I know I’m biased but working in the State Archives is super cool.

Every day I get to learn about the happenings of the past and the stories of people in this state—not just the famous ones like Peggy Lee and Lawrence Welk but people like you and me who lived, worked, and played here through good and bad times. I get to see how our history connects to the rest of the country and world. On a daily basis, I am privileged to view the past through newspapers, documents from state agencies, manuscript collections from private donors, books, yearbooks, and oral histories.

Now we get to share a little bit of what life is like in the Archives with you.

In October 2020, during American Archives Month, we launched an online program of videos to take you into our world. If you pay attention on our social media platforms, you’ve probably already seen these. The “Archives in Action” video series gives you a taste of the ins and outs of working in the Archives, highlights our collections, and shows some of our processes in around 5 minutes or less.

State Archivist Shane Molander shared a video on preserving newspapers in the State Archives.

You can watch these videos when they premiere on our agency Facebook page, but they are also easily viewable on our YouTube playlist. You’ll be able to “visit” our stacks area, learn about digitizing newspapers and donating to the Archives, see how state agency records are transferred to us, and more. We add new content all the time—so check it out. We love to share our passion for what we do and the history of this state!

Our YouTube playlist is your go-to source for “Archives in Action” videos.

Whether you’re planning an outing this week with someone new or looking for a fresh activity to share with your longtime spouse, you’ll find plenty of unique date options at our state museums and historic sites. Explore beautiful North Dakota!

Photo by Johnathan Campbell

1. Watch a spectacular sunset on the Missouri River.
Take in a romantic riverfront sunset at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site just seven miles north of Bismarck. Once the sun goes down, it’s also an amazing spot to stargaze.

Courtesy Grant Invie

2. Cuddle during a free concert.
During Jamestown’s Buffalo Days on Saturday, July 24, treat your sweetie to a free concert by singer-songwriter Grant Invie, performing on the lawn of the Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site at 1 p.m. Invie, who hails from Moorhead, Minnesota, will make you swoon with classic country music with hints of gospel and rock-and-roll. Bring a blanket and get cozy on the lawn. No seating provided.

3. Stay “inn” tonight.
For a unique date night, explore Fort Totten’s 16 original buildings and spend the night within the fort! Enjoy a romantic stay at the Totten Trail Historic Inn located in one of these buildings. Let your darling know that you are “hopelessly devoted” during Fort Totten Little Theatre’s on-site production of “Grease.” The play runs through the end of July, so make plans today!

4. Attend Aber Days festivities.
On Saturday, July 24, spend the day together at the annual Aber Days at Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy a vendor fair, Métis music, a blacksmith in action, historical authors Candace Simar and Carrie Newman, a Civil War sewing demonstration, a dream catcher demonstration, military reenactors, and more, then take in a local rodeo! Join the North Country Trail hike at 1 p.m.

SHSND SA 00042-080

5. Check out one of North Dakota’s great love stories.
If you name a town for your sweetheart, it must be true love! Visit the Chateau de Morès in Medora to discover the swoon-worthy romance of the French entrepreneur Marquis de Morès and his bride, the Marquise (also known as Medora). Explore their unique summer home and the Interpretive Center. Then, snuggle with your sweetie during a Chateau wagon ride while taking in the stunning Little Missouri River and Badlands views.

6. Take your relationship to new heights.
Ride the glass elevator to the top of the seven-story observation tower for beautiful prairie views of the Red River Valley across North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba at the Pembina State Museum. Can you see where Canada begins? Discuss what borders mean for countries, states, and individuals.

7. Plan a day trip and picnic.
Plan a day trip to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan State Historic Site in Washburn. Selfie photo ops abound at the larger-than-life statues of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sheheke, and Seaman the dog. Take in the cool exhibits, unpack a romantic feast at a Fort Mandan picnic table, and hike the Washburn Discover Trail to see native plants documented by Lewis and Clark.

8. Encounter the old and new.
If your date has a passion for history, they’ll love exploring the treasures available right in downtown Bismarck at Camp Hancock State Historic Site on Main Avenue! Here, you’ll find the city’s oldest standing building—once part of a military post and supply depot. Take in exhibits on local history and the U.S. Weather Bureau station once housed there. Don’t forget to check out the newly recreated Weather Bureau offices upstairs. Then pop into the tiny but lovely 1881 Bread of Life Church, where summertime weddings still take place. It’s the oldest church in the city. Admire the workmanship of the 1880s stained glass windows by renowned artist John La Farge.

9. Explore a tale of two rivers.
Walk the trails along the peaceful place where the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers merge not far from the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center near Williston. This is also a great birdwatching spot for lovebirds! Inside the Interpretive Center, find exhibits to explore and a store to purchase a memento of your special day.

10. Chill on a hot day with Romeo and Juliet … and Julius Ceasar.
Attend two Shakespeare productions of passion and intrigue this week at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck! Catch the Young Bards’ free performance, “Shakespeare Our Way,” at 2 p.m. on July 25 in the Russell Reid Auditorium. The Young Bards, Capitol Shakespeare’s youth theater program, will perform scenes from "Romeo and Juliet," "The Merchant of Venice," "Much Ado About Nothing," "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." Or bring a date to “Julius Caesar” being performed by Capitol Shakespeare actors at the outdoor Prairie Amphitheater, July 21-25 at 7 p.m. Bring chairs or a blanket!

They say love makes the world go round, and we believe it here at the Chateau de Morès State Historic Site. This summer we are feeling the love from our partners at North Dakota Tourism as they help us navigate the waters of our brand-new visitor center! That’s right, the Chateau is now home to a flagship effort that matches expert staffers with travelers from across the world.

Thanks to this partnership, ND Tourism provided a new display for informational literature, exclusive merchandise, as well as brand new photo-ops to help commemorate your Western Dakota adventure. Meanwhile, we staff the visitor center with knowledgeable Chateau team members ready to help you discover the jewels of North Dakota.

So what can we do for you?

The Chateau De Morès State Historic Site is home to a brand-new visitor center thanks to a partnership with North Dakota Tourism.

First off, we are here to help you plan a legendary trip. From the moment you walk in the doors of the Chateau Interpretive Center, you have options! You can purchase tickets to the historic Chateau, secure your spot on a wagon ride through the bottomlands, and even browse our one-of-a-kind gift shop.

If you are anything like me, there is no such thing as “too much research” for the perfect road trip. Our brochure wall is a great spot to find information from all over the Peace Garden State outlining tourist destinations, statewide trails, local eateries, regional offerings, and more.

So many brochures, so little time. Where in North Dakota will you go?

Don’t forget the selfie! Strike your prettiest—or funniest, or most daring, or just plain fun—pose in front of the new Maah Daah Hey selfie station, where you can insert yourself into the magnificent Badlands landscape. Then tag us on Facebook, @ChateauDeMores, so we can share your glory with our followers.

Moi, at the Chateau’s Maah Daah Hey selfie station.

Looking for a bit more info? We can also help you maneuver the new North Dakota Tourism website. Here we can help you find specific guides, maps, digital magazines, and suggested routes. We can even print some of these for you. The best part? All of this is free to you!

Come on over and see us some time!

This partnership with North Dakota Tourism has already helped the Chateau offer a more well-rounded experience for our guests, and we are excited to watch this effort grow. In the coming years you will be able to find visitor centers like these in all four corners of our state. But for now, your chance to see this project is exclusively at the Chateau. Come check it out! We are open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily and can’t wait to see you.

The State Historical Society of North Dakota has expanded! On July 1, the number of state museums and historic sites the agency operates became 59. We are excited to welcome the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan State Historic Site into our family!

Since 2015 our friends at the North Dakota State Parks and Recreation Department had managed both of these sites in Washburn. However, during the legislative session earlier this year, lawmakers changed the century code and management was transferred to the State Historical Society. For visitors, this change will be imperceptible as hours of operation, tours, and staffing remain the same.

I understand that such a sweeping change can be unnerving to those experiencing it. Leaving the familiar for the not so familiar is hardly everyone’s cup of tea. It was for these reasons that we decided to make the transition as seamless and stress free as possible for the team at Washburn. Working with Parks and Recreation Director Andrea Travnicek, State Historical Society Assistant Director Andrea Wike and the respective teams at each agency, we devised a plan to begin the transition as soon as the Legislature finalized the bill.

We created eight transition groups to work with the various parts of operations that would need to be brought over. These included Historic Sites, Human Resources, Business Office, Concessions, Museum Collections, Technology, Maintenance, and Communications. Kevin Kirkey, then-Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center manager, and Historic Sites Manager Robert Hanna of the State Historical Society, were assigned to each team. Other staff from both agencies were assigned as needed. We began having meetings in the final weeks of May. Some of the questions to be answered included how to bring IT resources over, how to handle shifting security for the sites to our system, and how the gift shops and retail purchasing would change. We discovered and addressed subtle differences between the two state agencies. 

These initial meetings went great, and before long detailed plans were in place for the July 1 transition. During the process, Kirkey decided to take on a new challenge within the state parks and recreation system. After a brief search, we selected Dana Morrison, the site’s interpretive coordinator, to replace Kirkey and become site supervisor.

Former site manager Kevin Kirkey congratulates Dana Morrison on her promotion from interpretive coordinator to site supervisor.

The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan are a remarkable addition to the State Historical Society, and, like our other sites, are now under the umbrella of the Archaeology & Historic Preservation Department. Prior to July 1, we were already responsible for the care and interpretation of key state historic sites along the Missouri River including Huff and Double Ditch Indian villages, Fort Clark and Mih-tutta-hang-kush Indian village, and Fort Buford. Adding the Lewis and Clark portion of the story allows for a more complete telling of the significant history that took place upon the banks of the Missouri from about 1400 to 1890.

Recreation of Meriwether Lewis’ desk at Fort Mandan State Historic Site.

Operation of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan adds about 25,000 square feet of indoor space, as well as stunning new locations, excellent collections, and dedicated staff members. Our mission is the identification, preservation, interpretation, and promotion of North Dakota’s heritage. The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan have found a perfect home.

Since this spring, I have been working as a collections processing intern here in the State Archives. A history major at the University of Mary, I have spent a fair amount of time researching and writing papers for my classes. Little did I know this skill would allow me to make great friends. For the past month I have been working on processing the Roy Johnson and Louis Pfaller Collection, which has involved organizing and putting materials in folders.

Johnson was an historical writer and journalist for the Fargo Forum and Daily Republican for roughly two decades. Most of his articles were written between the mid-1940s and the early 1960s, with his writing touching on such topics as early pioneers on the frontier and the military expeditions following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. He passed away in 1963. Part of my work with the collection involves reading his research correspondence and looking through the sources and manuscripts that formed the bulk of his writing. Although he is no longer alive, I feel as though he has become a friend and mentor.

My job is significantly easier because Johnson himself labeled, dated, and organized his own work. I find his attention to detail and diligent organization impressive. Additionally, this collection has introduced me to a whole host of other researchers and historians. Many of Johnson’s correspondents were fellow North Dakota historians, including Dana Wright, Maj. Frank L. Anders, and Nelson A. Mason, with connections to other collections in the Archives.

Here Roy Johnson is seen on an excursion with fellow historians and history enthusiasts following in the footsteps of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Pictured left to right are Nelson A. Mason, Johnson, C. R. Dalrymple, Jack Landblom, and E.O. Liessman. Photo by Frank L. Anders, Roy Johnson and Louis Pfaller Collection, State Archives.

My friendship with Roy Johnson is not all dry letters and primary sources; sometimes he sends me on wild goose chases as well. For instance, in one folder of research, I found letters in which Johnson had written to multiple correspondents, asking for information on Pierre Bottineau, the 19th-century frontiersman. (Bottineau County and town are named for him.) Johnson referenced an article he hoped to write, but this article was not included among his papers. I was determined to see if there was an article, so I hit our microfilm collection, focusing on a window of seven years of daily newspapers from the Fargo Forum and Daily Republican.

This was my view for a couple of days when I was searching for a newspaper article on microfilm.

After several days in the reading room, I decided to seek other means to locate this elusive article. A box of fan mail sent to Johnson contained the golden ticket. Typed on a yellow sheet of paper was a comprehensive list of articles Johnson had penned, which had been compiled by his friend who inherited the collection, Rev. Louis Pfaller. Father Pfaller then went on to add additional research to the collection and help reprint various article series that Johnson wrote. Each article he wrote had a publication date next to it, which confirmed my suspicions. The article on Bottineau had never come to fruition.

Contrary to what some may believe, working in the Archives is full of excitement. With many more boxes to go, I look forward to future adventures with my friend Roy Johnson as I explore the early North Dakota story he shared through his writing.

The collection includes both boxes that have been processed and those waiting to be explored.

Jesse Kaas, Collections Intern

In a museum collection as large as that of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, inventory is key. Inventory provides the collections manager and registrar with the information needed for insurance, security, conservation, and preservation needs.

There are three main types of inventories that take place in museums: complete, partial, and random sample inventories. A complete inventory is a total inventory of all the items in the collection. This type of inventory is only undertaken periodically due to the time and effort it requires. As a result, random sample and partial inventories are carried out in between full inventories.

Random sample inventories check a random selection of items in the collection to see if everything is in order. The results of this sample can then be inferred to the rest of the collection. Similarly, a partial inventory is an inventory that checks a specified number of items; however, these items are not random. Partial inventories can be done by rows or by specific types of objects. For example, an inventory may be taken of all the knives in the collection. A partial inventory concerning an object type or a specified row of shelves may be selected due to the infrequency of attention placed on the area or because a cataloging problem has been identified. All three types of inventories play a crucial role in keeping the collection up to date.

As an intern here at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, I have mainly dealt with inventory-related projects. The big project I am working on involves updating general inventory information on radios, phonographs, phonograph records, and other related items found in the collection. Updating general inventory information entails pulling each item off the shelf and adding or updating its description, condition report, dimensions, provenance, and location.

Early on in this process, I discovered some items were unnumbered and/or placed in the wrong location. This fact introduced a slight thrill to my inventory project. If an item on the shelf was unnumbered or not in the right place, I would try and pair it with the surrounding objects based on similar markings or model types, or I would look up the object by name in the computer database system and see if it had been misplaced. If I could still not find the number or place of the object, I would register the item as FIC or found in collection. This would kickstart the process of giving the item an official paper trail.

Reunited, and it feels so good! Here I am with a graphophone and related pieces that had been separated. SHSND 14666.4

One item that induced some excitement was a late 19th-century Columbia Graphophone. This graphophone, a later version of the first phonographs, was missing its hand crank, horn, and horn support. There was no paper trail that accompanied this item. I was able to identify the items associated with the object by going through a few cranks, horns, and horn supports in other locations. Needless to say, due to its immense size I did not find the horn in the same location as the graphophone. Nonetheless, after going through these items, I was able to match a hand crank, horn, and horn support with the graphophone by pairing similar labels found on each item. After I was confident that I had properly identified the graphophone set, I labeled the items and placed them at their proper location. Success!
 

Jesse Kaas is a Collections Intern in the Audience Engagement and Museum Department. During his internship, Jesse has helped to inventory collections in storage, propose potential items for deaccession, and assist with other miscellaneous tasks. Jesse is pursuing a bachelor’s in history at the University of Mary.

Jennifer Ness, Collections Intern

During my internship at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, I am working on a small area of a larger inventory project in the museum collections. My area is Row 10, which contains household and musical objects. Right now, I am looking at kitchen items, like utensils, pans, and molds. My job is to make sure everything is in the right place with the correct information.

An item will always have a name, accession number, object number, and a few words of description. Whether an object has any extra information, such as a complete description, date, or condition, is a tossup. Some objects have been looked at recently and have an abundance of information, but others have only the bare minimum. In those cases, I need to write the description, fill out the condition report, determine dimensions, and check that all the information is correct. These items take the most time, so finding ones that only need quick fixes is refreshing. The most common fix I make is dealing with object names. In the database, objects are named for what the item is. A spoon is named a spoon. But if it is a serving spoon, then the label reads: “spoon, serving.” This allows an object to be identified as close as possible with its function.

Saucepans have become the bane of my existence. Before I inventory a shelf, I print out a list of what is on the shelf. And saucepans keep showing up. At first, I didn’t think too much of it because I am working with kitchen items. But when I would go to inventory a shelf, there would be no saucepans. Soon I discovered “saucepan” was apparently used as a universal term for any type of pan. A bread pan? Nope, it’s a saucepan. A frying pan? No, a saucepan. A cookie sheet? You guessed it—a saucepan! The one time I found an actual saucepan it was labeled as a kettle. Logic! With this new information, I am prepared to find anything when the word saucepan appears on a list. For example, a shelf I am currently inventorying says it had seven saucepans on it. Naturally, they are all bread pans.

In addition to my adventures with so-called saucepans, my internship has also introduced me to items in the collection that I have never previously seen. Once, I found an item identified in the database as a cake mold. In actuality, it appeared to be a chalice with a handle, but there were scrapers inside, and the bottom had a ring for turning the scrapers. This confused me, and the information in the database was not particularly helpful. Some dimensions were listed along with a description that noted the item was “possibly a cake mold.” I found a quarter-sized piece of metal on the front of the cup that had some faint markings on it. I was able to make out “PAT NOV 12 878.” After looking that up, I found the remaining markings and identified the object. The full markings read “CLEWELL’S V. CLAD MAKER,” and the object is an ice cream scoop. The strange scrapers inside were used to cleanly remove the ice cream after it was scooped. I found more about the maker and his company. William Clewell is said to have created the first ice cream scoop in 1878. The process of digging for information is really fun, and I’m glad I was able to find more out about this ice cream scoop and update the information in the database.

Ice cream scoop and close-up of the markings. SHSND 9692
 

Jennifer Ness is a Collections Intern at the State Historical Society of North Dakota. She is from Mandan and is pursuing a bachelor’s in history from Minot State University.

Mary Johnson, Entomology Collections Intern

As the entomology collections intern this summer, my major project is to identify and catalog a large collection of pinned insects. This collection is a recent acquisition and was owned by a woman from Mandan named Mary Phillips Fors. It contains around 1,000 specimens mostly in order Lepidoptera, which includes moths and butterflies. Many of the specimens were collected in and/or are native to North Dakota, but there are some from all around the world! I was fortunate to be hired to work on this project because of my background coursework and special interest in entomology.

A drawer with some of the largest moths in the collection, family Saturniidae or giant silk moths. SHSND 2021.10.1-25

Typically, natural history and science museums house entomology collections for research purposes. Each individual specimen tells part of a species’ story—from genetic code and variations in physical features to population and range of the species over time. In a setting like the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the purpose becomes a little different. It is less about telling a story through scientific data and more about telling the story of North Dakota, including the wildlife that has historically lived here and the individual stories of people’s interactions with that wildlife.

Other than looking at the beautiful variety of species, my favorite part has been reading the pin labels. The pin labels are what hold some of that vital scientific data I mentioned previously. They tell when and where a specimen was collected along with who collected it. Over 15 individuals, sometimes only identified by their initials, contributed to this collection. Each pin label gives a snapshot into that person’s life, where they were on a specific date and how they spent their vacations and free time. For example, an entomologist and his wife spent many nights in the summers of 1974 and 1975 trapping moths all over the state. In fact, they went out trapping so often they had tiny pin labels printed up with both of their initials.

Eumorpha achemon or Achemon sphinx moth, a specimen collected in 1975 by Paul K. Lago and his wife, Barbara. SHSND 2021.10.178

Working with this collection has been fascinating. Not only does it show the amazing diversity of moths and butterflies native to North Dakota, but it also reveals aspects of the individuals who studied and interacted with them.
 

Mary Johnson is the Entomology Collections Intern in the Audience Engagement & Museum Department. She has a background in biology and is working toward a master’s in Museum Studies with a focus on science museums from the Cooperstown Graduate Program at SUNY Oneonta.