The establishment of a university in Grand Forks was a raucous affair, full of intense political maneuvering, typical of territories on the verge of statehood. Legislators competed fiercely to secure prestigious and lucrative institutions for their communities, like schools and hospitals.
George Walsh of Grand Forks quickly introduced “A Bill for an Act Locating the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, N.D.” It was rather fortunate for Walsh that no one noticed he was in such a hurry to introduce the bill... he hadn’t actually written it yet. Two days before it was scheduled to be read in committee, he held up a sheaf of blank pages as he submitted the proposal. Then, he went home, hurriedly wrote the bill, and the Dakota Territorial Assembly passed it just two days later.
The university was officially established even before North Dakota became a state.
Local developer William Budge, a successful businessman, immediately saw the advantage of having a university in Grand Forks. He donated twenty acres of flat ground for the site. The cornerstone of Old Main. The first building on campus was laid on this date in 1883.
Old Main housed everything: offices, classrooms, the library, and even dorm rooms. Throughout the 1880s, UND occupied just a few acres of land, nearly two miles west of Grand Forks, surrounded by farms and fields. Students living off campus rode a horse-drawn bus to class.
The university has seen many changes since those modest beginnings. As enrollment grew, so did the campus. Normal student life was interrupted by major events. In 1918, the flu epidemic hit the campus hard. That same year, UND was transformed into an army base during World War I.
During the Great Depression, the university supported struggling students by offering free housing in exchange for manual labor on campus. The old railroad cabooses used for housing earned the nickname “Camp Depression.”
Today, Old Main is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for its place of honor as the university’s first building, and celebrated for its impressive Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It’s joined on the register by the Memorial Union and the Carnegie Library, all notable landmarks on the UND campus.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- University of North Dakota. “Old Main.” https://commons.und.edu/archive-photos/341/Accessed 9/2/2025.
- Grand Forks Preservation Commission. “University of North Dakota.” https://www.gfpreservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UND-HD-Brochure.pdfAccessed 10/2/2025.
- University of North Dakota. “Our History.” https://und.edu/about/history.html Accessed 9/4/2024.
- State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation. “Today in North Dakota History.” https://www.statehistoricalfoundation.org/todayinndhistory/?&offset=350Accessed 9/4/2025.
