Progress 2017: Sports, Tourism & Visitation

Minot Daily News SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2017

CORBETT FIELD

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Sports, Tourism & Visitation Preparations being made for

2017 Threshing Shows

By MARK JONES Staff writer mjones@minotdailynews.com

A

File Photo

Note the price of attending a baseball game in this undated photograph. Also, the Keg restaurant in the background, which was located in the northwest corner of the Corbett Field parking lot, was removed many years ago.

A remarkable history

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND • Staff Writer • kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com

At times the exterior has shown the wear of an aging facility counting down the days to the inevitable wrecking ball. But inside the aging walls the luscious green grass and beautifully groomed diamond, complete with gleaming white bases, projects a completely different perspective. It is a place where dreams become reality.

Ah, the glory and history of Minot’s Corbett Field!

Corbett Field was built in the 1930s.

Construction was completed sometime in 1937. The field served as a centerpiece for baseball in Minot and the surrounding area. Ten years after completion, under the direction of the Minot Park Board, Corbett Field re-

ceived improvements that have lasted through the decades.

The familiar grandstand roof was added and tall light standards were constructed. Night baseball had come to Minot!

In 1950, the ballpark with the famous zig-zag outfield wall and perimeter proved to be an attraction for a

franchise in the integrated ManitobaDakota League. The Minot Mallards were born. Several greats of the game were soon stepping onto the perfectly groomed field underneath their freshly shined spikes while the full moon rose high above the outfield wall and the See HISTORY — Page 2

A new era of baseball

By MARK JONES • Staff writer • mjones@minotdailynews.com

While the North Dakota High School Activities Association has been awarding a state champion in baseball since 1950, a turning point came in 2000 when the state began awarding a

Class A champion and a Class B cham- claimed six West Region titles since 2000. The last coming in 2009. pion.

However, Minot has a chance to Minot High etched its name in history with its first state championship coming in 2005. The Magi have also See NEW — Page 2

ROOSEVELT PARK ZOO:

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A gathering place for everyone

By ELOISE OGDEN • Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com

Whether it s the playful river otters and red pandas, the stately African lion, the regal bald eagle or the swimming penguins, there’s many animals and birds for visitors to see at Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo. Pathways wind through the zoo area with the Souris River also winding its way through the area.

Dating back to the early 1900s, Minot’s zoo is the oldest public zoo in North Dakota.

Despite going through two major floods in the past 48 years – the flood of 1969 and the flood of 2011 – the zoo has bounced back each time into a fully viable facility for visitors with a wide variety of zoo inhabitants plus providing special programs for the zoo experience.

Minot’s history of having a zoo dates back to April 9, 1914, when the Ward County Independent newspaper in Minot reported “Minot is to have a zoo. This will delight the youngsters and some of the older boys and girls as well.”

The park board at the time decided to buy two buffalo in South Dakota, some coyotes, foxes, bears and raccoons. Plans were to also install a cage of monkeys during the summer.

Park board members said the parks already

had squirrels.

The first animals for the zoo arrived in February 1915, at Riverside Park. The park’s name was later changed to Roosevelt Park when a large equestrian statue of Rough Rider Theodore Roosevelt was dedicated in the park on Sept. 11, 1924.

A 1927 Minot Parks souvenir book said the zoo had several families of monkeys, buffalo, elk, deer, African lions, mountain lions, kangaroos, bobcats, raccoons, lynx, coati, badgers, foxes, guinea pigs, 21 kinds of wild ducks, eagles, silver black foxes, flying squirrels, swans, alligator, pheasants, talking parrots, cockatoos and others.

The first exotic animals, a pair of Nubian lions purchased for $250, arrived between 1924 and 1930.

Darius T. Ritchey, who was parks superintendent from 1945-1971, is often credited for being largely responsible for developing a zoo in Minot.

The house for felines was built in the early 1970s and financed with the help of the Greater Minot Zoological Society, a nonprofit See ZOO — Page 2

While we are just in the early stages of spring, organizers are busy at work getting ready for the various threshing shows to be held later this year in locations around the region.

Threshing shows will be held in Makoti, Lansford, Crosby and Drake.

The following is a plan of what organizers have planned for their 2017 shows:

57th annual Makoti Threshing Show Dates: Sept. 23-24 Cost: $10 buttons sold at the gate is the admission. High school-aged students and younger are free.

Location: 11 South Main, Makoti.

Schedule of events: Stationary engine display; North Dakota’s largest crawler collection on display; indoor flea marker; mucker demonstration (10 a.m.); plowing demostration (11 a.m.). information: More www.makotithreshingshow.org

45th annual Lansford Threshing Show Dates: June 24-25 Cost: $5 admission (Children 12 and younger are free) Location: South side of town Schedule of events: Lansford Cafe Open (8:30 a.m. to noon); country church (9 a.m.); Steve Stark - historical speaker (10:30 a.m.); ice cream social (noon); parade (1 p.m.); kiddy tractor poll (2 p.m.); threshing of wheat (3 p.m.)

More information: rasauer@srt.com.

48th annual Crosby Threshing Show Dates: July 14-16 Cost: $10 daily; $20 for three days; children 12 and under are fee.

Location: Pioneer Village on Highway 5 west of Crosby.

Schedule of July 15 events: Parade (1 p.m.); sawing of lumber and running of equipment; talent show; silent auction; games for kids.

More information: call John at 965-6489.

49th annual Drake Threshing Show

Photos by Eloise Ogden/MDN

MAIN: Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot is the oldest public zoo in North Dakota.

ABOVE: Increasing the visitors’ experience is a major focus for the 2017 season at Roosevelt Park Zoo, according to Becky Dewitz, zoo director.

Dates: Sept. 9-10 Cost: $5 per person for a prepaid button or $7 at the gate.

Location: 1/2 mile west of Drake on Highway 52.

Schedule of events: Parade (both days, noon); Tractor poll (both days); kids pedal tractor pull (Sunday); vendor show (both days); bingo (both days); trackor give away (tickets will be out soon).

More information: call Warren at 626-7337 or email at ezakopyko@srt.com.

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Minot Daily News PROGRESS

Sport s, Tou ri sm & Vi sit at ion

Zoo

Saturday, April 29, 2017

History

Continued from Page 1

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organization created in 1970 to promote the zoo, the City of Minot and many donations. GMZS is a nonprofit organization founded in 1970 to promote the zoo.

The organization’s now is known as the Zoo Crew.

A children’s zoo was opened a number of years ago within the main zoo.

Reached by a walk-bridge, this area covers about a half-acre area and resembles a farmyard with a barn.

The zoo has survived near closure during the Depression and in later years when its operating money was low. It has gone through major flooding of the Souris River, most recently in 2011, when animals and birds had to be evacuated, some going to other zoos during that time.

The flood of 1969 caused every bird and animal to be moved from the zoo which led to the redesign of the zoo grounds. The foot bridge, a feline house, and a new bear den were constructed, according to zoo information.

Throughout the following years to the present, additions of new animals, new exhibits and the participation in the Species Survival Program have greatly enhanced the zoo.

Zoo births attract many visitors. A Grant zebra foal born at the zoo in August 1984 was the first zebra ever born in a North Dakota zoo. Photos of the foal and its mother were printed in newspapers across the country.

A baby kangaroo born at the zoo in 1956 also was believed to be the first kangaroo ever born in North Dakota.

The birth of tiger cubs in the 1960s parented by the zoo’s first pair of tigers initiated the zoo’s first involvement in a tiger breeding program.

There’s been some “celebrities” at the zoo over the years. Tigers purchased for the zoo performed in the Clyde Beatty, Shrine and Gil Gray circuses. The Minot Daily News reported a lion purchased for

towering light standards cast a multitude of shadows. It was a magical place for young men to showcase their skills!

The Man-Dak League was billed as a competitive loop for both aspiring ballplayers and those hoping for one more chance at glory. Rosters of teams in the league were filled with many players from the old Negro Leagues and those of Latino descent.

Legendary Leroy “Satchel” Paige pitched off the Corbett Field mound on one of his barnstorming tours, making three appearances for the Minot Mallards in the 1950s.

Although the dates of his mound appearances at Corbett Field might be in dispute, there’s no question Paige put on quite a show with his unique pitching style and vaunted reputation despite his age. Paige was 46years-old in 1950. When asked by a reporter about his age, which was often in dispute, Paige once replied, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”

Other legends of the game found themselves on the playing field at Corbett Field as well. The list includes “Hammerin” Hank Aaron, Joe Torre and Roger Maris.

Several Minot Mallards advanced to the major leagues.

Among them was the very popular outfielder Larry Stahl who played for the Mallards in 1962. Stahl appeared in the major leagues with the Kansas City Athletics, of which the Mallards were affiliated; the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres.

The “glory” years of Corbett Field didn’t end with the demise of the Northern League in the mid-60s. A new version of the Mallards returned in 1995 as part of the fledgling Prairie League.

The league folded in 1997.

In 2000 Corbett Field became home to the “Green-

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end the region title drought as it will host the Western Dakota Association tournament at Corbett Field later this spring.

Since the turn of the century, however, the Magi aren’t the only community team to find success on the diamond.

Eloise Ogden/MDN

Visitors enjoy Roosevelt Park Zoo on a summer day. the zoo in the 1960s was the second cat in the world that could walk a tightrope.

A cougar born at the zoo in 1981 was the star performer of Bob Steele Animal Productions in Florida in promotional advertising for Lincoln-Mercury dealers.

The Minot Daily News also reported the cat, named Beaux, was trained to ride a motorcycle and sit at a bar and drink from a glass. Beaux appeared on the TV show, “That’s Incredible,” in November 1983.

Two mascots of the former 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Minot Air Force Base lived at the zoo for a number of years. “Liberty” and “Eagle,” a brother-sister pair, were donated to the zoo when the squadron deactivated in 1983. At the air base, the cats were always known as “the mascots” or “the lynx mascots” but actually they were bobcats (Lynx rufus) and not lynx. Col. Jack Broughton, who was a 5th FIS commander, was responsible for getting the live mascots for the squadron in 1963. Both cats are no longer living.

Throughout the following years to the

At the Class B level, Bishop Ryan has been a force on the diamond winning five state titles since 2000.

The Lions won championships in 2000-01 and 2007-09. Ryan won its first state championship in 1997.

The Minot Vistas, the American Legion baseball team for 18- to 19-year-olds, have also had their share of success. The Vistas have won five state championship

present, additions of new animals, new exhibits and the participation in the Species Survival Program have greatly enhanced the zoo. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

This past November, the Minot Rotary club held a rededication to thank community partners for the refurbishment of Soo Line steam locomotive No. 735 at its site at the zoo. The locomotive was dedicated 60 years earlier on Nov. 5, 1956.

This past winter the zoo was open on certain days unless weather did not permit it. The winter opening offered visitors a different type of zoo experience to summer. Becky Dewitz, zoo director, said some animals, like the wolves are much more active when its colder.

Increasing visitors’ experience is a major effort planned for the 2017 zoo season. Dewitz said there will be a wide variety of aspects. “We’re going to try to do more demonstrations about the animal training program and hands-on interactions with some of our animal ambassadors with our animal outreach program,” she said.

since 2001, with the last one coming in 2010.

The Vistas have also won titles in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007.

Prior to 2001, the Vistas hadn’t won a championship since 1987. The 1987 title ended a run of three championships in seven seasons (also having won 1981 and 1984).

The Vistas won state championships back in 197778.

As any coach will tell you, success is built from the ground up.

Minot’s baseball success stems from a youth baseball program that has 9- to 12year-olds playing in Cal Ripken Leagues.

From there, 13- to 15-yearold players move on to play in the Babe Ruth League before the joining the Minot Metros, American Leagion A team for 16- to 17-year-olds.

heads” of the Northwoods League. The wooden bat league for college players brought in athletes from universities throughout the United States. It also led to more improvements at Corbett Field.

The orange seats that are in the grandstand today were installed in 2000. The seats were purchased from a company that bought them from Atlanta’s historic Fulton County Stadium. The Corbett Field grandstand had been constructed for seating to be installed but the grandstand has gone without conventional ballpark seating for more than 60 years.

Thoughout the years Corbett Field has been the home of countless teams, from Legion baseball to high school teams and more. It also hosted fastpitch softball games on a modified diamond during major tournaments conducted by the Minot Recreation Commission.

An interior fence along the old outfield wall is one of the changes to Corbett Field that has taken place throughout the years. The original scoreboard, manually operated, has been replaced by an electronic version. The light standards are no longer in play. Modern lighting has long since replaced the old bulbs such as those depicted as hit by a long ball off the bat of Roy Hobbs in the movie “The Natural.”

Although no longer in use, the outside ticket window at Corbett Field led to fans walking up two ramps inside the grandstand to the seating area. Once a fan reached the top of the second section of ramp the green grass of the outfield came into view. It never failed to make a lasting impression on baseball enthusiasts.

Underneath the grandstand at one time was an umpire’s room, showers for both the home team and the visitors, a cafe and a souvenir stand. It was baseball at its finest. Such is the history of Corbett Field.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Minot Daily News PROGRESS

Sport s, Tou ri sm & Vi sitat ion

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND • Staff Writer • kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com

Drop the puck!

In the snow?

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The final score was 3-0. It was the first game ever played by Minot High Magicians hockey.

The opponent? Little Cando. Yes, the Cando Cubs blanked the big school skaters with relative ease.

That was the start of Minot High hockey.

Coach Pete McKenzie was the leader of the Magician program and was on the bench for the initial test for the maroon and gold. The game was played in an outdoor hockey pen located just beyond the left field wall of Corbett Field.

Large, fluffy snowflakes fell before and during the game. There was no Zamboni. Players used show shovels to clear the ice as best as it could be cleared. Sometimes the puck would literally disappear into the newly fallen snow.

A small warming house served both teams prior to the game and between periods. Vehicles pulled up to the boards surrounding the rink so spectators could watch the game from heated interiors.

“We took out windshields. I can’t imagine how many got broke that season,” said Larry McFall. McFall was a goal tender for the initial Magicians.

Snow. Disappearing pucks. Broken windshields. Cold temperatures. No matter. Minot

Submitted Photo

This was the first Minot High School hockey team to play in the new All Seasons Arena on the State Fairgrounds. The Magician’s initial season of indoor hockey was in the 1975-76 school year.

High hockey was born!

Enthusiasm aside, Hockey was a new sport for Minot High and the feeder system teaching young players was in its infancy. Predictably, success was slow to come.

“We’d go anywhere and just get smoked,” recalled McFall.

Nevertheless, a growing group of persistent and determined hockey boosters made a relentless push to insure the survival and growth of hockey in Minot. Buck Stanley, Herb Johnson and Ernie Selland were among the many who championed the “fastest sport on ice.”

“It would have been easy to give up on it.

There was a lot of obstacles,” said Selland. “The most significant thing that stands out is the lack of support from the community. There just wasn’t any interest in hockey.”

Compounding the problem of starting a hockey program in Minot was a lack of facilities.

It took donations and volunteer work to construct the hockey pen at Corbett Field. Later boarded rinks were added at Longfellow and Edison Schools.

“It was a basic start,” said Selland. “There were parents and a few businesses that helped us out. We had some volunteers who really worked hard.”

Marlow Johnson was the superintendent of Minot Public Schools when the Hockey Boosters approached him about adding hockey to the list of sanctioned sports at the high school level.

Johnson was receptive to the idea, said Selland, but there was no money to support the program.

“We said put it in and we’ll pay for everything,” remembered Selland. “Getting hockey into the high school really helped the program.

It gave the kids something to look forward to.

Since then it’s become quite successful.”

A “tough sell” for the Hockey Boosters was

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the concept of an indoor rink. The proposal for an All Seasons Arena, a place where hockey teams could skate and practice out of the often harsh elements, was met with resistance from the community.

“Fundraising for that facility was not all that easy,” recalled Selland. “I don’t think people could envision how well it would be utilized.”

Selland credits former Minot Mayor Chester Reiten’s leadership in the eventual construction of a multi-purpose building, the All Seasons Arena, which would have ice for several months during the winter. In the season of 1975-76 the Minot High Hockey team played its first games indoors in Minot.

Hockey was so new to Minot during those early years that no businesses carried any hockey equipment. It was another obstacle to overcome for a fledgling program.

“Sticks, pucks, gloves. You couldn’t find any of that stuff here,” said Selland.

Selland said he would purchase hockey gear while on business trips in the Minneapolis area and bring it back to Minot for distribution to hockey players. In time a few Minot merchants began to realize that hockey was here to stay.

Hockey equipment slowly began appearing on a few business shelves.

“As it became better known we had more success in raising money,” said Selland. “In the fall of 1970 we had maybe 30 kids in the program. By 1973 we had 125 or so. We had to carpool to take players to games. There was no bus transportation in those days.”

In addition to the All Seasons Arena, the sprawling Maysa Arena has three full sheets of ice, the newest equipped with ample theater seating. It has become the focal point for hockey activity in the city.

“Oh my Lord, now it’s unbelievable!” said McFall. “Modern day kids don’t know what it was like to shovel snow and be outside every night for practice.”

“This was our goal, of course, but I couldn’t envision something as big as it is now,” said Selland.

Growth of hockey by leaps and bounds

By MARK JONES • Staff writer • mjones@minotdailynews.com Hockey has been an important part of the Minot community for a number of years.

The drive and passion for the sport from the community has grown in recent years, and it will only to grow moving forward.

The biggest development of hockey to the community in recent years has been the establishment of the Minot Minotauros hockey club.

The Tauros are an American Tier II junior hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League.

The Tauros were an expansion team into the NAHL prior to the 2011-12 season. That first season was a bit of rough stretch.

The Minot team finished with a 7-49 record and finished fifth in the Central Division.

From there, improvement started hap-

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pening for the Tauros. Minot finished fourth in the division in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

The 2014-15 season was a turning point for the Tauros, as they finished the season with a 37-17 mark and finished second in the division.

After another second-place finish in the 2015-16 season, the Tauros made history by clinching their first division title this season.

Members the team are 16 to 17 years of age and are home-schooled. They play with the hope of landing a Division I scholarship.

Two members of this season’s team – Alex Adams and Tyler Jeanson – have already committed to play at the collegiate level. Adams has committed to play at the Air Force Academy and Jeanson has committed to play at Colgate University.

Success hasn’t just been limited to the Tauros.

The Minot High boys hockey team is the only Western Dakota Association team with multiple state championships.

The most recent coming in 2015 as the Magi edged Grand Forks Central 2-1 to claim their first state title since 1992.

Minot goalkeeper Brey Effertz recorded 37 saves in the state title contest.

“You just have to play every game like it’s your last,” Effertz told the Minot Daily News at the time. “This is what dreams are made of.”

And it doesn’t just stop there.

Youth of all ages are getting into hockey, helping the sport gain even more Photo courtesy of Steve Silseth/Special to the Minot Daily News popularity in the area.

“We got a team at pretty much every Minotauros forward Derek Frentz (7) tries to get level,” said Bob Gillen, Maysa Arena gen- a puck past Austin goalie Alex Schilling (31) dureral manager. ing an NAHL game March 31 at Maysa Arena.

Garrick Hodge/MDN

The Pepsi Center at Maysa Arena opened to the public for the first time on Nov. 10, 2016, when the Minot Minotauros hosted Bismarck.

Maysa Arena attracking national attention

By MARK JONES • Staff writer • mjones@minotdailynews.com

Maysa Arena is a facility everyone in the community can be proud of.

And for good reason.

Earlier this month, Maysa Arena was selected as a top 10 finalist for Kraft Hockeyville USA, which is a contest to determine the country’s most passionate hockey community.

Kraft Heinz, in partnership with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association, received nearly 1,300 nominations before the list was trimmed to the top 10.

Maysa Arena was also a finalist in the contest in 2016. Maysa Arena was runnerup from the West Region.

The winner of the contest, which will be announced at the end of April, will receive $150,000 in arena upgrades. The Minot arena, which just completed the addition of a third rink (the Pepsi Rink) in November, received $25,000 in arena upgrades last year.

And despite the renovation project being complete, Maysa Arena General Manager Bob Gillen says the grand prize could definitely be put to good use.

“There are always little things,” he said.

Gillen points to three areas that money would go toward.

He says electrical work needs to be done if the arena wants to host concerts in the future.

He also says there needs to be lights left on inside the Pepsi Rink in the event of an emergency.

On the west rink, which has a sand floor, Gillen says there are doors and windows

from the old barn arena at the fairgrounds that need to be replaced.

Gillen said for Maysa Arena to be nominated in a national contest two consecutive years speaks volumes about the interest in the sport from the community.

“The passion of the people and the number of groups that use it are represented,” he said. “We got a team at pretty much every level. People have gotten behind this facility and their games.”

Maysa Arena opened in October 2000 at a cost of $3.9 million.

Maysa is an acronym for Minot Area Youth Skating Association.

The recent addition of the Pepsi Rink cost $10.9 million and took roughly 14 months to complete.

The Pepsi Rink seats 1,800 with an additional 250 barstool seats that extend around the rink.

Maysa Arena is the third largest arena in the state. It’s only smaller than Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks and Scheels Arena in Fargo.

The arena expansion will also allow Minot the opportunity to host larger youth, high school and college tournaments.

The Minot State men’s hockey program has put in a bid to host the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I national tournament in 2019.

That announcement is also expected to come at the end of April.

“We’d like to do everything we can to help (Minot State) get it,” Gillen said.

Minot Daily News PROGRESS

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Jill Schramm/MDN

A hotel sign welcomes Canadians. Visit Minot has targeted Canada with its marketing efforts.

Tourists urged to rediscover Minot

By JILL SCHRAMM

Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com

Visit Minot wants Canadians and conference planners to know that Minot has more to offer than they might think.

Phyllis Burckhard, executive director at Visit Minot, said the tourism bureau is looking to bring back Canadian traffic and conventions that haven’t been in the city for a while by letting them know that Minot isn’t the city it used to be. It’s a lot more.

Following the flood and during the oil boom, the difficulty in finding a hotel room led many tourists to look elsewhere.

Minot’s small, crowded airport and flooded zoo and parks also depressed the tourism market.

Burckhard said Visit Minot is taking every opportunity to let people know that hotel rooms are readily available these days, even during major events, with more than 30 hotels, old and new, in the city. The zoo is back in operation and parks have been restored. Meanwhile, shopping opportunities have expanded with more stores and restaurants and more to see and do downtown.

Minot also has an expanded Maysa Arena for the enjoyment of hockey enthusiasts and more for families with the recent addition of a Children’s Discovery Center. A new airport terminal

served by three airlines and offering ample parking has changed the face of Minot air travel.

Minot’s changes often are news to Canadians, who may not have visited the city for a while, Burckhard said. Visit Minot partners with Minot’s hotels, the North Dakota State Fair and Norsk Hostfest to operate booths at events in Canada, where Minot can tell its story.

“We are just showcasing Minot to show we do now have these facilities available,” Burckhard said. “It’s been very successful for us.”

Visit Minot also is reaching out to groups that once held conventions in the city to entice them back.

“The general consensus is people really love Minot,” Burckhard said. They report positive experiences in the past and just need to be informed that Minot has facilities to accommodate them again, she said.

Many organizations are booked out elsewhere for upcoming conventions, and Canadians still must deal with an unattractive exchange rate.

However, Burckhard is optimistic Visit Minot will see the results of its efforts in coming years.

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Saturday, April 29, 2017

REVITALIZING

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Eloise Ogden/MDN

The Railroad Museum of Minot in downtown Minot has many new projects under way to provide more activities for visitors.

By ELOISE OGDEN • Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com

Tim Gebhart says many different projects are under way at the Railroad Museum of Minot. He said if someone visited the museum about a year ago, it would be new to them now.

Gebhart, a railroad museum board member, said a model railroad display is being added in a room that will be one of the largest such displays in the Midwest.

He went on to say, “We are building a theater room for parties.”

“All displays are being redone,” he added.

The Escape Room located in a caboose alongside the museum building first opened in October. It is a fundraiser for the museum, Gebhart said. He said it is one of two Escape Rooms in the country located in a caboose.

He said another Escape Room is being built in the museum that will be in the 1930s-era Prohibition time.

The museum is located at 19 1st Street NE in downtown Minot.

It is next to the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and not far from the BNSF tracks.

Minot’s beginning goes back to the early years of the railroad moving west.

Minot began as a tent city when the railroad was pushing west in the late 1880s. When a townsite for Minot was chosen the tent city was moved almost instantly. Minot sprang up so fast that it was called “The Magic City,” according to historical accounts.

The city was named for Henry Davis Minot, who was associated with James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway, known as the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba when it reached Minot in 1887.

Years later, railroad enthusiasts felt Minot should have a railroad museum and in 1984 at a public discussion on the idea the backers cited the city’s railroad history, the wealth or memorabilia among employee families, the need for such a tourist attraction and Minot’s central location on the northern line of the then Burlington Northern (now BNSF). The discussion was held during Downtown Railroad Days, a feature of the annual Minot Arts Festival.

“It would be a natural for Minot,” said Dr. Kenneth M. Amstutz, an early advocate of a museum in Minot, according to a June 25, 1984, story in the Minot Daily News.

“The museum would soon become a big attraction,” said Hank Brown, a major collector of railroad items.

Minot’s historical role as a key switchyard center and locomotive repair site were also mentioned by James B. Sullivan of Minot, at the public meeting.

The museum became a reality. First the museum was located in the Town and Country Center and later moved to a former lumberyard building where it is located today.

The facility is dedicated to the railroad history and culture that established many cities in North Dakota. The displays and artifacts trace the impact and way of life railroads provided for many people.

The museum also operates the Magic City Express during the summer season in Roosevelt Park in Minot.

The Railroad Museum of Minot is open Saturdays from 10 a.m.2 p.m. or by appointment by calling 852-7091. For appointments for the Escape Room call Tim Gebhart at 240-8345. Those who participate in the Escape Room during museum hours will get free admission to the museum.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Minot Daily News PROGRESS

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Sport s, Tou ri sm & Vi sitat ion

MINOT AIR MUSEUM HONORS, PRESERVES AVIATION HISTORY

By ELOISE OGDEN Regional Editor eogden@minotdailynews.com

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Minot’s Dakota Territory Air Museum opens its doors for the 2017 season May 13.

The air museum, located north of the Minot International Airport, tells the story of the area’s aviation history, including displays of military and civilian aircraft from the early 1900s to the present.

Last year, the air museum observed its 30th anniversary.

Don Larson, air museum board president, talked about the air museum and its history for a story published by the Minot Daily News in 2014.

The concept to establish an air museum in Minot came about in 1986 with the MinotWard County Centennial, Larson said.

He said the late Ed Schmit, who was centennial chairman, asked if he would serve as chairman of the Aviation Days Committee, which he did.

“They wanted to have an air show,” Larson said. The late Al Pietsch, owner and operator of Pietsch Flying Service, also was on the committee, along with several other members.

Inside the committee as well as outside it, Larson said they talked about this might be an appropriate time for establishing a facility to preserve aviation history. “That’s kind of how it came about,” Larson said.

Incorporated in 1986

The Dakota Territory Air Museum was incorporated in the summer of 1986 by Larson, Al Pietsch and Warren Pietsch.

For a limited time they sold charter memberships – about 100 of them – at $200 a person or $300 a couple. After that, they sold lifetime memberships and also annual memberships.

Larson said that first building came about three years after the Minot-Ward County Centennial when Larry Erickson, of South Prairie, and S.F. “Buckshot” Hoffner were on the North Dakota Centennial Committee. Hoffner was chairman and Erickson, vice chairman.

“They asked us if the museum would be interested in putting on a state centennial air show. We agreed to do that,” Larson said. The air show was held in Minot.

“The state Centennial Commission gave us a grant of $20,000 to put on that air show.

From that, plus some other fundraising and some other air shows that we had done, we had about $50,000 in the bank and we spent $40,000 or $45,000 on that first hangar,” Larson said.

In 1988, the group went ahead with construction of an 80-foot by 100-foot hangar. The structure, on the east side of the present museum, was the first building, now called the Restoration Hangar.

Unbeknownst to the founders at the time, that first building would be the start of several other projects to be done in the future.

In 1990 and 1991, an addition was made to the original hangar and includes the existing main entrance to the museum.

Later, the Oswin H. Elker Memorial Wing, named for World War II veteran and Flying Tiger Oswin H. Elker, a native of Surrey, was added. It was followed by the Wings of Freedom Expansion, an addition to the original Elker Wing.

“That (Wings of Freedom Expansion) was actually the

fourth building project to the museum,” Larson said.

In 2013, the new Flying Legends Hangar that was built to house warbirds of the Texas Flying Legends Museum, was dedicated. It is the museum’s fifth building project.

“The first few years were pretty slow,” Larson recalled.

After building the original hangar, they had some activities there – some breakfasts, sponsored some air shows – and they started getting in a couple planes.

One of their earliest big fundraisers was a “100 airports, 100 years” cachet event held in 1989, celebrating the 100 public-use airports in North Dakota. Since that time, there are no longer 100 such airports, Larson said. Three hundred envelopes printed with centennial stamps were sent to communities across the state served by the 100 airports. A route was set up in the summer of 1989 with planes flying two routes, picking up the envelopes stamped with cancellations.

“We didn’t have a lot of money to go out and market it heavy but it was a pretty good fundraiser for us,” Larson said.

The air museum volunteers didn’t have any problems getting items for the new air museum.

“People donated a lot of things,” Larson said. “That was one of the things that prompted us to move forward with the museum.”

Even prior to the museum’s establishment, Pietsch Flying Service had become a drop-off point for many people who had aviation-related items. When they didn’t know what to do with an item or wanted to discard of it, people would drop it off there.

But Larson said he noticed it seemed to take about the first 10 years of the air museum’s operation before people were comfortable with the fact that the museum was here to stay.

“People are a little bit skeptical when something new is started.

It seemed like after we had been around for about 10 years,

people really started saying, ‘Hey, this thing is for real. We feel comfortable with donating to the museum,” he said.

Oswin Elker donation

In about the mid-1990s, the museum received a major donation of $325,000 from Oswin Elker. Elker, who was living in Rochester, Minn., had visited the museum with relatives and provided the museum some of his World War II items for display, starting with a few items and later adding more. “He just liked what we were doing,” Larson said.

Elker’s monetary contribution was huge for the air museum, and kept it going, Larson said. He said at some of the board meetings they were wondering where the dollars were going to come from to pay the utilities. “We had this building and we had to heat it. It was probably $300 a month but it was critical. But when he (Elker) came up with that, we used some of it for the Elker Hangar. I think we built that for just under $200.

The air museum has an extensive amount of memorabilia in storage, including “tons of pictures,” Larson said, adding, “It’s a continuous effort to try to put the display cases together.”

The air museum has a donation agreement or loan agreement for items people would like to have at the facility.

In 2007, Glenn Blackaby became the air museum’s first full-time curator. Larson said that hiring a full-time yearround curator was a huge step for them.

Outdoor exhibits

Besides the many exhibits inside the air museum, there’s exhibits outside.

“The T-33 that sits outside was the first airplane we got,” Larson said. “Actually that was one of those community airplanes. The Air Force had loaned it to the City of Minot and they were going to have it on display. That was right when we were getting the museum open. George Christensen

was mayor at the time. He and the city council said that since the plane was coming to the community they wanted it to go to the museum. They felt it would be the place for it to go.

(Editor’s note: The T-33 now is part of a 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron display that was dedicated May 6, 2016, and honors the men and women of 5th Fighter. The display also includes two other aircraft, an F-106 and an F-15, all planes representing the aircraft once flown by 5th Fighter.

An A-7 Corsair II is in a new separate display on the grounds.) Volunteers restored the planes for display.

The F-15 was at Minot AFB for some time and then was moved to the air museum in fall 2013. It is on loan from the National Museum of the Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

The F-106 came from DavisMonthan AFB in Arizona. The air museum received a $30,500 grant from North Dakota Tourism to help with the F-106 project, and the air museum matched the grant with $30,500.

Programs developed

The air museum has developed an annual educational program for kids. The ACE and PACE programs are popular programs. ACE Camp introduces third-and fourth-graders to general aviation concepts.

PACE Camp gives fifth-and sixth-graders the opportunity to experience in-depth aviation concepts.

The Magic City Discovery Center, a nonprofit organization also has operated a children’s museum in the Flying Legends Hangar.

An important part of the Dakota Territory Air Museum is its tie with the Texas Flying Legends Museum based at Ellington Field in Houston.

“It started with Hank Reichert’s Mustang,” said Larson.

“Hank was a real staunch supporter of our museum and he’d bring his Mustang up here during the summer months.”

Photos by Eloise Ogden/MDN

MAIN: Planes belonging to the Texas Flying Legends Museum are shown in the Flying Legends Hangar at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot. The hangar was dedicated July 4, 2013.

INSET: Don Larson, president of the Dakota Territory Air Museum board of directors, is shown in the air museum. The museum is in its 31st year of operation.

Reichert, of Bismarck, owned a P-51 Mustang that he had reconditioned and painted like the “Dakota Kid II,” a P-51 flown by Nobel Peterson of Hettinger, who had flown more than 100 missions during World War II. “That was huge to have a Mustang here,” Larson said.

When Reichert decided to sell his Mustang, Houston buyers saw it advertised in a publication and bought it. When Ed and Maria Bosarge and Bruce Eames came to Minot to see their new plane and get a ride in it, Warren Pietsch was the pilot. The Houston group also saw the Japanese Zero sitting in the air museum.

Interested in having the Mustang and the Zero brought to Houston for the Wings Over Houston air show, Pietsch told them that could be done. And it was.

They worked out an agreement, the planes were brought to Houston and they ended up also buying the Zero. “They started buying some other planes,” Larson said. “They got the bug and by the next summer, I think they had five or six airplanes that they had bought.

“So they came up here, got the ride in the airplane, got to look at the museum and see what we were doing and again – it was kind of a deal like Oswin Elker. He just kind of liked what we were doing and the direction we were going – and they just liked what was happening,” Larson said.

they would bring their planes to Minot every summer so the planes would not be sitting in Houston during the hurricane season.

“So they started bringing them up here,” Larson said.

The Texas Flying Legends Museum has expanded its fleet of planes. But when the Texas Flying Legends Museum owners decided more space was needed for their planes in Minot, soon plans were under way for a hangar.

On July 4, 2013, the Flying Legends Museum hangar at the air museum site was dedicated. The hangar belongs to the air museum and the Texas Flying Legends Museum paid for it. “We got a half-million grant from the city but that wouldn’t have happened without the Texas Flying Legends Museum,” Larson said.

Events continue to be held at the air museum, some for raising funds, including the annual year for a plane raffle with proceeds going to the air museum.

On the day before the 70th anniversary of D-Day, June 5, 2014, the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee held a dedication for a B-52 model displayed in front of the museum. The model is a token of the community’s appreciation to the Air Force.

Looking back at the air museum’s developments over the years, Larson said the air museum today is “way beyond” their original TFLM partnership expectations.

“I never The Texas Flying Legends dreamed we would have all Museum group then decided this,” he said.

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Saturday, April 29, 2017

State Parks lead Lake Sakakawea development

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By KIM FUNDINGSLAND • Staff Writer • kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com

GARRISON – A succession of impressive improvements at North Dakota State Parks has greatly aided development along Lake Sakakawea.

Although there are several developments on the sprawling reservoir, among them cabins and homes at Wolf Creek, Garrison Bay, Van Hook and Douglas Bay, it is the lead provided by State Parks that puts an exclamation point on continuing improvements for those who often make Lake Sakakawea a get-away destination. Fort Stevenson State Park, Lake Sakakawea State Park, Indian Hills and Lewis and Clark State Park have all undergone dramatic changes over the past several years.

The parks all share a bit of history in that the famed Corps of Discovery, the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-05, moved through the region via the Missouri River which now lies beneath Lake Sakakawea. Construction on Garrison Dam, which backs up the Missouri, was completed in 1953. Garrison Reservoir, sometimes called Garrison Lake but now Lake Sakakawea, was formed.

The massive reservoir, the third largest in

the United States, provided flood protection and hydro-electric power to a growing region of the U.S. It wasn’t long before people began to see other opportunities provided by the reservoir. Boating and fishing and a variety of recreational activities have continued to grow since those early days.

Campgrounds sprung up along the lake where permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A few entrepreneurs made attempts at drawing people to early day Lake Sakakawea. One such venture was Lee’s Resort, an establishment located on what is now a portion of Fort Stevenson State Park. The main building at Lee’s Resort was located near where the Fort Stevenson prairie dog town is today.

“That was in the 1960s, I believe,” said Chad Trautman, Fort Stevenson State Park manager. “Fort Stevenson started in the early ‘70s.”

The park, located approximately three miles south of Garrison, was initially a somewhat primitive operation under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was

Kim Fundingsland/MDN

The annual Governor’s Cup Walleye Derby headquarters out of Fort Stevenson State Park each July. Fishing is a major attraction for visitors to all State Parks located on Lake Sakakawea. known as Garrison Campground until purchased by North Dakota State Parks.

“Campers were much smaller in those days than what we’re seeing now,” said Trautman. “Now we’ve upgraded to sewer sites and from 20 amp electrical service to 50 amps. To me camping has more toys and larger equipment.”

While doing improvements to the park, such as tree planting and bathhouse building, the park has expanded the number of camper sites by adding a fourth campground loop with complete services. This year campers at Fort Stevenson State Park will be able to take advantage of another impressive improvement.

“We’ve got a brand new bathroom facility ready to go for this season,” said Trautman.

“It is a nice comfort station with two family bathrooms, similar to what you would see in

a larger department store. It’s almost like the bathroom in your house.”

The new comfort station is equipped with eight shower heads, four more than the old facility, and is state-of-the-art construction for a modern campground.

“I would say it is amazing. It’s gorgeous,” said Trautman while acknowledging his unique description of a public bathroom.

What many consider the centerpiece of the park is the Garrison Bay Marina. However, the park also has the deTrobriand Bay Marina. The dual facilities help make Fort Stevenson State Park a preferred destination on Lake Sakakawea. When the deTrobriand Marina on the east side of the park went dry during a series of low water years the Garrison Bay Marina was constructed on the west See LAKE — Page 7

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The silver anniversary and finale run of the biking tour, CANDISC, will pull out of Garrison this August as it has for the previous 24 summers.

Yet another tourist attraction, the 20-year-old Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center near Washburn, is opening its doors for free to students all year.

At the foothills of the Turtle Mountains, Bottineau continues to market its recreational opportunities, while Rugby, long identified as the geographic center of North America, doesn’t see recent controversy over that status as hurting its tourism.

Area communities are capitalizing on whatever identifies them as unique to find tourism success.

CANDISC has been a tourism boon for a number of small communities that have landed in its path over the years. The difficulty in maintaining a volunteer base has led to this being the final tour, but to have extended the run for 25 years is remarkable, said McKaila Matteson with the Garrision Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“That’s quite a long time to have successful events running,” Matteson said, noting Garrison has two other events just shy of that 25-year mark.

The annual Christmas Dickens Village Festival is going into its 24th year, while the Memorial Day weekend’s Skyfest also will bring kite enthusiasts back for a 24th year this May. They are three highly successful events that have brought a lot of tourists into the community and have helped make a name for the community, Matteson said. Garrison’s tourism also is helped by having Lake Sakakawea in its backyard, and Matteson said fantastic fishing conditions predicted for the lake this year are likely to keep those tourism numbers up.

At Washburn, a sponsorship from MDU Resources and the Lewis & Clark/Fort Mandan Foundation is providing for free admission for all students, including college students, at the interpretative center, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We have been increasing

Page 7

Sport s, Tou ri sm & Vi sitat ion

the hands-on opportunitities that just make the experience more interactive,” said Robert Hanna, interpretative coordinator. New this year are the Young Explorers Knapsacks, a scavenger hunt in which kids can use the tools of Lewis and Clark to explore the exhibits on a new level, as well as a variety of sports, games, food tasting and other activities that bring history to life.

At the fort there is a newlyenhanced Young Explorers Play and Discovery Area as well as regular fort tours by trained guides. The fort is filled with a variety of new replicas, from buffalo robes to leatherbound books, made possible with funding from the Northern Plains Heritage Foundation and the Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation.

“If people have been on a fort tour before, this would be a great year to come back,” Hanna said of all the new replicas.

Highlights of the upcoming season include: – Explorer Days on June 3 and 4, featuring re-enactors in historic costumes giving demonstrations on the life and skills of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

– The Northern Plains National Heritage Area Suite art exhibit, featuring the works of Minot’s Walter Piehl and other artists, through Oct. 31.

– “Brush Scholar: The Lewis & Clark Art of Michael Haynes,” featuring the work of a leading artist in the area of historic research on Lewis & Clark, through June 25.

– Capital in Farm Country walking tour through downtown Bismarck, featuring major turning points in North Dakota farm history where they happened, July 9.

– Music in Harmony Park on the evening of July 14, set to include a number of family fun events.

– “Hometown Retrospective: Washburn Art Through the Years,” exhibit by Washburn artists, from July 14 to Nov. 30.

– Prairie Plein Air Artists exhibit at the Fort Mandan Visitors Center, featuring works for sale made at Fort Mandan dur-

Lake Continued from Page 6

side where deeper access was assured. When the water came back up, as it is today, the deTrobriand Marina returned to service.

“We’ve gone from an older marina to a new marina with deeper water mooring and improved usability of our docks and slips. We also upgraded our concession facilities to a nice new one,” said Trautman.

Both marinas boast wide boat ramps with ample parking for tow vehicles and trailers.

The access points also provide protection from prevailing winds on Lake Sakakawea.

On the south shore of Lake Sakakawea near Pick City, to the southwest of Fort Stevenson State Park, is the first of the state parks to open on Lake Sakakawea – fittingly, Lake Sakakawea State Park. It was originally named Garrison Lake State Park when owned by the Corps of Engineers. State Parks took over operation of the park in 1965 and gave it its new name.

Lake Sakakawea State Park has a large camping area for pull-type campers and tents.

By JILL SCHRAMM • Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com

Submitted Photos

LEFT: Visitors stop year round to take photos at the stone cairn marking the Geographical Center of North America in Rugby.

Credit: Goodstorysarah.wordpress.com ABOVE: A Lakota dance stick is part of the Northern Plains Artists Suite exhibit showing at the Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center through Oct. 31.

ing the summer, July 22 to Oct. 15.

– Farmers Market every Friday evening from July 14 to Oct. 27.

The interpretive center is open from October to April on Mondays through Saturdays.

The center is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and N.D. 200A at Washburn.

The Washburn community is using lodging tax proceeds to initiate a new marketing campaign that will include taking a look at capturing more of the tourism traffic generated by the interpretative center.

Economic Development Director Tana Waldren Larsen said a committee of young leaders also has taken over coordination of Wasburn’s signature Riverboat Days event. The committee has been hosting community fundraisers, including a Halloween dance and a dueling piano event, to generate funding for even bigger celebration this coming June 9 to 11.

Across the state, Bottineau has natural tourist attractions in its backyard with the Turtle Mountains and Lake Metigoshe.

Bottineau Winter Park, known for its skiing and other winter events, has summer activities that include the annual Iron Will Warrior Challenge on June 10. The event, which attracts many military families, will have new obstacles for the 5-kilometer event and also a fun run for kids. All proceeds

It also has a large comfort station, two boats ramps and an impressive marina. Nearby Pick City offers additional amenities for park visitors.

Further to the west are Indian Hills State Park and Lewis and Clark State Park. Indian Hills, south of White Shield, is situated among some of the most scenic sections of Lake Sakakawea. It has a boat ramp, store and ample camping facilities. Fishing is one of the major draws for Indian Hills State Park with limits of hefty walleyes and northern pike quite common throughout the open water season.

Lewis and Clark State Park, located 19 miles southeast of Williston on Highway 1804, is named after the famed explorers who camped near there in 1805. The park has expanded greatly in recent years, particularly to accommodate an increasing population in northwest North Dakota.

A concession store and marina are important aspects of the park. The 40 slip marina offers protection from the elements and easy access to Lake Sakakawea for sight-seeing, recreation or fishing.

go to the Annie’s House Adaptive Recreation Programs.

A golf tournament for Annie’s House is set for July 29 in Westhope.

The Club de Skinautiques will show off the group’s water skiing skills at The Hill, Lake Metigoshe, on the evenings of July 1 and 3 and Aug. 12.

Another highlight of the summer is the Bottineau County Fair, the oldest fair in North Dakota. This year’s event from June 15 to 18 includes concerts by Orchards Fire, BonJourney and Little Texas.

A car, antique tractor and vintage snowmobile and motorcycle show will be part of Bottineau Crazy Days Aug. 4 to 5. The event will include a poker run on Aug. 4 and an outdoor flea market and a barbecue cook-off on Aug. 5.

While in Bottineau, visitors can stop into Pride Dairy, the only small-town creamery left in North Dakota. Famous for its ice cream, Pride Dairy also now

has a coffee and sandwich bar, along with a retail selection of cheese, butter, caramel, honey, syrups and toppings.

In Rugby, the Geographical Center monument at U.S. Highway 2 and ND Highway 3 and the Northern Lights monument along Highway 2 continue to draw tourists. The 88-foot steel Northern Lights monument, lit with colored lights, was erected in 1996.

The Geographical Center monument has been in place since 1932, a year after a U.S. Geological Survey identified the center of North America as Pierce County, where Rugby is the county seat.

“You see people in the summertime from morning to night, stopping and taking their pictures. It’s the big attraction,” said Cathy Jelsing, executive director of Prairie Village Museum in Rugby, another attraction for tourists.

Shelley Block, former director for the local visitors bureau

and currently a consultant for the agency, said the community promotes its geographical center designation on its website and its brochures, and tourists are finding their way there in large numbers.

However, last year, a bar in Robinson acquired the trademark to the geographical center and challenged Rugby’s right to claim the distinction. Earlier this year a geography professor at a university in Buffalo, New York, did his own calculation that placed the center near Center.

“I think there’s a lot of people that don’t even know the controversy unless they are really paying attention to it,” said Block, who believes Rugby has both the most community pride and the marketing edge when it comes to the geographical center.

Rugby is working to regain the trademark. In the meantime, Jelsing doesn’t see the controversy doing any harm.

“I think it’s actually going to make it better, because people are going to say, ‘I want to see this thing that’s so controversial,’” she said.

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