State Historical Society of North Dakota

Delmar Hagen of Gatzke, MN, made this ox cart trek from Pembina, ND, to St. Paul, MN over the historic Pembina Trail July 10-Aug. 23, 1958. The trip covered 420 miles and took 45 days. 📷  SHSND 00057-00013

Free learning series ‘Junior Historians’ featured at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum    School age children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to the free interactive learning series “Junior Historians” at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. Children and their accompanying adult(s) are asked to meet at the west entrance information desk. The goal of the “Junior Historians” program is to cultivate an interest and passion for North Dakota’s history through weekly themes. In these 30-minute programs participants will listen to stories, participate in activities and discussions, and learn in a fun and engaging way.  Sept. 4 Labor Day, 4 p.m. Do you know why there is no school on Labor Day? Learn about the origins of Labor Day and make a patriotic craft.  Sept. 11 Grandparents Are Great, 4 p.m. These awesome people really put the “grand” in grandparents! Make gifts for your grandparents or a loved one for Grandparents Day. Sept. 18 Genealogy With the State Archives, 4 p.m. Do you know where your family lived generations ago? Genealogy is the history of your family. Explore the background of families and solve the Archives scrambled family tree. Sept. 25 Migration, 4 p.m. It’s cold in the winter, so where do the animals go? Learn about migratory animals and where they travel to stay warm. Make a beautiful paper butterfly.  For more information, contact Education and Engagement Manager Laura Forde, shsprograms@nd.gov or 701.328.2792. The ND Heritage Center & State Museum is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

‘Teaching of Traditional Indigenous Medicines’ scheduled Sept. 15 at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum The public is invited to a free presentation, “Teaching of Traditional Indigenous Medicines,” Sunday, Sept. 15, 2-3:30 p.m. in the Russell Reid Auditorium at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, Bismarck.  Christy Goulet, Wiishkobizi Nibi Ikwe (To be sweet like the water women), will share her expertise in traditional Ojibwe and Dakota medicines. She will demonstrate the preparation and use of cedar, sage, and other plants as they were historically used in traditional Indigenous medicines. Goulet is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Belcourt.  For more information, contact Education and Engagement Manager Laura Forde, shsprograms@nd.gov or 701.328.2792. The ND Heritage Center & State Museum is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Don't be fooled by The Alley Cat's expression. It's actually very excited for #NationalRadioDay. 📷 SHSND 10200-00012

Discover "Explorer Day" at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum The State Historical Society of North Dakota is hosting “Explorer Day” Saturday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. This program is free and open to the public.    The event features hands-on activities for the entire family. Learn to document your surroundings with nature journaling and watercolor painting. Participate in a Red River Rendezvous to experience what it was like to be a fur trader. Try your hand at basic orienteering skills including reading maps and using a compass. Other activities include identifying furs and tracks of North Dakota animals, and building paper boats.    For more information, contact Education and Engagement Manager Laura Forde, shsprograms@nd.gov or 701.328.2792. The ND Heritage Center & State Museum is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The North Dakota State Historic Preservation Review Board will meet Friday, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m. in Classroom B at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. The meeting is open to the public, and information to join remotely can be requested from shspreservation@nd.gov. The board reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) prior to their submission to the Keeper of the NRHP for official consideration. This meeting will include a short training session on the NRHP before the review of the nomination. The Towner County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Cando was built in 1919 next to the horse racetrack shortly after the county fair was established. This building hosted food competitions and exhibits during the county fairs and was also the site of weekly dances and other social events. It is significant for this social history as well as for the unusual roof truss system that is a hybrid of Howe and Pratt truss designs.  The Nels Ophaug Farm Barn near McVille was built in 1905 as a gambrel-roofed bank barn with a stone foundation for dairy, calving, and horses. The upper level was rebuilt in 1943 with a Gothic-arched roof after a windstorm destroyed it. Ophaug, a Norwegian immigrant who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923 as an independent, built both the original barn and the reconstructed upper level. The barn is an excellent example of its type and attests to trends in the development of agriculture in North Dakota.  The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s list of properties considered worthy of preservation. The documentation process for listing demonstrates that the resource is significant in some aspect of the nation’s history. Contrary to some misconceptions about the National Register program, listing in it does not prevent owners from altering their property, restrict the use or sale of the property, or establish times requiring that the property must be open to the public. Entry into the NRHP does give a property prestige, provides protection from federally assisted projects, and provides eligibility for certain preservation financial incentives. For more information, contact the State Historic Preservation Office at shspreservation@nd.gov or 701.328.2089.

The escape room at the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site is open again! Help find Limpy Jack before he loses another digit. He's already lost one finger and five toes to frostbite. Book your escape room today! https://lnkd.in/gxNbpkky

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲? 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 Recently, the North Dakota State Archives received permission from Doug Wick to digitize his 1988 book “North Dakota Place Names” and make it accessible on Digital Horizons. This invaluable resource includes nearly every place name in North Dakota and features the present-day county, location, and history of each place. To celebrate the online access for Wick’s book, read this blog article written by Lindsay Meidinger to discover five tales of North Dakota place names.

Learn about Inga Martinsen Anderson and the spinning wheel she donated to our collection. The spinning wheel was built by Inga's great-grandfather in Oslo, Norway, around 1750, and the family brought it with them when they immigrated from Oslo to Milnor, ND, in the early 1880s. https://lnkd.in/gu_zYWvd

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, planning for a new military museum gallery addition located on the south side of the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck took another step forward. The Capitol Grounds Planning Commission unanimously approved architectural design development drawings submitted by the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota National Guard. With this approval, the planning team is ready to move forward with developing construction documents. View the architectural designs at https://lnkd.in/gj9tupQa. Preliminary design plans for the approximately 60,000-square-foot addition include a 20,000-square-foot military gallery, a North Dakota National Guard regimental room also available to the public for rental events, an expanded food service area, and an outdoor courtyard and amphitheater space. “We are appreciative of the planning commission’s approval,” said State Historical Society Director Bill Peterson. “This is a culmination of three years of working with the North Dakota National Guard on building a gallery that honors our active military personnel and veterans, educates and preserves history, and inspires state citizens. We can be proud of this gem being added to our spectacular State Museum.”  The 2023 state Legislative Assembly authorized a line of credit from the Bank of North Dakota for up to $20 million for this project, with additional funds raised through a North Dakota National Guard Foundation capital campaign. The military gallery, scheduled for construction beginning in fall 2025 and completion in fall 2027, will be filled with fascinating narratives to help visitors understand the military’s influence at home and around the world. Visitors will learn personal stories of North Dakotans serving in all branches of the armed forces and gain an understanding of the first Native American military societies. Topics will include acts of bravery, conflict-based missions, humanitarian aid, and pivotal moments in history. These stories of North Dakota’s military participation will help visitors understand how the past continues to influence the present and future. Certain Capitol grounds trees that are unhealthy or nearing the end of their natural life will be removed during construction. This plan calls for new plantings to offset those trees removed. As planning continues for the military gallery exhibits, the State Historical Society and its Foundation, the North Dakota National Guard and its Foundation, additional state government teams, and representatives from military branches, tribal nations, private businesses, veterans organizations, and additional public and private entities will together provide direction for this exciting addition to the State Museum.  For more information, contact Public Information Officer Kara Haff, kahaff@nd.gov or 701.328.3547. For information on how to donate, go to https://lnkd.in/gKqbYV7h.