T. Luther Codding was born February 14, 1849 near Adrian in Southern Michigan Territory. He was a stone mason by trade. He married Jennie Pratt in 1875. They lived at Union City, MI.
His brother Andrew, also a stone mason, had come to Valley City, Dakota Territory, in 1881. Helping to build houses in Valley City. He kept writing letters of such glowing accounts of the beautiful wheat fields, "one could make their fortune in a few years". Luther decided to look things over for himself and came out in March 1882. He too, worked as a stone mason in Valley City. Luther filed a Homestead Claim on the East ½ of West ½, Section 22, ten miles southwest of Valley City; built a 12 ft. by 14 ft. shanty, covered it with tar paper: He hired John Black to break up ten acres of prairie land so he could put in a little crop the next year. Most of the neighbors had also come from southern Michigan. In June 1883 Jennie Codding, with their three children, Coral M. (1877) Bessie A. (1879) and Harry W. (1882) came to Valley City by train to join T. Luther. He took her to the shanty where she lived alone as he continued to work in Valley City. Mrs. Codding was deathly afraid of Indians that might come by, but she had to admit she never saw any. The biggest danger was prairie fires and every precaution was taken to protect the property. Shortly-after moving to the shanty on the prairie they had a terrible hail storm, which tore nearly all the tar paper off the shanty, leaving everything soaking wet, including the children; there wasn't a dry place anywhere. After the storm was over, Mr. Jessup, their nearest neighbor, came on horseback to see how they had come through the storm. He took one look and said, "you can't stay here," and "my place is no drier". He said he'd go home and get the wagon and take them to Mr. Lampman's as he had a real home. Mr. Codding was worried about his family and walked the ten miles to the shanty, not finding them there he went to Lampman's and found them all safe. When winter came they moved into Valley City, taking their cow with them. They sold enough milk to get the other necessary supplies needed. In May 1890 a son Clair was born.
Coral M. Codding married George C. Hager February 14, 1904. He came to Dakota from Kelso, Ind. He helped T. Luther Codding in the harvest seasons. Bessie A. Codding married Oswal Wagley of Valley City, later making their home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Harry W. Codding married Mae Persons of Valley City. He was employed at the Valley City post office and later operated Codding's Grocery Store. When that closed he went back to work at the post office. Clair Codding married True Spangenburg. He was a violinist and taught music in North Dakota, Minnesota and California.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 47