It was exactly one hundred and fifteen years ago that the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station was established in Fargo. It was part of a national network of state research facilities, but it’s the only one in the world devoted specifically to North Dakota agricultural issues.

The Experiment Station was established just two months after Governor John Miller signed a bill designating land for starting the North Dakota Agricultural College – now NDSU. The Experiment Station has been located on that campus ever since. The chief chemist for the Experiment Station was Professor Edwin Ladd, who later led the crusade for state-enforced pure-food laws. After serving with the Experiment Station for 17 years, Ladd became president of the college and then served in the U.S. Senate.

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