Andrew J. Volstead, the son of Norwegian immigrant farmers, served as a representative from Minnesota's 7th Congressional District from 1903-1923. Although he is best known for authoring America's prohibition enforcement act, his greatest legacy as a lawmaker was the Capper-Volstead Act, which permits farmers to join together in cooperatives to bargain for better prices. He was not an avid prohibitionist, but as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee he wrote legislation after the country approved the prohibition amendment in 1918. He preferred to be remembered for his work on behalf of farmers' cooperatives, believing that if farmers were going to be successful, they had to become successful that way. The Volstead House was purchased by the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives and given to the City of Granite Falls in 1977, became a National Historic Landmark in 1978, and was restored through grants from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Minnesota Historical Society, cooperative associations, and individuals.