Wildrose Public School, Wildrose, N.D.

A view of the brick Wildrose Public School, built in 1923.
Glass negatives
5 x 7 in.
"Wildrose Public School" and "Knowledge is Power"--Signs over main entrance to building "Wildrose - glass negs 5 x 7 given to Bill Shemorry by Mrs. Dr. McCoy June 5, 1997"--Handwritten by Shemorry on paper with negatives.
Title created by staff.
William E. "Bill" Shemorry was a native of Williston, N.D. who began work in the newspaper industry as a newsboy selling the Williston Herald and the Williams County Farmers Press. In 1953, he started to publish the Williston Plains Reporter, which he operated for 25 years before selling to the Williston Herald. Shemorry then began to concentrate on his own writing and photography. In addition to writing many books on the history of Williams County, he also collected photographs of early North Dakota photographers. Shemorry was an active member of the Williston Fire Department, was Civil Defense Chief of Williams County for three years in the 1950's, and was a combat photographer in World War II. Shemorry's photograph of the discovery of oil in North Dakota on April 4, 1951 at the Clarence Iverson No. 1 is one of the most famous oil photographs ever taken, and was published in many national publications.