John Moberg started a logging operation south of Bemidji in 1899. Coming from the lumber camps in Wisconsin, Moberg had performed every logging job there was from swamper to contractor. In his early operations in the Mallard area and logging the east side of Lake Bemidji, he was his own contractor. He was recognized for his ability to get the logs from the forests to the water. After personally logging off several tracts of land, Moberg was employed by the Red River Logging Company, owned by T. B. Walker, and worked the area south and west of Bemidji. He began building the railway lines necessary to get the lumber from the woods to the waterways and became an authority on forest railroad construction. While employed by the Red River Company, Moberg built the railroad to haul logs between Scribner and Bemidji. This photo was taken of John Moberg and his outfit on his first day in Bemidji. The picture was taken at 3rd St. & Irvine Avenue — guessing on the corner where the Bemidji Woolen Mills is now located.
