Oscar Benson purchased this real estate for $425 from the Bemidji Townsite Co. on Nov 2, 1916. The house was built in 1917. Mrs. Oscar Benson entertained the Swedish Lutheran Unity Club at her home at 900 Irvine on June 20, 1918.
Oscar Benson and wife sold the property to Ida Ketten for $2,800 on Apr 23, 1920. It became the residence of the Ketten family until Ida’s death in 1949. John Ketten was a blacksmith by trade. They had three daughters, Adele, Emma Lu, Bernice, and a son Kenneth.
The Epworth League met at the home of Miss Bernice Ketten on Oct 3, 1921.
Miss Emma Lu Ketten, who has been visiting at the home of her parents since last Thursday, went to Pleasant Valley Monday to take up her school work again. Miss Ketten is one of the teachers in the consolidated school at Pleasant Valley. (Mar 1922)
A very pretty home wedding took place in June 1922, uniting the lives of Miss Emma Lu Ketten and William Gordon Gardner, Dr. G. H. Zentz officiating. The immediate relatives and a few intimate friends witnessed the ceremony. The bride wore a becoming dress of white organdie and was unattended. The home was prettily decorated with peonies and roses. After congratulations, a wedding supper was served the guests. The bride has taught at the Pleasant Valley school for the past year. The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Z. Gardner, Pleasant Valley, and is favorably known here. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner left for a short wedding trip to Itasca State Park.
John Ketten, a resident of Bemidji for 18 years, died at his home in 1938 after being in poor health for several months. Funeral services were held from the St. Philip’s Catholic church. Ida continued to live in the home and died in 1949.
Reinholt Ophus and wife Ruth. Bemidji Office equipment Co. (1953)
Donald Schulze (1956)
Roy Danielson (1958)
James W. Gorman, bartender for the Municipal #2 liquor store. Wife Elizabeth. (1960-1964). Eliz moved to Dewey Avenue by 1967.
Ed Colliton, a New Yorker, moved to Bemidji on Dec 1, 1964, the day after he retired as a Lt. Col. with the USAF Strategic Air Command. They lived in Nymore for two years and then purchased this home at 900 Irvine Avenue. He took an intensive teacher training course at Bemidji State College, and was hired as a teacher at St. Philip’s Catholic School. Wife Barbara was an instructional aide. They had sons David, Edward and daughter Edith with them in Bemidji. Two older children lived in Illinois and New York. Ed Colliton ran for the Bemidji School Board in 1970. They were active with the Community Arts Council and hosted meetings at their home in 1969 and again in 1971.
House was listed for sale in August 1974 by Jaranson Agency but did not sell until 1975 when it was purchased by Linda and Jay Petterson. They moved to Bemidji from Moorhead. He joined the law firm of Smith, Hilligan and Carpenter in July 1975. was an accountant, and she was a nurse for Head Start.
Janice Moen (1982)
Michael Terres and wife Sheree. He was the kitchen manager for Perkins. (1989)
Clayton Tanney, Matthew Prost (1997)
In 2020, it is a rental.