On this date in 1911, the Bismarck Daily Tribune ran a small ad requesting readers to submit historical material including pioneer letters, stories, and diaries to the state historical society. Today it’s known as The State Historical Society of North Dakota. It was preceded by earlier groups. The Old Settlers Historical Association was approved by the Legislative Assembly of Dakota Territory in 1862. Membership in this organization was limited to people who lived in the region before the territory’s creation. A major goal was to “collect and disseminate all useful information in relation to the early history and settlement of Dakota..."
In 1863, the Old Settlers Association was replaced by the Historical Society of Dakota. In 1889, the Ladies Historical Society was established for women who lived in Bismarck prior to 1873; and in 1894, it was renamed the North Dakota Historical Society and embraced a statewide focus.
The State Legislature created the Historical Commission in 1895 and provided space in the State Capitol for its collections. It wasn’t until 1903 that the state provided funds to support the Commission. That year, the North Dakota Historical Society changed the name to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The first Secretary for the Society was Orin G. Libby, a history professor at the University of North Dakota. He revitalized the Society and was an integral figure for several decades.
The Historical Commission was disbanded in 1905, and a Board of Directors was named for the Historical Society. By 1911 when the ad appeared in the Bismarck Tribune, the Society was authorized to accept items of behalf of the state. It grew steadily, acquiring historic sites and state parks. In 1925, the museum and library relocated from the Capitol to the Liberty Memorial Building. Under Libby’s guidance, the Society began publishing North Dakota historical Quarterly in 1826. Ten years later, the State Parks Commission was established to help oversee historic sites.
Today the State Historical Society is responsible for preserving and interpreting historical sites and artifacts and maintains the museum in the North Dakota Heritage Center. The archival department is an invaluable resource for researchers. The Society maintains fifty-nine historic sites from Fort Abercrombie in the east to the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center on the western border.
Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher
Sources:
Bismarck Daily Tribune. Ad. Bismarck ND. 1/25/1911. Page 7.
State Historical Society of North Dakota. “State Historical Society of North Dakota.” https://www.history.nd.gov/archives/stateagencies/historicalsociety.html Accessed 12/25/2021.
