Thomas moved to Fargo ND in 1878. He clerked for Goodman & Yerxa for two years and then moved to Pembina to open his own chain of stores. In 1884, Thomas sold his stores, moved back to Fargo, and and bought W.A.'s interest in the Fargo store. Thomas divided the store into four departments: dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, and groceries. The store employed 25 people, some of whom, for example, Issac "Ike" Herbst, worked at the Yerxa store before opening their own stores.
The Yerxa brothers were public spirited and sponsored the establishment of the Yerxa Fire Hose Company No. 3, on December 7, 1883, captained by Fred Putnam.
Below are pictures of Thomas's store. The store, also known as Yerxa's Wigwam, was spared from the fire of 1893, which destroyed most of Fargo.
The full history of Fargo ND can be found on the web at "http://www.fargo-history.com".