The title to the land where Bemidji now stands was originally acquired in 1883 by Philip Reilly, of the John Martin Lumber Company of Minneapolis. The land was considered valuable only for the pine timber that was standing on it. In December, 1894, Fred A. Silver purchased the land with a view to establishing a townsite. A little later he suceeded in getting Hon. Tams Bixby, A. C. Clauson, Harris A. Richardson and Dr. Henry Hutchinson, all of St. Paul, and W. J. Hilligoss, Albert Kaiser and Lewis Lohn, all of Fosston, interested with him. In January, 1896, the above named gentlemen organized the Bemidji Townsite & Improvement Company, and took possession of the property under that name. Meantime Eli Warner, of St. Paul, came into the organization.
In March, 1896, they filed the townsite plat of Bemidji. J. F. Remore had built the first house, the Remore Hotel, in the fall of 1895. Six or eight years previously, the Carson Bros. had established a store, or Indian trading post, at the south end of Bemidji lake, and G. M. Carson had built a log hotel there, but that was before anybody had an idea of establishing a townsite in this locality. Soon after the Remore Hotel was built, G. M. Carson built what is now known as the Northern Hotel, now owned by Jerome Kelleher, of Brainerd. Susanna Carlson sold that hotel on Lots 11 & 12 of Block 17 to Mary Kelleher on Aug 28, 1899 for $4000. This was the southeast corner of Minnesota Avenue and Third Street (220-222 Third Street). Immediately afterwards, Carson Bros. put up a business building at the southwest corner of Third Street and Beltrami Avenue, now occupied by the Rose Saloon.
During the spring and summer of 1896 the village continued to grow, and May 20th of that year, it was incorporated. The county was organized in the spring of 1897, and in June of that year the county seat was located at Bemidji. (Bemidji, January 1900)