Opera houses are scattered across the state of North Dakota. The fact that there are any at all might be surprising. In some cases, the opera houses haven't been maintained, so they end up abandoned, condemned, or demolished.
In other cases, they’ve been taken care of and are still in use today — often taking on new life as apartments or businesses, or in the case of the Ray Opera House, a museum that preserves the area's history.
In this segment from The Great American Folk Show, host Tom Brosseau takes you to Ray, a small town northeast of Williston, North Dakota, to speak with with former Opera House caretaker Charlotte Hoddenfield. She’s about to celebrate a milestone birthday, and as you’ll hear, she’s also the caretaker of the town’s memories.
Listen to their conversation above.
