The first official offices of the State Historical Society were located in the basement of the original Capitol building. The rooms were described as “small” and filled with various “mementoes and records of early days, souvenirs of the pioneer and other curios,” all “compressed” into limited space. These items were referred to as “records of inestimable value…stacked in heaps in places around the state house, where they were constantly exposed to the danger of destruction by fire.” This was especially concerning since many people smoked freely in the capitol building at that time.
A study was conducted, and it was recommended to the legislature that a modern, three-story, fireproof building be constructed to house the collections.
After World War I, North Dakota, like many states across the country, sought to create a memorial for the men and women who had served in the military.
The Bismarck Tribune reported, “Some states have in contemplation the erection of costly and imposing monuments. Such commemorative structures are well enough in their way, but for our state, a plan has been suggested that is just as good in terms of commemorating the past…while also being continually useful in the future for all the people, as a public ornament and treasure, and as an instrument of education.”
This proposed memorial became the Liberty Memorial Building, which would serve as the second home of the State Historical Society. It was intended to honor those who served and to preserve the history of the region.
As noted, “A great amount of historical material will be brought back to the state by our returning officers and men of the army and navy, as well as by those in the Red Cross and other connected services. We should not allow such material to be scattered and lost for want of ability to accept and care for it.”
Today, the State Archives holds many remarkable military-related records, including letters written home during World War I and World War II; nearly 1,700 interviews with men and women who served in the military, from World War II to Afghanistan, through the Veterans Oral History Project; a diary and sketchbook kept by a man who was a POW during World War II; as well as photographs, papers, and newspaper reports.
Now, the State Historical Society is working towards adding a Military Museum, memorializing the history and memory of all—as was envisioned in 1919.
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
- The Bismarck Tribune, January 6, 1919, p4
- The Devils Lake World and Inter-Ocean, January 8, 1919, p1
