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Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 6, 1883, Henry Martinson became one of the most prominent figures in the North Dakota labor movement. After trying to farm a homestead in Minnesota, Martinson moved to Minot, North Dakota, in 1907 and became a painter. After reading several labor tracts, he became a socialist and began to write for the labor newspaper
After losing his state position in 1965, Martinson remained active as secretary of the Trades and Labor Assembly in Fargo, and he began preserving the early history of labor in the state. He wrote a brief
See also FILM: Northern Lights.