I was out of town on business last Thursday and Friday so I didn't get to the site. But today I am back and we are going to visit Bismarck, North Dakota.The photos are: 1) Bismarck seen from the top floor of the Capitol Building; 2) the North Dakota State Capitol Building; 3) the Bismarck Civic Center; 4) the George Armstrong Custer House in Abraham Lincoln State Park; 5) the Lewis and Clark Monument in Riverfront Park; 6) the historic Northern Pacific Railway Depot; 7) the railroad bridge over the Missouri River; and 8) a statue of Sakakawea near the Capitol Building.
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota, the county seat of Burleigh County, and the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. Its population was 55,532 at the 2000 census. Its metropolitan population was 94,719 in 2000, but was estimated in 2006 to have grown to 103,242. Bismarck was founded in 1872. Bismarck has been North Dakota's capital since it gained statehood in 1889.
Bismarck sits on the Missouri Plateau directly across the Missouri River from Mandan. The two cities make up the core urban area of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area
The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, towers over the central part of Bismarck. The state government employs many people within the city. As a hub of manufacturing, retail trade, and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of a large portion of south-central North Dakota.
Bismarck sits on the Missouri Plateau directly across the Missouri River from Mandan. The two cities make up the core urban area of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area
The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, towers over the central part of Bismarck. The state government employs many people within the city. As a hub of manufacturing, retail trade, and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of a large portion of south-central North Dakota.
Edwinton was founded in 1872 when the North Pacific Railway reached the eastern banks of the Missouri River. The name was changed to “Bismarck” one year later to honour the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck[1]. When Burleigh County was organized in 1873, Bismarck became its county seat. Bismarck quickly erupted with the familiar signs of a prosperous city, with a school, courthouse, and hotel. The Bismarck Tribune published its first edition on July 11, 1873.
Bismarck was selected to be the point where the Northern Pacific Railroad would cross the Missouri River. The fate of Bismarck seemed doomed when the Panic of 1873 forced construction to halt on the railroad, forcing Northern Pacific to file for bankruptcy in 1875.
The survival of Bismarck was dependent on that of Northern Pacific, which survived bankruptcy and continued the railroad. The first passenger train crossed the Missouri in 1882, bringing never-ending traffic to the area.
The territorial capital of Dakota Territory was moved from Yankton to Bismarck in 1883, putting Bismarck in the national spotlight. Construction on the capitol was completed in 1884, and would go onto serve as the state capitol when, in 1889, North Dakota officially became a state. The first hospital for Dakota Territory, Saint Alexius, was founded in 1885.
Like most of the country, the 1890s were hard times for North Dakota. The Panic of 1893 was the nation's worst economic hardship to that point, and North Dakota's strong agriculture-based economy was directly affected. To make things worse, Bismarck was struck by a severe fire in 1898, which destroyed much of the city.
Bismarck was selected to be the point where the Northern Pacific Railroad would cross the Missouri River. The fate of Bismarck seemed doomed when the Panic of 1873 forced construction to halt on the railroad, forcing Northern Pacific to file for bankruptcy in 1875.
The survival of Bismarck was dependent on that of Northern Pacific, which survived bankruptcy and continued the railroad. The first passenger train crossed the Missouri in 1882, bringing never-ending traffic to the area.
The territorial capital of Dakota Territory was moved from Yankton to Bismarck in 1883, putting Bismarck in the national spotlight. Construction on the capitol was completed in 1884, and would go onto serve as the state capitol when, in 1889, North Dakota officially became a state. The first hospital for Dakota Territory, Saint Alexius, was founded in 1885.
Like most of the country, the 1890s were hard times for North Dakota. The Panic of 1893 was the nation's worst economic hardship to that point, and North Dakota's strong agriculture-based economy was directly affected. To make things worse, Bismarck was struck by a severe fire in 1898, which destroyed much of the city.
After the 1898 fire, Bismarck was forced to rebuild a large portion of the city, including most of its downtown. Buildings from this point onward were built mostly of brick and concrete, and often advertised as "fire proof". Two large and luxurious hotel complexes were constructed at this time. Hotel McKenzie, later renamed Patterson Hotel, opened on January 1, 1911, followed by Grand Pacific Hotel in 1912. Both hotels served as Bismarck's largest hotels for decades.
Hotel McKenzie opened its doors on January 1, 1911. Political boss Alexander McKenzie first owned the hotel, but was eventually purchased by Edward Patterson, a close friend to McKenzie. The hotel was renamed the Patterson Hotel in 1923. The Patterson would become home to the Non-Partisan League and was well-known as a gathering place for powerful politicians and businessmen. The Patterson secretly served alcohol during prohibition in addition to hosting illegal gambling and prostitutes.
The Grand Pacific Hotel opened in 1912, serving as a direct competitor to The Patterson for decades. Grand Pacific attracted more of a family audience than the Patterson. Finney's Drug was located on the first floor of Grand Pacific for most of its tenure.
The state capitol was destroyed by fire on December 28, 1930. The loss totaled $2 million, and North Dakota was faced to construct a new capitol in the midst of the Great Depression. They chose to construct an art deco skyscraper, which would tower over the city at nineteen stories when completed in 1934. Construction of the capitol was not smooth, however.
Laborers constructing the new capitol went on strike on May 13, 1933. The strike lasted for weeks, and resulted in a declaration of martial law by Governor William Langer.
The new capitol was completed in 1934, but news of the completion was buried beneath that of the removal of Governor William Langer, who was found guilty on two felony convictions. The North Dakota Supreme Court ordered Langer out of office, to be replaced with Ole Olson. As a response, Langer called a special legislative session, where he would proclaim "I am still your governor" and asked for the impeachment of Ole Olson and the supreme court justices. Even with intense support, Langer eventually rescinded.
The high school was overflowing with 634 students, forcing Bismarck to construct a new facility to house high school students. The new Bismarck High School building opened in 1935, and was expected to fulfill the needs of the growing city for many years. Bismarck Junior College was housed in the upper floors of the facility from 1939 to 1955.
Bismarck experienced major growth during the 1950s. As a result, business was booming in the growing city. Significant growth continued into the 1960s, when the population topped 30,000 citizens. The completion of Interstate 94 through Bismarck in 1965 would bring increased traffic to the area, and also ignited the growth of northern Bismarck.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Bismarck's downtown was thriving. Local retailers like A.W. Lucas & Company were extremely successful, and blended well with national retailers that included Sears, Woolworth's, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward.
For decades, downtown Bismarck served as the regional hub for business, but like most cities, change was around the corner. Kirkwood Mall opened in 1970, forever changing Bismarck's retail trend. Woolworth's and Montgomery Ward were the first major retailers to leave downtown Bismarck when they anchored Kirkwood. Sears and AW Lucas left to anchor Gateway Mall when it opened in 1979. It was also at this time that BEST Products opened its doors in south Bismarck. JCPenney was last of the national department stores to leave downtown Bismarck to anchor Kirkwood's new wing in 1980. Since then, downtown Bismarck has been on a steady downfall. The Bismarck Downtowner's Association was developed to help support and promote downtown business.
Hotel McKenzie opened its doors on January 1, 1911. Political boss Alexander McKenzie first owned the hotel, but was eventually purchased by Edward Patterson, a close friend to McKenzie. The hotel was renamed the Patterson Hotel in 1923. The Patterson would become home to the Non-Partisan League and was well-known as a gathering place for powerful politicians and businessmen. The Patterson secretly served alcohol during prohibition in addition to hosting illegal gambling and prostitutes.
The Grand Pacific Hotel opened in 1912, serving as a direct competitor to The Patterson for decades. Grand Pacific attracted more of a family audience than the Patterson. Finney's Drug was located on the first floor of Grand Pacific for most of its tenure.
The state capitol was destroyed by fire on December 28, 1930. The loss totaled $2 million, and North Dakota was faced to construct a new capitol in the midst of the Great Depression. They chose to construct an art deco skyscraper, which would tower over the city at nineteen stories when completed in 1934. Construction of the capitol was not smooth, however.
Laborers constructing the new capitol went on strike on May 13, 1933. The strike lasted for weeks, and resulted in a declaration of martial law by Governor William Langer.
The new capitol was completed in 1934, but news of the completion was buried beneath that of the removal of Governor William Langer, who was found guilty on two felony convictions. The North Dakota Supreme Court ordered Langer out of office, to be replaced with Ole Olson. As a response, Langer called a special legislative session, where he would proclaim "I am still your governor" and asked for the impeachment of Ole Olson and the supreme court justices. Even with intense support, Langer eventually rescinded.
The high school was overflowing with 634 students, forcing Bismarck to construct a new facility to house high school students. The new Bismarck High School building opened in 1935, and was expected to fulfill the needs of the growing city for many years. Bismarck Junior College was housed in the upper floors of the facility from 1939 to 1955.
Bismarck experienced major growth during the 1950s. As a result, business was booming in the growing city. Significant growth continued into the 1960s, when the population topped 30,000 citizens. The completion of Interstate 94 through Bismarck in 1965 would bring increased traffic to the area, and also ignited the growth of northern Bismarck.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Bismarck's downtown was thriving. Local retailers like A.W. Lucas & Company were extremely successful, and blended well with national retailers that included Sears, Woolworth's, JCPenney, and Montgomery Ward.
For decades, downtown Bismarck served as the regional hub for business, but like most cities, change was around the corner. Kirkwood Mall opened in 1970, forever changing Bismarck's retail trend. Woolworth's and Montgomery Ward were the first major retailers to leave downtown Bismarck when they anchored Kirkwood. Sears and AW Lucas left to anchor Gateway Mall when it opened in 1979. It was also at this time that BEST Products opened its doors in south Bismarck. JCPenney was last of the national department stores to leave downtown Bismarck to anchor Kirkwood's new wing in 1980. Since then, downtown Bismarck has been on a steady downfall. The Bismarck Downtowner's Association was developed to help support and promote downtown business.
Kmart was the first discount department store to arrive in 1972, which was one of the first businesses to open north of Interstate 94. Regional discount chain White Mart became an original anchor for Gateway Mall in 1979, however closed in 1986. Target came with Kirkwood's 1980 expansion, followed by Wal-Mart in 1990.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Bismarck was hit with a string of long-time business closures. AW Lucas closed not long after relocating to Gateway Mall, which was replaced with Herberger's until it too closed in 1994 upon expanding its Kirkwood Mall location. Woolworth's closed in 1985, but was quickly replaced with Dayton's. Gateway Mall took the biggest blow overall, beginning with the closing of White Mart in 1986, followed by the Herberger’s closure, which was unable to find a stable tenant for nearly ten years. Kirkwood also took a severe blow in 1998 with the closure of Montgomery Ward. Other major retail closures over the years have included BEST Products in 1997, and Marshall Fields (formerly Dayton's) in 2005.
Bismarck recently experienced the largest retail expansion since the opening of Kirkwood Mall in 1970. It all began with the announcement that Wal-Mart would be closing its current location upon opening two supercenters on each end of town, in addition to a Sam's Club. The Pinehurst Square Shopping Center also opened in 2005, with the first announcement that national retailers Lowe's, Best Buy, and Kohl's would occupy the center, all newcomers to Bismarck. Old Navy, TJMaxx, and other retailers came later.
Today's Jumble (12/15/08):
UPPYP = PUPPY; RODOP = DROOP; CERUDE = REDUCE; SMUQIR = SQUIRM
CIRCLED LETTERS = PUDPEUCSR
When the Christmas tree grower went to market, he ---
"SPRUCED UP"
Today is National Lemon Cupcake Day, Cat Herders Day, National Firefighters Day, and Bill of Rights Day. The Davy Crockett TV show first aired on this day in 1954 and Gone With The Wind premiered in 1939.
Other things on this day in history:
533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron.
1167 - Sicilian chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.
1256 - Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
1467 - Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.
1791 - The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia legislature.
1863 - Romania is using for the first time a mountain railway (from Anina to Oravita).
1864 - In the Battle of Nashville, Union forces under George H. Thomas almost completely destroy the Army of Tennessee under John B. Hood.
1868 - Shogunate rebels found Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.
1891 - James Naismith introduces the first version of basketball, with thirteen rules, a peach basket nailed to either end of his school's gymnasium, and two teams of nine players.
1905 - The Pushkin House is established in St. Petersburg to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin
1913 - Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1914 - World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
1914 - Gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine, Kyūshū, Japan, 687 killed. This accident is the worst coal mine disaster in Japanese history.
1915 - World War I: Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig replaces John French, 1st Earl of Ypres as Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force.
1917 - World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
1939 - Gone with the Wind premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta, GA, USA.
1941 - Holocaust: In a -15 degrees Celsius temperature, German troops execute over 15,000 Jews at Drobitsky Yar, a ravine southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
1941 - The American Federation of Labor adopts a no-strike policy in war industries.
1942 - The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal campaign.
1945 - Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as state religion of Japan.
1960 - King Baudouin of Belgium marries Fabiola Fernanda María de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón in Brussels.
1960 - Richard Paul Pavlick is arrested for attempting to blow up and assassinate the U.S. President-Elect, John F. Kennedy only four days earlier.
1961 - In Jerusalem, Adolph Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization.
1965 - Gemini program: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieved the first space rendezvous with Gemini 7.
1967 - The Silver Bridge collapses, killing 46 people.
1970 - Illinois State Constitution is adopted at a special election.
1970 - South Korean ferry Namyong Ho capsized off Korean Strait, 308 killed.
1973 - John Paul Getty III, grandson of J. Paul Getty, American billionaire is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10, 1973
1976 - Samoa becomes a member of the UN.
1978 - President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and cutoff all relations with Taiwan
1993 - History of Northern Ireland: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
1994 - Palau becomes a member of the UN.
1995 - The European Communities Court of Justice hands down the "Bosman ruling", giving EU footballers the right to a free transfer at the end of their contracts, with the provision that they are transferring from one UEFA Federation to another.
1995 - South Korean football club Suwon Bluewings F.C. founded.
1997 - A chartered Tupolev TU-154 from Tajikistan crashes in the desert near Sharja, United Arab Emirates airport killing 85.
1997 - The Treaty of Bangkok is signed allowing the tranformation of Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
2001 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
2005 - Latvia amends its constitution to eliminate possibility of same-sex couples being entitled to marry.
2005 - Argentina's president Néstor Kirchner announces the early repayment of its external debt to the IMF.
2005 - Introduction of the F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.
2005 - The 2005 Atlantic Power Outage began.
2006 - First flight of the F-35 Lightning II.
1167 - Sicilian chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.
1256 - Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
1467 - Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.
1791 - The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia legislature.
1863 - Romania is using for the first time a mountain railway (from Anina to Oravita).
1864 - In the Battle of Nashville, Union forces under George H. Thomas almost completely destroy the Army of Tennessee under John B. Hood.
1868 - Shogunate rebels found Ezo Republic in Hokkaidō.
1891 - James Naismith introduces the first version of basketball, with thirteen rules, a peach basket nailed to either end of his school's gymnasium, and two teams of nine players.
1905 - The Pushkin House is established in St. Petersburg to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin
1913 - Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1914 - World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
1914 - Gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine, Kyūshū, Japan, 687 killed. This accident is the worst coal mine disaster in Japanese history.
1915 - World War I: Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig replaces John French, 1st Earl of Ypres as Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force.
1917 - World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
1939 - Gone with the Wind premiered at Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta, GA, USA.
1941 - Holocaust: In a -15 degrees Celsius temperature, German troops execute over 15,000 Jews at Drobitsky Yar, a ravine southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
1941 - The American Federation of Labor adopts a no-strike policy in war industries.
1942 - The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal campaign.
1945 - Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as state religion of Japan.
1960 - King Baudouin of Belgium marries Fabiola Fernanda María de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón in Brussels.
1960 - Richard Paul Pavlick is arrested for attempting to blow up and assassinate the U.S. President-Elect, John F. Kennedy only four days earlier.
1961 - In Jerusalem, Adolph Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization.
1965 - Gemini program: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieved the first space rendezvous with Gemini 7.
1967 - The Silver Bridge collapses, killing 46 people.
1970 - Illinois State Constitution is adopted at a special election.
1970 - South Korean ferry Namyong Ho capsized off Korean Strait, 308 killed.
1973 - John Paul Getty III, grandson of J. Paul Getty, American billionaire is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10, 1973
1976 - Samoa becomes a member of the UN.
1978 - President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and cutoff all relations with Taiwan
1993 - History of Northern Ireland: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
1994 - Palau becomes a member of the UN.
1995 - The European Communities Court of Justice hands down the "Bosman ruling", giving EU footballers the right to a free transfer at the end of their contracts, with the provision that they are transferring from one UEFA Federation to another.
1995 - South Korean football club Suwon Bluewings F.C. founded.
1997 - A chartered Tupolev TU-154 from Tajikistan crashes in the desert near Sharja, United Arab Emirates airport killing 85.
1997 - The Treaty of Bangkok is signed allowing the tranformation of Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
2001 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
2005 - Latvia amends its constitution to eliminate possibility of same-sex couples being entitled to marry.
2005 - Argentina's president Néstor Kirchner announces the early repayment of its external debt to the IMF.
2005 - Introduction of the F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.
2005 - The 2005 Atlantic Power Outage began.
2006 - First flight of the F-35 Lightning II.
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