The 1898 Fire left much of Bismarck in ruin and forced the city to rebuild, propelling Bismarck into a modern city. Stricter fire codes were enacted as a result. Buildings made of brick and concrete replaced the charred wooden frontier structures. In response, many of these new buildings were labeled as “fire proof.”
Former Northern Pacific Train Depot, completed in 1901
Among the most notable structures to be replaced was the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot. The new depot was completed in 1901 at a cost of $33,601. Unique to the region, the depot sports Spanish Mission Revival architecture, designed by the St. Paul firm of Charles Reed and Alan Stem. Also noteworthy, it was one of the first local structures with concrete structural walls. The original Northern Pacific emblems are still visible to this day.
Building the new depot forced the relocation of Edward Patterson’s Sheridan House Hotel – one of the few downtown buildings to survive the fire, which was renamed the Northwest Hotel upon relocating across the street.
A.W. Lucas Established; Webb Brothers Block completed
In response to unprecedented growth since its founding as a furniture store in 1884, incorporating dry goods in 1892, Webb Brothers reorganized into a department store in 1898. It was at that time that the Webbs leased 75 feet of the eastern side of the newly completed McKenzie Block, later known as the Webb Brothers Block, at the corner of Main and Fourth, where it remained for the rest of its existence until shuttering in 1945. It expanded with a two-story brick storehouse addition in 1906 to house its furniture and funeral undertaking operations.
One year later, in 1899, Arthur Lucas and William O’Hara opened a clothing and dry goods store at 114 N 4th Street. In the belief that added competition would draw more shoppers to Bismarck, the Webbs actually aided Lucas and O’Hara’s new retail venture. Lucas and O’Hara’s partnership didn’t last long, with Lucas purchasing full ownership of the company in 1902. Outlasting competitor Webb Brothers, the A.W. Lucas store dominated downtown for decades, at one time encompassing four different buildings, until relocating to Gateway Mall in 1979.
Both retailers prospered for decades. Webb Brothers closed up shop in 1945, to be replaced by Sears, but A.W. Lucas survived decades more, operating numerous downtown storefronts, sometimes simultaneously, until relocating to Gateway Mall in 1979. Lucas shuttered in 1982, to be replaced by Eckstein’s and, one year later, Herberger’s.
Q&R Clinic & Bismarck Hospital
Doctors Eric P. Quain & Niles O. Ramstad founded that nation’s second-oldest surviving clinic, behind only Mayo Clinic, in 1902. Q&R Clinic was housed on the second floor of a downtown bank until relocating to 221 N 5th in 1927. That building was expanded several times, in 1953, 1966, and 1973.
Bismarck Evangelical Hospital was founded in 1907 and formally opened in 1909. It later became the first hospital in western North Dakota to have an x-ray machine. The name changed to Bismarck Hospital in 1955, and then again to Medcenter One in 1984. Sanford Health merged with Medcenter One in 2012.
Q&R Clinic merged with Medcenter One in 1993.
1902: Address Ordinance
In July 1902, Bismarck adopted a formal ordinance governing the designation of addresses. The ordinance was the result of establishing free postal delivery, expected to begin on September 1st of that year. While the ordinance has evolved over the years, it principally remains the foundation of street addresses to this today.
The system apparently caused mass confusion for years. It was up to each business and residence to determine and display their address. Many businesses and residents employed the incorrect number, as placed on their building and in the phone directory. Until at least 1907, the Tribune featured articles with detailed explanations of the system. Complicating matters, there were repeated attempts to change it until, at least, the 1910s. In fact, one commissioner in 1916 proposed the bold notion of renaming all of Bismarck’s streets – starting fresh.
Soo Line Arrives
In August of that year, the Soo Line reached Bismarck, complimenting Northern Pacific’s competing rail service.
First Motion Picture
Also that year, the first motion picture was shown locally at The Antheneum – a stage house erected in 1880. The show was put on by the traveling Beaty Brothers using 6 projectors.
1904: Streetcar
In 1904, a state-owned streetcar line was established connecting downtown with the Capitol. The line operates until February 28, 1931 in the aftermath of the original Capitol’s destruction.
1905
Construction on the Will School commenced in 1905. The site, now home to the Provident Building, once housed the city’s first two-room schoolhouse. It was named for Oscar H. Will, a local entrepreneur. The school closed in December 1951 when it was replaced by present-day Will-Moore Elementary, but the building continued as office space until being demolished in 1954.
Bismarck’s last capital execution took place at the penitentiary. The practice is outlawed in 1915.
The original superstructure of the Northern Pacific Railway bridge is replaced with steel that can handle heavier loads. The original granite piers, which still support the bridge to this day, were also shored up.
The International Harvester Building is completed (now L.J. Anderson Building).
1906
In 1906, the beginnings of the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce is founded as The Bismarck Commercial Club.
Soo and Grand Pacific Hotels
Two brand new hotels opened in 1906. Edward Patterson, who already owned the Northwest Hotel, completed the Soo Hotel. It was the tallest building in the city at the time. 1906 also saw the completion of the Grand Pacific Hotel, which replaced the Pacific Hotel that had operated on the site since July 1880.
1907: Indian School
Bismarck Indian School is established in 1907 at the former site of Milwaukee Brewery, now Fraine Barracks… home of North Dakota’s National Guard. The school was approved by an act of Congress in 1901 and opens in 1908. It becomes an all-girls school in 1922 and closes in 1937.
1909: First Municipal Park
Added with the completion of its new train depot in 1901, Northern Pacific Railway developed Depot Park as Bismarck’s first gathering greenspace.
Efforts to establish a city park came to a head in 1909, spearheaded by the Women’s Community Council, who beautified two vacant lots at the corner of 5th Street and Main Avenue. That same year, the Civic Improvement League – who previously coordinated with Northern Pacific Railway to embellish Depot Park – agreed to secure a plot of land for a permanent city park, dedicated as Custer Park.
Land was obtained in 1910 for $585, $100 of which donated by Colonel C.B. Little. It initially consisted of four acres between Washington Street and what was then called West Park Street (now West Custer Park Street), and Main to Rosser Avenues. A small lake was originally planned, but never implemented. 100 trees were donated by Oscar Will and planted that spring. In October, a landscape architect was hired to design a plan for the park. Over the next four years, more than one thousand dollars of improvements were made to the park, including 400 trees, 150 shrubs, water pipes, walking paths, and a retaining wall across Rosser Street.
By 1915, the city employed a caretaker for the park. Between 1915-1919, the city funded another $1,400 towards the park.
Today, Custer Park is most recognized for its Eagle Statue that was dedicated in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States Constitution.
The establishment of Custer Park was the start of what would eventually became Bismarck Parks and Recreation, which was formally established in 1927.
1910
The Former International Harvester Company Warehouse was completed in 1911.
By 1910, Bismarck had grown to nearly 5,000 people and the city had fully recovered from the devastating fire just twelve years earlier.
The ensuing decade saw great prosperity, but also a major change in the political landscape as the McKenzie Machine falls from power and gives rise to the Nonpartisan League, which shifts the balance of power away from big business.
Sakakawea Statue
Opening the decade, the Sakakawea Statue is erected on the grounds of the State Capitol.
International Harvester and Bismarck Grocery Company warehouses
Civic Square Building
Two large warehouses were constructed in 1910: Bismarck Grocery Company on the southwest corner of Main Avenue and 6th Street (today known as the Civic Square building) and the International Harvester Company on the northwest corner of Mandan Street & Main Avenue (today known as the Anderson Building), opening in March 1911. The International Harvester Company was a national manufacturing company specializing in agricultural machinery and construction equipment.
1911: McKenzie Hotel
The Patterson/McKenzie Hotel opened New Year’s Day, 1911.
The prominent McKenzie Hotel (later renamed Patterson Hotel) opened on New Year’s Day, 1911. Developed by Edward Patterson and named to honor his friend, political boss Alexander McKenzie.
The McKenzie was reputed to be the most luxurious hotel between Minneapolis and Seattle. Among other celebrities, the Patterson hosted four U.S. presidents.
Deemed North Dakota’s first skyscraper, the building was the tallest in the state until the new Capitol’s completion in 1934. Upon opening, it was the largest hotel within a 4-state region, contained the most private baths (84) of any building in the state, and held the city’s first elevator.
The McKenzie Hotel was North Dakota’s first building constructed with steel reinforced concrete and is notable for its continued construction that spanned decades, allegedly exploiting a loophole avoid paying property taxes, ultimately expanding from seven stories to ten.
The Patterson Hotel was a major gathering place for politicians and businessmen alike. This especially held true, after 1921, when it became home to the Nonpartisan League after the League’s former headquarters at the Northwest Hotel, which Patterson also owned, was destroyed by fire.
The McKenzie is notorious for its illicit activities during its infancy, including illegal alcohol sales, gambling, and alleged prostitution. The hotel even installed an electronic alarm system to keep out “unwanted guests” from interfering with its affairs.
New Fire and City Hall
Also in 1911, a new fire hall was constructed on Thayer Avenue. The building also housed city hall and police headquarters for several decades.
Marshall Oil warehouse
Marshall Oil Company of Marshall Town, Iowa commenced construction of a 90×50-foot brick building on Third Street near Front Avenue in August. Sinclair Refining Company later acquires Marshall’s interests in the city, who continued operating out of the building. The building later houses Fargo Paper Company (known today as Cole Papers). It has housed Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse since 1994.
1912-1924: Public Facilities
The Belle Mehus City Auditorium opened in 1914.
Beginning in 1912 and spanning into the 1920s, Bismarck ushered in a mass of public projects, from several schools to a public library, a city auditorium, and the first vehicular bridge spanning the Missouri River.
The first designated high school building opened in 1912, and the Federal Building was completed the following year for about $150,000. The City Auditorium, now the Belle Mehus, opened in 1914, and Saint Alexius Hospital opened the oldest section of its current facility in 1915.
The ten year-old Grand Pacific Hotel was nearly destroyed by fire in 1915, forcing the hotel to undergo extensive renovation.
Corwin-Churchill founded
Samuel Wickham Corwin established a dealership in 1914 that originally sold Buick, Saxon and Mitchell automobile brands before becoming one of the first distributors of the Chrysler nameplate when it was introduced in 1924. One year later, Neil Churchill joined the dealership.
In 1937, the company purchased Murphy Motor in Fargo. Corwin moved to Fargo to head up operations there, while Churchill continued to manage the Bismarck location.
During World War II, the company temporarily switched its focus on wholesale automobile parts distribution.
Churchill retired in 1952 and sold his interest to the Corwin family. The Whittey family purchased the Bismarck dealership from the Corwins six years later, in 1958, and continued its operation for the next five decades until 2010 when Minot-based Ryan Auto Group purchased and renamed the dealership Ryan Dodge. Eide Ford purchased it in 2016, when it became Eide Chrysler.
Corwin-Churchill was also an Appliance dealer in downtown Bismarck, operating from 1935-2015. The Whittey family maintained its ownership upon closure.
1915: The Nonpartisan League
Established in 1915, the Nonpartisan League quickly elevated into the state’s dominating political force, ushering in a new progressive movement for the state that opposed the previously commanding big-business centered McKenzie Machine. Just one year after formation, in 1916, NPL-member Lynn Frazier was elected Governor with 79% of the vote. The NPL also won control of both houses after the 1918 election.
It was during this reign that North Dakota implemented the state-owned Bank of North Dakota and North Dakota Mill & Elevator, both of which remain today and arguably the League’s most enduring legacies. The NPL’s dominance came to a temporary end, when in 1921, Governor Frazier was recalled from his position. The NPL wouldn’t regain supremacy until 1932, when their most infamous member, William “Wild Bill” Langer was elected Governor.
Cloverdale Foods
Dairy farmer Hoy Russell originated Cloverdale Foods as Mandan Creamery in 1915. It began offering premium pork products soon after. During the 1950s-1970s, Cloverdale shifted focus towards its meat line and food distribution as bigger dairy companies eroded market share. Cloverdale fully divested its other operations in 1995.
1916: City Streets Paved
After years of discussion and lobbying, Bismarck finally committed to paving its streets in 1916, three years behind neighboring Mandan. The $500,000 paving project proceeded after the city’s biggest landholders signed petitions agreeing to special assessments to fund it. To this day, special assessments remain a chief financing vehicle for public street maintenance.
The resulting project encompassed 161 blocks spanning nine miles. It was touted that Bismarck would possess the most paved streets of any other city below 10,000 residents. Each land owner would be assessed $2.95 per front foot, or $147.50 for a 50-foot lot, spread over twenty years.
The City Commission authorized the project on August 3rd and opened bids August 28th. Efforts were divided into six districts, with the first comprising downtown. Paving commenced on Broadway Avenue between 2nd and 4th that September, followed soon after on Main Avenue.
Van Horn Hotel
The Prince/Van Horn Hotel opened in 1916.
The Van Horn Hotel, named for its architect, Arthur Van Horn, was completed in 1916 for roughly $100,000. The Van Horn Hotel was owned by Patterson’s chief rival, Edmond Hughes. When Hughes later renamed the hotel Prince Hotel, Patterson renamed the Soo Hotel “Princess” Hotel in an effort to poke fun at his rival.
Jack Lyons
Having already started previous restaurant, Jack Lyons probably didn’t realize how iconic and cherished the hamburger “joint” he founded in 1916 would become. It operated on Broadway Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets – where the Parkade now sits.
Earl Swartz continued the business when Lyons no longer could. Lyons died in 1947 and Swartz in 1963. The restaurant was still operating as of 1965, but had closed by 1967 when J.C. Penney opened a baby store there. For some time after, until at least the 1980s, local butchers and restaurants advertised what they referred to as Jack Lyons-style hamburgers.
1918: Carnegie Library
1918 was a particularly momentous year. Bismarck’s first public library, a Carnegie Library, opened through funds largely donated by Andrew Carnegie.
First Wachter School
The first of three new schools over the next five years, Wachter School, opens that year, followed by Richolt School in 1920, and Roosevelt School in 1924.
North Ward renamed William Moore School
As well, the North Ward School, constructed in 1884, was renamed William Moore School to honor the man who served as Bismarck’s school superintendent from 1895-1908. Moore was instrumental in modernizing Bismarck’s education system, including converting the high school from a 2-year program into a standard 4-year program in 1897.
Fleck Motors established
One of the most enduring local automobile dealerships, Fleck Motors, came to Mandan in 1918 and Bismarck soon after. It ultimately became Nastrom-Peterson Motors, and again Wilhelm before closing in 2007. Its long-time showroom at 100 W Broadway Avenue was demolished in 2010 for Broadway Centre.
R.J. Fleck was previously a breeder of driving and saddle horses in Richardton, North Dakota before he recognized the “horseless carriage” revolution and founded an automobile dealership with his father in 1915.
It originally sold Marion Handley, Imperial, and Dort vehicles. In 1917, Fleck obtained its long-standing Buick franchise agreement from an Underwood firm, Hendricks and Landgren. Fleck’s relocated its dealership to Mandan the following year, in 1918.
Fleck opened its first Bismarck location in 1921, first operating a garage and service station at 215 E Main Avenue. Its Mandan location was sold in 1925.
1919: Bank of North Dakota
The nation’s only state-owned bank, Bank of North Dakota, is established in June 1919. It occupied the former Missouri Valley Motors building at Main and 7th until 2008.
President Wilson Visits
President Woodrow Wilson makes a Bismarck stop on October 10th, speaking at the City Auditorium. He was campaigning for his vision of a League of Nations.
Yegen Dairy
In 1919, the Yegens expanded into the dairy business, becoming one of the region’s primary dairy producers until its acquisition by the Bridgeman division of Land O’ Lakes in 1966.
John Yegen was among Bismarck’s first settlers, opening a restaurant and bakery from a tent in the summer of 1872. John’s first permanent store was located at 416 Main Street, but burned down in 1877. He rebuilt at the same location, where it remained until 1913.
1920: Tribune Relocates… Twice
By 1920, World War I had ended and America was booming. Bismarck’s population stood at more than 7,000 citizens.
At the end of 1919, the Bismarck Tribune outgrew its namesake Tribune Block on the northwest corner of Broadway and 4th, today home to KFYR-TV. The periodical had occupied the Tribune Block since its completion shortly after the 1898 fire, expanding it about ten years later to the north. Even with the expansion, the Tribune Block of the time was considerably smaller than today’s multi-building structure housing KFYR-TV. That, plus sharing the building with other occupants, including the Hoskins retail store, necessitated the Tribune to acquire more space. It moved into what was then Bismarck’s oldest brick building, the Gussner Block, on the southeast corner of Main Avenue and 3rd Street.
Fire destroyed the Gussner Block one month later, on January 21, 1920. It was the third time fire ravaged the newspaper’s home. It was then that the Tribune constructed its long-time home at 224 N 4th, on the southwest corner of 4th and Thayer, which was completed later that same year. A second building was later built to its immediate west. It remained there until relocating to its present building, on the southeast corner of 7th and Front, in July 1980, constructed for $3 million.
1921: Northwest Hotel destroyed
The Northwest Hotel, whose core comprised one of Bismarck’s oldest buildings, was destroyed by fire on October 27, 1921. In its aftermath, the influential Nonpartisan League’s headquarters relocated across the street to the McKenzie Hotel, both of which were owned by Edward Patterson.
The hotel originated on the present-day site of the former train depot as the Sheridan House in 1877, constructed by E.H. Bly at a cost of $50,000. It was likely the city’s largest building until the 1880s.
The Sheridan House was the first hotel owned and operated by Edward Patterson, who purchased the hotel in 1893 with partner E.S. Allen. Patterson became the hotel’s sole proprietor the following year.
When the train depot was destroyed in the 1898 Fire, Northern Pacific sought to build its new depot where the Sheridan House stood, on land owned by the railroad. Patterson used most of the Sheridan House’s materials to construct the Northwest Hotel directly across the street, which was then brick veneered.
Elks Pool
Bismarck’s first public swimming pool, named for the local Elks Club, who was its chief sponsor, was constructed in 1921 adjacent to Custer Park. The original pool was 100’x100′, ranging in depth from 3.5 feet to 12. The park board authorized replacing the original pool for an estimated $2.5 million in 2004.
1922: Liberty Memorial Bridge
(Old) Liberty Memorial Bridge Undergoing Demolition
1922 was a momentous year in many ways. Most importantly, the year witnessed the completion of the region’s first vehicular bridge across the Missouri River. 1922 also saw the passing of one of Bismarck’s most infamous pioneers and the arrival of Bismarck’s first national department store.
When dedicated in September 1922, the Liberty Memorial Bridge was the only vehicular bridge to cross the Missouri River within 500 miles, allowing direct vehicular travel between Bismarck and Mandan. The three-day 3-day dedication ceremony began September 18th with over 12,000 attendees.
Named to honor World War I veterans, the Liberty Memorial Bridge became part of U.S. Highway 10 when it was formally inaugurated soon after.
By 1924, more than 2,000 vehicles per day crossed the bridge. As the major connector between Bismarck and Mandan, many thriving businesses eventually sprouted nearby, including Bismarck’s first traditional drive-in restaurant and nationally renowned Holiday Inn. It gave a boost to Mandan by increasing access between the two cities.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Replaced by the four-lane New Liberty Memorial Bridge, the original bridge closed to traffic in August 2008. On October 6, the first span of the bridge was imploded. The remaining two sections came down on October 29.
Passing of a Pioneer: Alexander McKenzie
June 22, 1922 saw the passing of one of Bismarck’s most famous, and sometimes infamous figures, Alexander McKenzie. Leaving behind an incredible local legacy, McKenzie received a state funeral with honor guards at the North Dakota State Capitol.
Likely the state’s first millionaire, McKenzie leveraged his clout with the Northern Pacific Railroad to amass a fortune and form a powerful political organization penned the “McKenzie Machine” that dominated local politics from the 1880s until about 1908. Propelling his political dominance, McKenzie is widely credited with securing Bismarck as the new capital of Dakota Territory in 1883.
McKenzie dropped out of school at age 11 to seek his fortune. He arrived in Dakota Territory in 1866, at age 16, and rose to initial prominence when first appointed Burleigh County Sheriff in 1874. Despite being illiterate, his menacing size aided him in maintaining law and order in the otherwise lawless county. He was elected to this position six times and later became a deputy U.S. Marshal. Eventually, a friend taught him to read and write.
The McKenzie Machine began collapsing in the early 1900s. McKenzie himself was arrested in 1901 for fraud relating to Alaskan gold mine rights. He served three months in prison before pardoned by President McKinley. McKenzie’s political stronghold fully unraveled by 1908, when he vacated his national committeeman position after two decades.
McKenzie achieved national celebrity status from a 1906 novel called The Spoilers, which was a fictionalized account loosely based on McKenzie’s attempted takeover of the Alaskan gold mines. The novel was made into a 1942 movie featuring John Wayne.
First National Department Store: F.W. Woolworth
F.W. Woolworth opened at 406 E Main inside a new eastern addition to the City National Bank building.* It was the first national department store to take up residence in the city, although J.C. Penney had opened a Mandan store two years prior, in 1920. According to at least one source, a Bismarck Tribune article from September 12, 1940, Woolworth opened its first Bismarck store in 1917, however there are no references to a Bismarck Woolworth store until opening its store at 406 E Maine Avenue in 1922.
Woolworth relocated into the original City National Bank building, immediately next door at 402-404 Main Avenue, in October 1930. It renovated that location in 1940 and remained there for the next four decades. A second store opened at Kirkwood Mall in 1970. Woolworth was the first store to open at Kirkwood, which was named for Woolworth’s former CEO. Robert Kirkwood served as Bismarck store manager from 1932-1939.
In 1980, Woolworth’s converted its Kirkwood store into Woolco – the chain’s discount department store division. It was the only Woolco to ever operate in North Dakota. The downtown Woolworth closed in 1981, and its Kirkwood Woolco in 1983 when the entire 336-chain Woolco division was discontinued nationwide.
Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney
It wouldn’t be until 1928 that another national retail chain opened a Bismarck store, when Montgomery Wards opened at the northwest corner of 4th and Thayer.
J.C. Penney, which technically was the region’s first national retailer when it opened a Mandan store in 1920, followed with a Bismarck store in 1929 upon its purchase of McCracken’s local Golden Rule store. Golden Rule was a retail syndicate once affiliated with Penney. J.C. Penney. Both Penney locations were maintained well into the 1930s.
Penney’s and Wards will both later follow Woolworth’s lead by relocating to Kirkwood Mall. Wards shutters in 1999, shortly before the company’s nationwide liquidation.
Other 1922 Events
- Bismarck High School introduces the Demon mascot
- The Municipal Ball Park is established.
- Hoskins is renamed Hoskins-Meyer when Philip Meyer partners with wife Etta and her brother Brooks – children of R.D. Hoskins.
1923: Waterworks Becomes Public
In 1923, Bismarck voters shut down the private water system, first established by Alexander McKenzie, upon approving a bond to fund a new municipal filtration plant.
1924: Liberty Memorial Building
By this time, the Capitol Building was overflowing. Consideration for a replacement was ongoing. In the interim, construction was completed in 1924 on the Liberty Memorial Building, located adjacent to the Capitol.
That same year, A.W. Lucas Company completed construction of its new store, adjacent to its original location.
1925: KFYR Radio
Philip Meyer and his wife Etta Hoskins-Meyer founded KFYR, a 10-watt AM radio station, in 1925. KFYR’s first broadcast was the Elk Band Concert on February 8th, 1926. The radio studio was located in the music room of the Hoskins-Meyer building, in the same building housing KFYR-TV today. Until erecting a dedicated transmitter tower in 1930, which was the second-tallest man-made structure in the nation at the time, KFYR’s signal broadcasted from a rooftop antenna.
In 1963 (some sources say 1966), KFYR established an FM counterpart on 92.9 (now Y-93, KYYY). Jacor Communications – then the nation’s third-largest radio broadcaster – acquired both radio stations in 1998 for a reported $4.8 million.
Today, KFYR Radio, along with sister station KYYY (“Y-93”), are owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. (previously Clear Channel Communications).
Old Red Trail designated
Also in 1925, Old Red Trail is designated U.S. Highway 10. Today, the former highway includes much of Bismarck’s Main Avenue and The Strip.
1926-1928
City National Bank failed in October 1926. It was in business since 1909.
In 1927, Will School added three additional rooms and the Bismarck Park Board (now Bismarck Parks & Recreation) was formally organized. Within a year, the park district maintains five parks, including the already established Custer Park, as well as Kiwanis, Tatley Eagles, Riverside/Sertoma, and Hillside/Lions. Pioneer and 16th Street Parks are added between 1931-1932. It’s not until the 1950s that the district dedicates another park.
In 1928, Hughes Electric was sold. Today, its remnants are part of MDU.
1929: Talkies, Bank Changes, MaNDan billboard
In 1929, the first “talkies” – motion pictures with audio – debuted at the Paramount Theater on 3rd Street near Broadway Avenue.
Several banks change hands: First National Bank is sold to First Bank Stock Corporation of Minneapolis (now U.S. Bank), and The First Guaranty Bank is sold to Northwest Bankcorp, also of Minneapolis (now Wells Fargo).
Across the river, the original “MaNDan” letter billboard was placed atop Crying Hill facing south. It involved 12 gallons of paint and 47 truckloads of stone, mostly broken pavement taken from the widening of 6th Avenue NW. The sign was relocated to the hill’s northeast side facing Interstate 94 in 1987, replacing the original stone with enforced concrete taken from roof beams of the former Mandan Pioneer building.
Footnotes
- A Tribune article from September 12, 1940 says Woolworth first opened its Bismarck store in 1917, however no references can be found of a Bismarck Woolworth prior to its 1922 opening.
