5/17/2010:
May is National Historic Preservation month, and this week we will look at the role the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 has had in preserving and protecting North Dakota's legacy. Currently, there are 404 names listed on the National Register from North Dakota, but it should be noted that a number of these are historic districts with numerous buildings.
North Dakota is a relatively young state, and many of the buildings or historic districts, which have played a significant role in our history, are still in use or can be salvaged. Buildings such as the Goose River Bank in Mayville, the Lewis and Clark Hotel in Mandan or the Carlott Funseth Round Barn in Grand Forks County have all been placed on the National Register. Historic sites such as Fort Totten, Fort Union and the Chateau De Mores have also been recorded. But preservation is more than just buildings. There are numerous structures such as bridges like the Fairview Lift Bridge in McKenzie County, or even the wrought iron crosses in Old St. Mary's Cemetery near Hauge, in Emmons County, Each represent a time in our history. Prehistoric sites have also been added to the Register such as the High Butte Effigy and Village site in Mercer County, Chief Looking's Village near Bismarck or the Biesterfeldt Site in Ransom County. All are important links to our past.
To be included on the National Register a property must meet certain criteria such as: Age and Integrity: Is the property old enough to be considered historic (generally at least 50 years old) and does it still look much the way it did in the past? Significance: Is the property associated with events, activities, or developments that were important in the past? Were the lives of people associated with the property important or it is a significant structure in architectural history, landscape history, or engineering achievement? Does a prehistoric site have the potential to yield information through archeological investigation?
The National Historic Preservation Act is a tool to help preserve the historical properties in North Dakota. History is part of who we were, who we are and where we are going.
So look around you. Whether it is the Mill and Elevator, the Lisbon Opera House or the Double Ditch Earth Lodge site, all continue to remind us of North Dakota's unique place in history and of those who have played a part in developing our great state.
Dakota Datebook written by Jim Davis