The University of North Dakota, which was founded in 1883, has played a big role in the development of Grand Forks. However, the University had humble beginnings. George H. Walsh, a Grand Forks resident who was a member of the Dakota Territory legislature, used his influence to help get the University during a time when there were strong division feelings between North and South Dakota. When it was built, it was located about a mile and a half west of town. The first students could not live on campus and relied on a horse and buggy bus service to get to class. Today, it has been surrounded by the city of Grand Forks, but it remains a vital link in the stature of the region.