Backstage Pass to North Dakota History

This blog takes you behind the scenes of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Get a glimpse at a day-in-the-life of the staff, volunteers, and partners who make it all possible. Discover what it takes to preserve North Dakota's natural and cultural history.

Recent Donations Sport Their Team Spirit

This past year has been big for sports memorabilia! The State Historical Society of North Dakota has accepted numerous donations for the state museum collections that include sports equipment, trophies, uniforms, and team jackets. Many of our own staff members have donated items from their time or their family member’s time participating on local recreational or school teams. Here are just a few new sports-related donations.

1. Women’s Softball Helmet
This helmet belonged to Isabelle Forde, the donor's daughter. Forde played fastpitch softball for Bismarck High School from 2018 to 2023. While wearing this helmet, she played third base and outfield on the junior varsity teams that won Western Dakota Association tournaments in 2019. Later when she was on the varsity team, Forde participated in the 2022 state championship game where they won the school’s first championship in softball.

Helmet donated by Laura Forde, former education manager at the State Historical Society. SHSND 2024.23.1

2. Ice Hockey Equipment 
Tom Chase, a gallery guide with the State Historical Society, played hockey from the 1970s through the early 1980s. Chase was born with cerebral palsy, but he did not let that stop him from playing hockey like his older brothers. “I had an idea that I could have a brace made for my skate so that I could play,” Chase recalls. Sometime in the 1970s, he asked Amiot Prosthetics in Grand Forks to retrofit his skates with a brace. He played hockey with those skates for the next 10 years.

Chase donated the goalie equipment he wore while competing on the junior varsity team in high school, the Grand Forks Park Board league, a few years in a city league, and in an intramural league at the University of North Dakota.

Goalie pads, gloves, mask, and skates with brace on left skate. SHSND 2025.43

3. Bismarck Youth Hockey Uniform and Equipment 
This full set of youth ice hockey equipment was well used by donor Truman Turnbow during the 2020 Bismarck Hockey season. He played wherever the coach needed him, both offense and defense, but usually preferred defense. His father noted that the players’ gloves famously smelled awful. The smell was so bad that the coach gave permission to players to ward off opponents by simply holding up their gloves—a sure way to end any scuffle! It became a ritual after every game to hang the gloves up to air out.

Inside the front pocket of Turnbow’s roller bag, we also found a ChapStick (used for greasing the snaps on his helmet), contact lenses, Band-Aids, and rolls of athletic tape—everything a prepared player needs for a game or practice.

Helmet, shoulder pads, home jersey, stick, and roller bag used by Truman Turnbow. Additional roller bag contents include elbow, leg, and knee pads, shin guards, gloves, away jersey, home and away socks, and skates with camo guards. SHSND 2025.53

4. Bismarck Youth Hockey Jacket
The agency’s Exhibit Production Manager Bryan Turnbow, father and coach to the previously mentioned Truman Turnbow, also played hockey. He wore this jacket throughout his time participating in the Bismarck Youth Hockey Club from 1984 to 1987.

Bismarck Youth Hockey jacket. SHSND 2025.55

5. Letterman Sweater
This sweater belonged to Clifford “Kip” Stites, father-in-law of donor Nancy Guy. He grew up in Havana, North Dakota, and graduated from Havana High School in 1931. This was a big milestone because Stites and his siblings were the first in their family to graduate from high school. He played basketball and was a team captain, indicated by the star on both the sleeve and patch. The stripes on the letter represent the number of years competed or “letters” won. This is similar in some ways to military chevrons.

Havana High School was part of a large school reorganization plan for Sargent County in the 1950s and 60s. The high school joined the Sargent Central Public School District in 1969 and officially closed its doors in 1984.

Havana High School letterman sweater and additional patches. SHSND 2025.48

Preserving Today: The State Archives’ Quest to Collect Contemporary History

Since the name of our agency is the State Historical Society of North Dakota, I’m sure many people believe we are only interested in “old” things. But that’s not true. We are just as committed to preserving today, and even tomorrow, especially in this digital age.

The North Dakota State Archives has a vast and robust 2D collection stretching from the Dakota Territory days of the 1860s, ’70s, and ’80s into the mid-20th century. Now, in addition to those eras, we are on a mission to gather and preserve materials from the 1970s to the present. These materials might not feel historic, but they are crucial to sharing the story of North Dakota and capturing everyday lives here for future generations.

While visiting my parents recently, I pulled out hundreds, maybe thousands, of photographs my mother had taken of me and my siblings while we were growing up in the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s. As I flipped through the many memories, I began to feel the same awe I experience when looking at similarly themed photos in the State Archives collections. Both sets of photos showed people dressed in their Sunday best, dolled up for dances, attending community events, standing with their siblings, and students in desks at school. I decided to gather some of these everyday photos of my family to donate to the State Archives so that people in 60, 80, or 100 years can experience the same awe.

Everyday photos from yesterday? You may wonder why these would be important to the State Archives. But we make it our mission to preserve and share stories from all North Dakotans from all time periods. Just because something is recent doesn’t mean we shouldn’t save it. We, as a society, must commit to preserving the now to ensure future generations will understand the past and see themselves in history.

So what kinds of materials are we looking for? Photos, videos, posters, programs, yearbooks, letters, diaries, screenshots of instant messages, emails, social media—anything that documents the life of North Dakotans. Below are a few of the categories we are particularly keen to collect.

1. Family moments: These could be holidays, birthdays, family portraits, and special moments. They capture cultural traditions, relationships, and celebrations through the decades.

The author with her father welcomes her new baby brother in 1996. This photo offers a glimpse into 1990s fashion, newborn care, and the hospital room design of the decade. SHSND MSS 11674-00059

2. Sporting events: Whether youth leagues, high school championships, or amateur events, sports photos show what we played, how we played, and the stylish uniforms we wore.

IMCA Stock Cars lined up for the feature race at the 2024 Dakota Classic Modified Tour in Mandan. This photo captures what North Dakotans did for fun in 2024 and offers future researchers a look at car styles, paint schemes, and local culture. SHSND MSS 11674-00103

3. Daily life: These are time capsules of everyday experiences, showing the clothing, furniture, and social interactions of the era.

The author’s mom and brother enjoy an evening bike ride in 1987. Photos like this help us study 1980s house styles, landscaping trends, light fixtures, window designs, and, of course, everyday fashion. SHSND MSS 11674-00071

4. Community events, organizations, and businesses: These could include parades, festivals, church picnics, 4-H meetings, civic clubs, even street views and business fronts. They represent the spirit and values of our towns and neighborhoods.

The author poses with her 4-H demonstration “Cookie Dough To Go.” This photo offers a glimpse into early 2000s youth programs, showcasing 4-H activities, uniforms, classroom setup, and cookie recipes of the time. SHSND MSS 11674-00004

5. Personal perspectives on major events: These are newsworthy happenings as seen through your lens. What did it feel like at the time? How was it experienced locally? Such materials personalize and deepen our connections to history.

A family sandbags their home during the 1997 Red River flood in Fargo. This photo shows more than just flood mitigation—it documents how families came together in a time of crisis and provides a snapshot of neighborhood layout, vehicles, clothing, and daily life in 1997. SHSND MSS 11674-00069

One day, people will want to know what volleyball looked like in 2007, how North Dakotans protected homes from floods in 1997, or what families did for fun in 1987. What we experience and participate in today is important to document. Take a look through your family photos (both print and digital) to enjoy the nostalgia and see today’s history. For more information on donating to the North Dakota State Archives’ collections, visit history.nd.gov/data/donate_archives.html.

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