgerwood; and George W., who is a graduate of Shattuck School at Faribault, Minnesota, and is now attending the State University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. The Republican Party had in Mr. Movius a stanch adherent and he did much to secure its victory at the polls in his county. Recognition of his ability to think in terms of the general welfare and of his sound judgment led to his election to the state legislature. He not only served acceptably in the House of Representatives but was also for four terms a member of the state senate, and whether in the lower or upper house he proved an able and discriminating lawmaker, supporting those measures calculated to promote the welfare of the state and opposing those which were ill advised. He was a loyal and consistent Mason and was identified with the blue lodge, the Royal Arch chapter, the Scottish Rite and the Mystic Shrine. His religious faith was indicated by the fact that he was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church, in which he took an active part. Although he was perhaps most intimately connected with the business and financial life of his community, he was at all times willing to support movements seeking its civic and moral advancement, and he was recognized as a broad-minded man of many interests and of unusual public spirit. His death, which occurred July 6, 1916, removed from Lidgerwood one of its foremost and honored citizens, who commanded the love and respect of all who knew him.
Red ID: PH_I_119808 Image ID: 170896 Image Notes: 00032-RI-17-00015
