The hammer and saw of the artisan made the prairies resound with the melody of their incessant music in 1882 and 1883 when the newly platted Cooperstown was being built.

The first building constructed on the townsite was the Dakota House. It was built by the Townsite Company for the purpose of housing and feeding the carpenters of the fast growing town. Carpenters and crews were sought and buildings seemed to appear overnight.

By the end of 1883 over 50 buildings had been completed including: hotels, an elevator, schoolhouse, lumberyard, livery barns, several business establishments, depot, section house, round house and others. These buildings not including "shack" houses, sheds, barns and etc.

The carpenters, contractors and builders of the 1882-83 era were: Alex Moffatt, J.M. Melville, A.R. McDonald, C.C. Phillipee, James Muir, J.W. Christie, I.T. Gardner, A.B. Kent, Grant and Pinkerton. Other carpenters before 1900 included Joe McCulloch, Alex Urquardt and C.H. Johnson.

Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial Page 185