W. F. Street was born at Council Bluff, Iowa, October 30th, 1854. He received a common school education, and at fifteen years of age went into the Journal office at Lincoln, Nebraska, which was then on the frontier of that state, to learn the printing business. He worked in the Journal office as “devil” long enough to become an expert printer, and afterwards worked at “the case” until he was twenty-five years of age, studying law at intervals in the meantime.
In 1878 he removed to Minnesota, where he resided, with the exception of seven years at West Superior, Wisconsin, where he was in the newspaper business, and where his writings attracted attention for their vigor and incisiveness. He was president of the Republican Press Association in Wisconsin in 1890, but returned to Minnesota in the spring of 1893 to resume practice of law.
He then undertook the task of organizing Beltrami County by an act of the legislature, and succeeded so well that he became the county attorney. As countv attorney he carried on important litigation in behalf of the county, and in each instance won the approval of the supreme court in matters that involved thousands of dollars to the citizens and tax payers. To him more than to any other citizen in Beltrami county is due the fact that today the school districts and townships of the county are enabled to levy taxes sufficient to keep their schools open and their township organizations in running order, as well as to county government itself.
The law partnership existing between W. F. Street, E. F. Crawford and John F. Gibbons, under the name of Street, Crawford & Gibbons was dissolved by the retirement of Mr. Crawford from the firm. The business continued under the firm name of Street & Gibbons. Dated July 7. 1902.
In August 1902, W. F. Street filed for the Republican nomination for state senator in the 61st senatorial district, which comprised Beltrami, Norman and Red Lake counties.
He was accidentally shot and killed by his brother-in-law on July 30, 1903. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery after a huge funeral and tributes from people throughout the state. (Information gathered from articles in the Bemidji Pioneer, 1902-1903)