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MINOT DAILY NEWS 2014 HOMETOWN HITS & MISSES

Sept. 6. This year’s Medora Musical hasturned it up a notch because of a historicalachievement. The musical is in its 50thseason.

“In the show itself we’ve kind of built ina review of our first 50 years, some of ourfavorite guests and music, some of themost memorable parts of the show,” saidFisk. “We’re already planning next year’sproduction as part of the 50th Anniversarycelebration. It’s a fun time in Medora.”

The home of the Medora Musical is the

impressive Burning Hills Amphitheater, a2,900 seat facility built into terrain thatoffers a spectacular view of North Dakota’sscenic Badlands. Major renovations weremade at the theater in 1992 and improve-ments have continued yearly. A changethis year was having the Coal Diggers Band

perform at center stage. Previously therenowned band had been located at theside of the stage and often hidden fromview of the audience.

Also adding to the musical this yearwere three North Dakotans who wereamong 12 performers that emerged from

very competitive auditions that drew 1,200Medora Musical hopefuls from all over theUnited States. The three are DelanieWiedrich of Hazen, Misti Koop of GrandForks and Damon Fichter of Dickinson.

“It’s really an all-star cast and to thinkthree North Dakotans were good enough tomake the cut!” remarked Fisk. “It’s really,really exciting. We’ve had people new tothe area from Texas, the East Coast orwhatever, and they can’t believe what wehave in North Dakota. They never expect-ed this!”

Fifty years and better than ever. Buses,

Submitted photoThe 2014 Burning Hills Singers are impressing audiences at the nightly Medora Musical. Three of the cast members are from North Dakota.

MedoraContinued from Page 64

See MEDORA — Page 68

‘He’s a really good T.R. It’s uncanny how much helooks like T.R. You can call him Colonel.’

— Justin Fisk, marketing director, on Joe Wiegand, a noted Theodore Roosevelt

historian and impersonator

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MINOT DAILY NEWS 2014PAGE 68 HOMETOWN HITS & MISSES

Submitted photoRe-enactor Joe Wiegand brings Theodore Roosevelt to life in Medora. Wiegand is a noted historian on the life of Roosevelt, including the formerpresidentʼs time in the Badlands.

tour groups, family reunions and businessgatherings all come to Medora knowingthe musical is “must see” entertainment.Often the evening of music and fun beginswith Medora’s famed pitchfork fondue. It’san impressive feed put on nightly prior toperformers taking to the stage.

“We did close to 50,000 steaks last year.It’s a good place to have dinner,” explainedFisk.

For those who are seeking something

other than a steak dinner, buffalo roast,ribs and chicken are on the menu; all of itserved with a heavy dose of spectacularBadlands scenery.

“The best part of that whole diningexperience is the view of the LittleMissouri Valley from up on the bluff. Youcan see why Teddy Roosevelt fell in lovewith it. Every time I come here it gives megoosebumps,” remarked Fisk.

The musical begins as long shadowsbegin to fill the surrounding Badlands ter-rain. When darkness sets in producersincorporate the early evening hours intothe performance. The effect is stunning.

“They utilize the bluff behind the stage.Horseback riders come down the bluff andlights are projected on the hill, the BurningHills,” said Fisk. “They display a giantAmerican flag across the back of the bluff.It’s pretty awesome.”

The moment proves to be a memorableone for the audience who voice theirapproval with an assortment of cheers andapplause.

Making a number of appearances thisyear was Joe Wiegand, a noted TheodoreRoosevelt historian and impersonator.Wiegand can be found at many activitiesin the town of Medora, including after-

noon performances at the town theater.“He’s a really good T.R. It’s uncanny

how much he looks like T.R. You can callhim Colonel,” said Fisk.

In support of the musical the town ofMedora has continued to improve facilitiesand appearance. The historic communityspent $5 million dollars this past year topurchase and renovate three buildings dat-ing from 1883 to the early 1900s and toremodel 65 of 120 rooms at the BadlandsMotel. Additional upgrades are scheduledin the near future, all to help makeMedora, and the “Greatest Show In TheWest” an even more attractive destination.

MedoraContinued from Page 65


By ANDREA JOHNSONStaff Writer

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That was the case with the Stone Bankon Bottineau’s Main Street.

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ry,” said Sharon Kessler, who founded thenonprofit Touchstones along with an oldfriend with the intent of raising enoughmoney to preserve the historic 114-year-old building.

She said the building is special andunusual. Because it’s south facing, thebuilding is brilliant with light inside.

“What I also love about the bank is that,depending on the sun, the bank changes

color with the light,” said Kessler.The building has stood throughout

most of the county’s history.The Bottineau County Bank, founded in

1887, was the very first bank in BottineauCounty. The building itself was construct-ed a few years later, by local craftsmenusing hand-hewn granite. Kessler’sresearch showed that the workers com-pleted the building in less than six months,

working through the heat of summer andthrough a frigid North Dakota fall.

The work paid off and, when the build-ing was finally completed in December1900, the local paper proclaimed that itwas one “one of the nicest buildings in thecounty.”

The bank failed in 1923, a tough year in

Submitted photoTobias Gulden, from Germany, and Dian Lopez, from Minnesota, are shown working on some window frames. Behind them is the new foundationthat will support the rebuilt back 20 feet of the Stone Bank. The historic stone facade will be reattached later.

A wonderful piece of history

See BANK — Page 72

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North Dakota when poor crops led tomany a farmer losing his livelihood.

But the unique stone building remainedon Main Street.

It was used as a dentist’s office for manyyears. “A lot of people will tell us, ‘Oh, Ihad my teeth cleaned there,’ “ said Kessler.“Or they’ll say, ‘I remember looking out thewindow of the dentist’s office.’

All of the dental equipment from thedentist’s office is currently housed at theBottineau County Historical Society.

After it was a dentist’s office, the build-ing also was the site of a fabric shop andalso a lawyer’s office.

In the 1930s, a 20-foot extension wasadded to the back of the business.

By 2011, structural issues meant theback wall of the building – the addition –was crumbling and the building was indanger of being condemned as a safetyhazard.

At that point, the nonprofitTouchstones stepped in and purchased thebuilding from the retired lawyer, Glenn

Swanson, who had owned the building foryears.

Donations and grants have helped theFoundation to start the hard work of restor-ing the building, which is classified asRichardsonian Romanesque in style.

In 2011, the back 20 feet of the buildingwere dismantled to address the structuralissues and repair work was completed onthe roof. They plan to lay a solid founda-tion and then eventually rebuild the backof the building with concrete blocks over-laid with the original stone so it looksexactly the way it did before it was dis-mantled.

But they’ve encountered a few surpris-es along the way.

Kessler said that when workers excavat-ed in preparation for the foundation work,they discovered that the building next doorto the Stone Bank had an unsupportedbasement. That required some additionalwork to put support piers under the build-ing next door before the work on the foun-dation could begin.

“Nobody knows until you dig what’sunder there,” said Kessler.

During the excavation, they found someinteresting relics from the building’s past,

including old glass medicine and wine bot-tles. When the bottles were taken to theAntique Road Show in Bismarck, theappraisers there judged the bottles to beabout 100 years old.

Kessler said the project has also benefit-ed from a $20,000 North Dakota HistoricalSociety grant. The grant requires a dollarfor dollar match, so Kessler and others inthe foundation will be working on raisingfunds. Fundraising can be difficult, though,especially when the project has alreadyreceived some generous local donations.

Kessler said her goal for this year is toget the back of the building rebuilt and tohave it re-roofed so the building isenclosed.

In the long run, she has big dreams forwhat the Stone Bank could become.

“My personal dream would be to put alittle cafe or coffee shop in it,” said Kessler.“People love the idea of a little cafe there.”

Kessler said people in Bottineau coulduse a gathering spot that is open past 5 p.m.

The hard part will be finding the rightbusiness to lease space in the building.Because the Stone Bank is the recipient ofa Historical Society grant, the building can-not be sold to a business. But Kessler said

the economic development office inBottineau frequently gets inquiries aboutlocating a business in the Stone Bank and itis in a prime location.

The back of the building is extended 8feet, preserving interior space, and allow-ing for a handicapped accessible entrance.It will also have plenty of electrical con-nections that will make it usable by a mod-ern business, said Kessler. The preserva-tionists want to make the building flexibleand usable while still retaining its historicnature.

Kessler, who lives in Hudson, Wis., butgrew up in Bottineau, said her goal was torenovate the building so it would stand foranother 100 years.

“It was really built to stay there,” saidKessler.

Even though the back wall was crum-bling, the rest of the building was in goodshape.

“It’s a gem,” she said. “They don’t builtthese any more. It’s an unusual and beauti-ful building and it’s worth saving ... I can’twait for the end of it. I can’t wait to see whathappens and see it in use again. It’s acharming, lovely building and it deserves anew lease on life.”

The Fulbright group enthusiastically embracedthe task of scraping, sanding and painting theold window frames. Whilein North Dakota, they alsovisited the Coghlan Castleat St. John.Submitted photo

BankContinued from Page 69


Eloise Ogden/MDNThis one of the several earth lodges at the Three Affiliated Tribesʼ Earth Lodge Village, west of New Town. Visitors can make reservations to stayovernight in the villageʼs earth lodges.

Tribal Earth Lodge VillageOfferingvisitors anauthenticexperience

By ELOISE OGDENRegional Editor

[email protected] TOWN – When visitors

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Earth Lodge Village. Earth lodges – the traditional

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Overlooking Lake Sakakawea,the village is located about oneand a half miles west of the 4

Bears Casino & Lodge and offN.D. Highway 23.

Completed several years ago,the village includes a large cere-monial or community lodge andsix dome-shaped smaller lodgesmade of logs and earth.

Visitors can make reservationswith MHA Tourism for overnight

camping in the village’s earthlodges or tepee. People also canuse their own camping gear forovernight stays at the site.

The ceremonial lodge, a 190-square-foot structure with a con-crete floor, can be used for family

See LODGE — Page 75

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gatherings and other specialgatherings. Reservations canbe made for its use.

The vil-lage over-looks LakeSakakawea,the third-largest man-made lake inthe UnitedStates. Thelake is 178 miles long andhas more than 1,500 milesof shoreline, according tothe U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers Omaha District.

Metal sculptors on thebuttes overlooking the vil-lage were made by TonyMoran, a metal sculptor.

Darian Morsette, directorof MHA Tourism, said in aninterview in July, that aground breaking will beheld this summer for a new

LodgeContinued from Page 73

See LODGE — Page 76

The ThreeAffiliated

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HOMETOWN HITS & MISSES

interpretive center that will have anamphitheater.

“It will be above the earth lodges,” hesaid. The ground breaking originallyscheduled for July 21 was postponeduntil a later time.

Morsette said the village’s opening forthe season in the spring is held followingthe Four Bears Powwow.

Morsette was making plans in July forthe village’s 2014 Warrior/Warriorette ofthe Plains Challenge set for Aug. 9-10.

The annual event for men, boys,women and girls has prizes ranging from$300 to $1,500. Both days has a calcuttaand then horse races. The event includescanoe-run-horse relays. The men com-pete individually and women competeusing three-member teams.

The challenge is held during the LittleShell Celebration, the annual powwowwest of New Town.

Morsette said he’s also planning amusic fest for the end of August.

He said they are also trying to developsliding and other outdoor activities at thevillage during the winter months.

Denny Wolf is the head groundskeep-er at the village.

Morsette said the Earth Lodge Villageopens for the season in May and contin-ues into October, or as long as possible,weather permitting.

During its season, the village is opendaily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. MHATourism, Gift Shop, Internet Cafe andCoffee House, an information and giftshop, open daily on Main Street in NewTown.

LodgeContinued from Page 75

Eloise Ogden/MDNMetal sculptures on the buttesoverlook the Three Affiliated TribesʼEarth Lodge Village, west of NewTown.


Big walleye a big hit

Wally theWalleyeremains onhis perch atthe northend of MainStreet inGarrison.The statuehas becomea well-knownsymbol ofthe city thathas beenbilled as the“WalleyeCapitol ofthe World.”KimFundingsland/MDN

By KIM FUNDINGSLANDStaff Writer

[email protected] — He doesn’t say any-

thing. Doesn’t have to, and he’s still one

of the most well-known, oft pho-tographed celebrities in North Dakota.Anyway you measure it, and he’s official-ly 26 feet long, Wally the Walleye is a bighit at the end of Main Street.

“It’s unique for our community. It real-

ly tells the story of Lake Sakakawea andthe good fishing that happens on thelake,” said McKaila Madison, director ofthe Garrison Convention and Visitor’sBureau. “It goes with our logo, too, whichis “Get Hooked on Garrison.”

Visitors to Garrison and the city parkwhere Wally is proudly on displayalmost always take a few moments to sayhello, even have their pictures taken with

See WALLY — Page 78

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Wally. The fact is, a person can’t really saythey’ve been to Garrison without visitingWally the Walleye.

Wally has served the community well.Through all types of weather he has been aconstant reminder that Garrison is the gate-way to good fishing and recreation. The cityonce claimed to be the “Walleye Capitol ofthe World.” While that claim has been dis-puted by other cities throughout the years,Wally has remained a stoic reminder thatfantastic fishing opportunities can be foundjust a few miles from his lofty location.

Ironically, Garrison, Minn., on MilleLacs Lake claims to be the walleye capitolof the world too. They’ve even got a statueof a walleye, but it measures a paltry 15feet. Wally would eat that for lunch.

Port Clinton, Ohio, has a walleye statuemeasuring a mere 18 feet. The biggest wall-eye statue belongs to Baudette, Minn.Called Willy Walleye, it measures 40 feet inlength. Baudette makes the claim that near-by Lake of the Woods makes them the wall-eye capitol of the world.

Did Garrison give up that claim? Notexactly.

The sign located beneath Wally the

Walleye that proclaimed Garrison as“Walleye Capitol of the World” wasremoved late last year in favor of a modernelectronic message board. While the elec-tronic sign promotes businesses and eventsin Garrison and the surrounding area, itdoesn’t quite mean Garrison is no longerconsidered “Walleye Capitol of the World.”When fishing is good, as it often is, there’sjust no better place to fish than LakeSakakawea.

If Wally was talking, there’s no questionhe would agree. Garrison’s largest ambassa-dor keeps a close watch on such thingsfrom his centralized location.

“Wally kind of finishes off our MainStreet,” said Madison. “It’s a pretty busyMain Street. No vacant buildings. Wallyjust adds to it and kind of wraps it up. He’sa draw for people from out of town. Theylove to see Wally because it is truly ourtrademark, a known trademark and it’sneat.”

The biggest walleye presides annuallyover one the state biggest fishing events, theNorth Dakota Governor’s Cup WalleyeDerby. Weigh-ins are held at the city parkwhere Wally is located. Anglers pass rightunderneath Wally to bring their catches tothe official scale. No matter how youchoose to fillet it, Wally the Walleye is a bighit for Garrison.

HOMETOWN HITS & MISSES

Kim Fundingsland/MDNWally the Walleye went modern late last year with the addition of an elec-tronic sign used to promote Garrison area activities and businesses.

WallyContinued from Page 77


By JILL HAMBEKStaff Writer

[email protected] Minot residents may remem-

ber spending their childhood summer daysswimming in the pool at Oak Park or wad-ing in the kiddie pool next to it. While boththe oval-shaped pool and rectangle kiddiepool are no longer in existence, the oppor-tunity for cooling off on a scorching day isstill there and people seem to take fulladvantage of it.

The splash pad at Oak Park was addedin 2008, said Ron Merritt, director of parksfor the Minot Park District, after it wasdecided that the pool and accompanyingkiddie pool should be taken out. The poolwas in disrepair and needed to be torn out,he added, and there was discussion as towhat should be the replacement. Splashpads were popular at the time and the pub-lic seemed receptive to the idea, Merrittcontinued. “We were also in the process ofrenovating Roosevelt Park Pool, so itseemed like a good compromise.”

With change, however, comes possibledisagreement, and there was some opposi-tion to the splash pad replacing the swim-ming pool. “We had a small group who wereopposed, but we think it was a wise choiceto put in the splash pad,” Merritt said. Thenumbers of people using the splash pad aretwo or three times greater than it was whenthe pool was there, he added. “People getexcited about it now when they hear ofanother one being added.”

The Minot Park District is looking to adda second splash pad since the current one isso popular, Merritt said. The new onewould be in Radio City Park, in south Minotbehind the Minot Chrysler Center. “So we’llhave one in the valley and one on SouthHill,” he added. Eventually, there may evenbe a splash pad on North Hill, Merritt said.The Minot Park District hopes to discussthe plans for the new splash pad this winterand get the construction started in thespring of 2015.

At the time that the decision was madeto replace the swimming pool with a splashpad, Merritt said they felt like one outdoorpool was enough. “But if the city keepsgrowing like it is, we may have to addanother pool,” he added. “And if enoughpeople want it, maybe they can talk us intoit.” However, swimming pools are expen-sive to operate, Merritt said, and only get tobe used for about two and a half months of

the year. Having a splash pad is much easier to

maintain and more cost effective than aswimming pool. Merritt said there are nocosts for lifeguards and a splash pad is veryinexpensive to operate. The splash pad hasabout a 4,000 gallon tank and the water is

treated like it is in the pool, he added. Thewater is also recirculated, filtered andslightly heated, Merritt said. “It doesn’t usethat much water,” he added. Additionally,the water used at the splash pad is testedevery few hours to make sure it’s safe foreveryone, Merritt said.

Last summer, there were some problemswith the filtration at Roosevelt Park Pool,Merritt said, but this summer there havebeen very few problems and they have beenresolved. There are no problems with thesplash pad, however, other than normalmaintenance and cleaning, he added.“Things are running really well this sum-mer.”

Citizens are happy with the splash pad,

Merritt said. “You push a button and thewater turns on.” After a few minutes, thewater turns off, he added.

“Parents can sit and watch their kidsplay and there’s a playground nearby,”Merritt said. There is also a picnic area near-by that is used frequently for birthday par-ties. “The splash pad gets used a lot. It’s afun place for people to get together in thesummer and it’s free,” he said, since noteveryone can pay to get into the pool every-day.

“We’re excited to be talking about put-ting another splash pad in,” Merritt said.“The pool and splash pad are having a greatsummer. Lots of people are using the facili-ties so that makes us happy.”

Splash pad making a splash

ʻWe had a small group who wereopposed, but we think it was a wisechoice to put in the splash pad.People get excited about it now whenthey hear of another one beingadded.ʼ

— Ron Merritt, director of parksfor the Minot Park District

Jill Hambek/MDNTwo kids frolic in the gushing water at the Oak Park splash pad on Aug. 3. The splash pad, along with the poolat Roosevelt Park, are busy places during the summer.

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By ELOISE OGDENRegional Editor

[email protected] AIR FORCE BASE — B-

Fifty Brew, a Starbucks coffee shop, hasreally taken off at Minot Air Force Base.

Senior Airmen Jacob Acuna said hereally likes the coffee shop. “I do,” he

replied when asked, as he waited at thecounter on June 9 for a Vanilla BeanFrappucino. He said he stops in thecoffee shop about once a week.

Cashier Shannon Rodgers said busi-ness at the B-Fifty Brew “is pretty con-sistent” and at certain times it’s verybusy. “I love it,” she added. She andElizabeth Olivos, also a cashier, both

were working behind the counter thatday, helping customers. Rodgers wassporting a blue T-shirt with “The B-Fifty Brew” written across the back, aplane in the middle and “Only the BestBrewed Here” written below.

The women said they can make

Eloise Ogden/MDNSenior Airman Jacob Acuna picks up his order on June 9 at the counter in the B-Fifty Brew, a Starbucks coffee shop at Minot Air Force Base. In thebackground are cashiers Shannon Rodgers, back left, and Elizabeth Olivos. The coffee shop is a popular place on base.

B-Fifty Brew takes offNew coffeeshop growspopular on base See BREW — Page 84

anything that Starbucks has. The coffee shop, established to boost

morale, opened at the base earlier this year,and is located near Rough Rider’s Pizza.

The shop also has sweet treats for itscustomers. The sweet treats are deliveredfresh each day from the Sweet & FlourPatisserie in Minot.

A ribbon cutting was held for the newcoffee shop on April 15.

The coffee shop’s menu includes the cof-fee, coffee alternatives and espresso cre-ations as well as the “baked delights,” asthey are noted on the menu.

A ribbon cutting was held for the newcoffee shop on April 15.

Building the coffee shop officially start-ed in June 2013, with planning beginningin April, base officials said. The project costabout $200,000, with the money comingfrom both non-appropriated funds andappropriated funds.

The project got its start after a query wasmade to military members and their fami-lies, asking them what they would like tosee on base. Almost 80 percent of thosewho responded wanted a Starbucks, baseofficials said.

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These“bakeddelights,” asthey areadvertisedat the B-Fifty Brewat Minot AirForce Basewere ondisplay intheStarbuckscoffee shopJune 9. TheSweet &FlourPatisseriein Minotprovidesthe sweettreats to thecoffee shopeach day. Eloise Ogden/MDN

Eloise Ogden/MDNShannon Rodgers, a cashier at the B-Fifty Brew at Minot Air Force Base,shows the back of her T-shirt that advertises the new business.

BrewContinued from Page 83


By ANDREA JOHNSONStaff Writer

[email protected]

RUGBY – The geographical center ofNorth America probably isn’t actuallylocated in Rugby, not that most peoplewho stop there care.

“It’s what makes people stop here,” saidCathy Jelsing, director of the Prairie VillageMuseum in Rugby. “I mean, it’s our claimto fame.”

Jelsing said visitors to Rugby sometimesmiss the monument and stop at the muse-um instead for directions. She tells them,“go take your picture beside (the monu-ment). It’s tradition.”

Whenever she and her husband haveout-of-town guests on their first trip toRugby, Jelsing always takes them to themonument so they can have their picturetaken.

A couple of years ago, when Jelsing wasworking at the museum on the Fourth ofJuly, a wedding party from Minot Air ForceBase stopped at the museum.

The happy couple had just gotten mar-ried – at the monument.

Jelsing is researching the history of themonument for a display at the museumand said she would like to include a dis-play of people from all over the countrywho have had their pictures taken there.Buses filled with tourists, school childrenon field trips, families vacationing and oth-ers have all made a point to stop there.

“It’s just a slice of Americana,” she said.The true site of the geographical center

of North America may be marked off witha sign in a slough.

“Who knows?” asked Roger Hersey ofRugby. “There’s a shrine down by Balta,next to a water hole or slough. They claimthat’s the actual one. According to theGeographical Survey, they said it wassomewhere in Pierce County.”

Balta is about 16 miles southwest ofRugby.

The official site for the monument wasprobably chosen because Rugby was thelargest community in Pierce County.

The U.S. Geographical Survey estab-lished the location in 1931. In 1932, thestone cairn was completed by W.B.Paterson and E.B. Paterson. Communityvolunteers helped put up the building. In1971, the cairn was moved to its current

The center of attention

Rugby is thesite of the

GeographicalCenter of

NorthAmerica

monument.Andrea Johnson/MDN

See RUGBY — Page 87

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location on the southwest corner of Highways 2 and 3 whena four-lane highway was put in. In 1995, a rock garden and asign was added, along with flags representing the three NorthAmerican countries, the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Hersey, the original owner of a now-closed restaurant andgas station built in 1972 near the monument, said it hasalways been a popular tourist attraction.

He sold the building when he retired and it was owned bytwo other people before it was closed. He hopes a new ownerwill be found to revive the site.

Until then, the Rugby Chamber of Commerce has takenover management of the site. Volunteers mow the lawn andput up American flags.

Even though the restaurant has closed, many travelers stillmake a point of stopping by the monument. Campers, carsfilled with parents and children, and couples walking dogsall paused to look at the monument on one day in August.

Shelley Block, executive director of the Rugby Chamber ofCommerce, said it remains popular because it offers peoplean experience.

“It is the geographical center of North America,” saidBlock. “You are standing in the center of an entire continent.Much like the Four Corners area, people are drawn to geo-graphically unique places. The Grand Canyon, the Craters ofthe Moon and those types of things are all important becausethey occur nowhere else. People come everyday to take pic-tures because they like to know they have been to a geo-graphically unique place.”

The monu-ment alsoincludes arock withNativeAmericanpetroglyphs.It was foundin a field inthe area.AndreaJohnson/MDN

RugbyContinued from Page 85

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A photopublishedin TheMinotDailyNews in1975shows aportion ofthe newlook forMainStreetthatresultedfrom anurbanrenewalproject.JillSchramm/MDN

By JILL SCHRAMMStaff Writer

[email protected]

With rumors of new shopping centersswirling about the city in the 1960s, Minotresidents looked at the blight creeping intotheir central business district and realizedthat downtown couldn’t compete unlesssomething was done.

The city organized an urban renewaleffort that elicited proposals for somegrand schemes, which, for the most part,

never advanced past the idea stage.However, a modest plan to create a pedes-trian-friendly Main Street did gain tractionby the early 1970s.

With the help of federal funds in 1975,the city reconstructed Main Street to take aserpentine path, with mid-block cross-walks, benches, trees, kiosks and newstreet lighting, sidewalks and paving.

Ten years later, the community cele-brated the removal of the project’s mainfeatures. Merchants used about $32,000from their Park and Shop Fund to tear outthe urban renewal project, straighten thestreet and plant new greenery.

“It helps make the downtown a morebeautiful and viable area for shopping,”Anthony Schneider, then chairman of the

downtown merchants group, said inremarks recorded in The Minot DailyNews in June 1985.

Today, Schneider, of Minot, still callsthe removal of the project a good move.

“I didn’t like it at all. It took away park-ing,” he said. “Customers didn’t like it,either.”

Schneider, who was working down-town in 1975 at Shark’s Men’s Store,which he later purchased, said theresponse to plans for the urban renewalproject had been mixed.

“There were people for it and peopleagainst it, but the more it was used, themore people didn’t like it,” he said.

Dean Caldwell of Minot designed the1985 revisions, working with the City of

Minot to develop a new plan. He said theurban renewal project had to remain inplace for 10 years under restrictions of thefederal program.

When the 1975 construction came out,there was so much concrete under thecurved abutments that the weight blew outthe tires on the trailer hauling away thedebris, Caldwell recalled.

In re-straightening Main Street, thedowntown gained 48 parking spaces.

“We’re so happy with what Dean’sdone. It’s going to be just a super deal,”Schneider had said at the 1985 dedicationof the redesign.

How did the urban renewal project

Downtown project missed the markGood intentionsfailed with public

See DOWNTOWN — Page 90


manage to strike out so badly with down-town merchants and shoppers?

The story goes back to August 1967,when Minot formed an Urban RenewalAgency that had revitalization of thedowntown as its priority.

A November 1967 city council resolu-tion stated: “It is hereby found anddeclared that there exists within the City ofMinot, and particularly in the central busi-ness section in the center of the City ofMinot, blighted areas which constitute aserious and growing menace, are injuriousto the public health, safety, morals andwelfare of residents of the city of Minot,that the existence of such areas constitutesan economic and social liability.”

Permission to proceed with redevelop-ment of the central business district wasgranted in June 1967 by the City PlanningCommission to Harland Bartholomew andAssociates of St. Louis.

According to the files of The MinotDaily News: “A revolutionary idea forrevamping of downtown Minot, calling fordemolition of many of the present struc-tures, closing off a four-block area to trafficand erecting a shopping mall, has beenpresented to city officials.

“Called a ‘helluva plan’ by one person,the proposal was unveiled by EdShippmann of Harland Bartholomew andAssociates at a Tuesday afternoon meetingwith members of the City PlanningCommission and the council.

“Shippmann, admitting the schememight appear ‘far out,’ said it visualizesdestruction of most of the present buildingsin the area bounded by Central Avenue andSecond Avenue South and First StreetSoutheast and First Street Southwest.”

The council immediately noted that theplan left parking inadequate.

Meanwhile, the Souris River went on arampage in 1969, leaving the city withredevelopment concerns that were ofgreater import than fixing up downtown.Renewal became two-faceted, with floodrecovery on one hand and the downtownproject, Operation Horizon, on the other.

John Rader of Urban PlanningConsultants of Chicago came on board toassist the city. He told the city that hisexperience in the urban development fieldconvinces him that one basic conceptmust be maintained: The downtown areain Minot must take on a bold new look if itis going to maintain its stature in the yearsto come.

It was determined that multi-level park-ing facilities would be required if MainStreet were to be converted to a mall.

Rader proposed, based on the HarlandBartholomew and Associates master planand State Highway Department study, thatthe city consider one-ways on ThirdAvenue South and Fourth Avenue Southand an end to traffic in the central corearound Main Street.

Rader recommended immediatechanges that included making the twoFirst Streets east and west of Main one-way. The city later did try one-way streets,which proved to be a short-lived, unpopu-lar experiment.

By 1971, the city had sales agreementsin place with most of the property ownersto allow for razing a half block for a surfaceparking lot between Central and FirstAvenues and Main and First StreetSouthwest. Backed by a favorable N.D.Supreme Court ruling over opponents onthe matter, the city council moved aheadwith demolition.

About that time, Rader informed thecity that construction of a $5 million shop-ping mall in downtown Minot would elim-inate the need for a parking ramp.

Under the plan of Horizon Realty ofPennsylvania, underground parkingwould be available on two levels for 400cars. The mall would include play areasfor children, drop off points for shoppersand off-street loading on the ends of themall, with skylights to bring in naturallight. In addition to the outdoor, ground-level mall, there would be a second-levelpedestrian system. Retail stores wouldopen off from an arcade with escalators toreach the bridge system.

It was a grand plan that went nowhere,and a year later, the city suspended its rela-tionship with the developer.

The city was keeping its options open,though. There was no shortage of ideasfrom outside and local developers. First

National Bank proposed a new three-storybank and retail building, which ultimatelywas built and became the current WellsFargo building.

In November 1973, the city councilapproved funding for a plan to convertMain Street into a semi-open type mallwith angled parking that would eliminate24 spaces. Urban Renewal Agency directorVirgil Miller described it as “a vital step inthe rejuvenation of the downtown area ...to make Main Street more pedestrian-ori-ented.”

In August 1974, the Urban RenewalAgency Board approved a design by archi-tect Floyd Kielhack. The mall was to havediagonal parking on Main Street withcurbs that curved inward so passengerscould be dropped off beyond the line ofmoving traffic. Each block was to include

DowntownContinued from Page 89

See DOWNTOWN — Page 93

A sketchfrom cityfiles showsthe down-town areathat waspart of theurbanrenewaldistrictknown asOperationHorizon.Jill Schramm/MDN

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crosswalks, roofed shelters, benches andplantings.

Minutes of the agency board put theprice at $355,219.

Minutes also showed that Albert Koubaand William Connole, downtown mer-chants, objected to the project. The agencyboard requested that merchants call ameeting and invite the urban renewalboard so the board could decide whetherto proceed or abandon the project.

Minutes don’t reflect what happenedafter that, but an undated resolution of thedowntown merchants in a city file states:“Be it resolved, the downtown businessand profession association reaffirms to thecity council of Minot and Minot UrbanRenewal Board that we still are on recordas positively for the Main Street open mallconcept.”

Another supporter was then city man-ager John Arnold, who introduced the con-cept of a semi-mall based on his experi-ence with the development of one in hishometown in Atchison, Kan. He under-stood the potential pitfalls, though, writing

to Arnie Braaten, chairman of the UrbanRenewal Agency Board, in 1975: “Givensome of the negative experiences we’ve allseen cities have with malls, it’s importantthat we do all in our power to make ourmall a success. ... Mall failures are usuallyfrom doing too much or doing too little.Too much is characterized by taking alltraffic off at once or covering the mall.Doing too little is not finishing what wasstarted, not building in quality and nothaving a cohesive whole. If we do whatwas designed, we will avoid both traps.”

Arnold, who was city manager from1972 to 1977, now lives in Topeka, Kan.

“It was decorative and pedestrian-friendly, and the parking was a big helpand the public restrooms down there werebig,” he recalled of the downtown design.The drawback was that people were usedto driving downtown while the design pro-moted pedestrian traffic, he said.

Local residents who recall the urbanrenewal project remember that the curvedstreet also made snow removal a challenge.It was a hindrance to fire trucks. What par-ticularly bothered many people, though,was it forced an end to Main Streetparades.

“It just wasn’t as aesthetic as people

visualized it might be,” Bruce Walker ofColdwell Banker, downtown Minot, said.

Allen Butz of Minot was a city councilmember with a typewriter business onCentral Avenue at the time the semi-openmall concept was proposed. He said some-thing had needed to be done to liven up thedowntown when other plans failed to workout. The project that was tried didn’t workbecause residents didn’t want the change.

“Minot liked it the way it was,” he said,citing the competing desires to bothprogress and hang on to tradition. “Wewere always pushing but we were holdingat the same time. It’s kind of hard to pushand hold.”

Residents who remember the urbanrenewal project have higher hopes for acurrent downtown revitalization project.That project has received an $18 milliondisaster recovery grant from the U.S.Economic Development Administration toreplace the downtown infrastructure tosupport redevelopment. These dollars willbe matched by funds from storm sewerand street lighting district special assess-ments, Community Development BlockGrant-Disaster Recovery funds, utilitybonds, state funding, general obligationbonds and other sources.

The creation of Artspace Lofts, the firstdowntown new construction in manyyears, has been accompanied by the recon-struction and repurposing of a number ofolder buildings. A new county office build-ing is going up and a jail expansion isplanned. Two parking ramps are underconstruction as part of an “Imagine Minot”vision that foresees new retail and residen-tial space downtown.

The downtown streetscape could bechanging again as well. This time balanc-ing aesthetics and “pedestrian-friendly”with functionality, the tentative plan callsfor “bumpouts” or expanded pedestrianareas around intersections to make road-ways safer to cross.

Some traffic signals would be removed,new LED street lights would be installedand trees replaced. The three blocks ofMain Street between Central and SecondAvenue South would feature riverfront,railroad and prairie themes. New benches,trash cans, planters, kiosks and monu-ments would complete the look.

“Hopefully, all this redevelopment theyare doing now will end up being a posi-tive,” Walker said. “Personally, I thinkright now we have a pretty vibrant, so tospeak, downtown.”

DowntownContinued from Page 90

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Cookinʼ them up right

GregFinneseth,left, andChadBarstad,both Velva,prepare ribsat the LilʼRedneckRibfest inVelva July12. For moreon Ribfestsaround thearea, seePage 96.Jill Schramm/MDN


By JILL SCHRAMMStaff Writer

[email protected] — Whether it’s the food or just

the fun surrounding it, hosting a barbe-cued ribs cook-off is almost a sure bet for

drawing a crowd.After seeing the success of ribfest con-

tests in other communities, the VelvaAssociation of Commerce sectioned off asmall, open space between Main Streetbusinesses to make room for its first Lil’Redneck Ribfest at its second annual

Midsummer’s Night Jam this past July 12. “Everybody was pretty happy with the

event,” said co-organizer Shawn Vedaa,owner of Velva Fresh Foods. “If this takesoff like it looks like it might, we might needa bigger spot.”

The ribfest drew 11 teams, including

The Q Crew from Minot, which finished insecond place.

“Whenever there’s one around, I go toit,” said Duey Bridges, a member of The QCrew with son, Billy, and fellow retired Air

GregSchmaltz,left, assistssome of hisstaff mem-bers atSchereskyAg in Maxin preparingribs for theVelvaFarmersUnion Oilteam at theLilʼRedneckRibfest inVelva July12.Jill Schramm/MDN

Ribfest spices up summerSee RIBS — Page 97

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