ND Ag Hall Of Fame Inductees

H. Gladstone Harrington

H. Gladstone Harrington and his twin brother, H. Garfield, started the cattle buying business in North Dakota.  They started a cattle buying business in 1912, but soon saw their business evolve from roaming the country by horse and buggy to purchase cattle to a state-wide system of livestock sales pavilions.  By 1948 the partnership peaked with 11 buying and auction locations, which ranged geographically from Thief River Falls, Minnesota to Glasgow, Montana.  Gladstone, who lived in Valley City, and his brother , were also responsible for shipping in pure-bred bulls that improved the cattle genetics in the state.  This enhancement of genetics, plus using the area's crops to fatten cattIe resulted in an improvement in meat quality.  In a related effort, Gladstone was one of the founders of the North Dakota Winter Show in 1937.  Since then, this show has been recognized as one of the showcases for the agriculture industry.  The Valley City yard was sold by the Harringtons in 1949 and he passed away a year later, at the age of 68.  The lesson he helped teach North Dakotans about the livestock industry and its benefit to the state continues to live on.

Year Inducted: 2001