BisManCafe has teamed up with the popular and renowned Fargo-based website GhostsofNorthDakota.com for a special feature highlighting the 116th anniversary of the devastating 1898 Fire, which destroyed most of Bismarck’s downtown.
Here’s an excerpt on the feature:
The Fire of 1898 helped propel Bismarck from its shantytown frontier roots. Rising from its ashes, the seed for a modern city would soon sprout, one better suited for meeting the needs of a major economic and government hub. Bismarck saw its rebirth.
At the time of the fire, much of Bismarck was built of wood… food for the raging fire. In response to the fire, the city enacted stricter fire codes, making way for sturdier, modern structures built mostly of brick and reinforced concrete. “Fireproof” labeling became a common advertising gimmick for the new, modern buildings.
Read the entire article here, which also highlights the ironic death of Governor Briggs, who spent his last hours observing the fire from the porch of the Governor’s mansion.
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