The Odd Fellows Block is architecturally significant in that it is one of twor emaining&nbsp;Richardsonian Romanesque&nbsp;buildings extant in Grand Forks along with the&nbsp;St John's Block. These buildings were, along with the now demolished Security Building, the most impressive in Grand Forks in the late 19th century. The south (principal) and west elevations of the building feature cream brick towers framing recessed red brick bays along with stone details and decorative brick panels. Visible above the roof is a large wire frame skylight, now covered over with tar paper, which once lit the meeting hall below. The second floor apartments date to the original construction. The Odd Fellows Block played a significant role in the social and civic life of Grand Forks in the last decades of the 19th century serving as a meeting place.

The Odd Fellows building as it appears today

Marsha Gunderson receives key to the city for her work in historic preservation 

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Located in the southwestern corner of Grand Forks's historic downtown, this building was constructed in 1888 and was home to many civic organizations in addition to the Odd Fellows fraternal order. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Urban Stampede coffee shop, but most of the building has not been restored. The building was home to the Odd Fellows as well as the Daughters of Rebekah, the lodges of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of the Maccabees, the Order of Foresters, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Royal Arcanum. When not used by these civic organizations, the building was also used to host civic and social events during the 19th century. This 1888 structure survived the 1997 Red River flood and fire with only minimal damage. 

Odd Fellows Building (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

This walking tour includes numerous landmarks and historic sites along 3rd and 4th Streets in the heart of downtown Grand Forks. The tour includes historic theaters, cultural sites, and businesses that spurred the growth of this community at the turn of the century. The tour concludes with the statue of Alexander Griggs, an early settler who arrived in 1875 and is considered to be the founder of the city. Be sure to check out some of the museums beyond the downtown area in addition to historical landmarks such as the former woolen mills.

Grand Forks North Dakota Walking Tour-3rd and 4th Street

A walking tour of historic downtown Grand Forks.

Downtown Grand Forks Expanded Walking Tour

Downtown Grand Forks Walking Tour Expanded 2023

This tour highlights sites in Grand Forks that were affected by the 1997 flood. Certain sites require driving though most can be walked.

1997 Red River Flood Drive/Walk Tour

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The Dinnie Apartments were built in 1903 on Fourth Ave South during a period of expansion for Grand Forks. The Dinnie Brothers, John and James, used bricks from their brickyard to build the four townhomes in the complex. These apartments consist of 1,600 square feet of living space and feature a large front porch, bay windows, and decorative columns. The two-story red brick building was built in the Classical Revival style in order to match the elegance that other homes in the area had. To this day, the apartments have been relatively maintained and have kept a lot of the original woodwork the Dinnie Brothers had installed including around the doors, windows, staircases and almost all the rooms have the original wood ceiling molding. The apartments also have high, plaster ceilings and the walls are covered in plaster as well. During the beginning of the 20th century Grand Forks began to see a significant increase in population during what is called the Second Dakota Boom. This population boom caused a housing shortage, especially for those of the upper middle class. In order to meet the demand, the Dinnie Brothers built the first high end apartment building in the city. The Dinnie Brothers set their sights on Fourth Avenue South, near the Red River for their build. The area had seen a wealthy merchant class begin to settle there and the Dinnie Brothers wanted to capitalize on this market. These apartments became immensely popular and caused the Dinnie Brothers to build another set of apartments in Grand Forks on Chestnut Street in 1905. The Dinnie Apartments also became a symbol of elegance in Grand Forks. As one newspaper article titled “Unsightly Places” suggested during a bid for a city wide beautification,<blockquote>"Seems to me it is a splendid place for a modern up to date flat, something on the same plan as the Dinnie flats" (5)</blockquote>The Dinnie Brothers' prominence was felt in more than just their architecture. Both brothers became well respected mayors at different times in Grand Forks’ history. John Dinnie became mayor first in 1896 and kept his position till 1904 and James A. Dinnie was mayor from 1914 to 1918. They not only were popular with the citizens of Grand Forks, but also with the press. James A. Dinnie and his wife were written about in “Society” columns in the town newspaper The Grand Forks Herald. While running for re-election in 1906, a biased article written in The Grand Forks Herald titled “Voters Greet Dinnie Warmly” shows John Dinnie in a very good light while showing his opponent, George A. Bangs, as a less than ideal candidate for mayor. Both brothers also continued to contribute to the architectural landscape of North Dakota after building more apartment buildings in both Minot and Bismark.

Built in 1903 by John and James Dinnie, the Dinnie Apartments provided Grand Forks with one of its first upscale apartment complexes. Designed to fit the needs of the growing city, these apartments provided housing for a growing upper middle class. The apartments' prominence in the city mirrored the prominence of their designers as the Dinnie brothers would both go onto become mayors of the city of Grand Forks and play a vital role in the area's society.

Dinnie Apartments

The Masonic Temple in Grand Forks serves as the headquarters for Freemasons of Grand Forks. In fact, it has been their headquarters since it was constructed in 1915. Having been registered in the National Register of Historical Places in 1981, the Masonic Temple serves the Grand Forks community by enriching its Historic Down Town and hosting events.	The Masonic Temple is actually the second Masonic Temple in Grand Forks. In 1912, the original temple burned down. According to a report at the time, a neighboring hardware store, A.B. Rheinharts, were responsible for the fire due to reckless cleaning practices and oil storage. At the time, the Mason community in Grand Forks was growing. This growth came with the addition of the Scottish Rite and the Shrine, two branches of Freemasonry. With this in mind, the Masons decided the new temple had to be grander than the last. Joseph Bell DeRemer, a Mason and Shriner himself, made the designs for the new temple within the year of the first temple’s destruction. The Dinnie Brothers construction firm laid the cornerstone in 1913, and the building was dedicated in 1915.	Following the destruction of the first Masonic Temple, the Masons of Grand Forks decided the new temple had to be bigger. The Masons of Grand Forks were joined by members of the Scottish Rite and the Shriners and required larger headquarters. The building was funded by personal loans through mortuary bonds, which were payable at death with no interest, and donations from other bodies of Freemasons. Altogether, the building cost $200,000, which is worth over five million dollars today.	Joseph Bell DeRemer designed many buildings in Grand Forks and North Dakota, such as the North Dakota State Capitol skyscraper. The Masonic Temple has special significance due to its architectural style. DeRemer built many Renaissance Revival buildings in Grand Forks, including the Masonic Temple. The Masonic Temple, however, is the last of these buildings left in its original state in Downtown Grand Forks. Prior to the Masonic Temple’s registration into the National Register of Historical Places, all other Renaissance Revival buildings designed by DeRemer were either demolished or heavily altered. Over a century after its dedication, the Masonic Temple still has only had minor renovations and is practically in its original state. Though the National Register of Historic Places says the Masonic Temple is built in the Renaissance Revival Style, there is some contention among scholars. According to a brochure for the Downtown Grand Forks Historic District produced by the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission, the Masonic Temple is built in a Beaux Arts/ Neoclassical Style.	The Masonic Temple received shockingly little damage during the Red River Flood of 1997. It survived another disaster, an arson attempt, in 2014. Since then, the centennial of the laying of the cornerstone and the dedication of the building have taken place in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

The Masonic Temple was dedicated in 1915. Standing for over a century, Grand Masons of Grand Forks use the Masonic Temple as their headquarters to this day! With several chambers, including an auditorium, the Masonic Temple hosts all sorts of community events. The building, with its age and Renaissance Revival design makes it the perfect entry into the National Register of Historical Places. The lodge is remarkably preserved, surviving the 1997 flood with minimal damage to the building.

Masonic Temple

Grand Forks County Courthouse is located in the heart of downtown Grand Forks. The building, which was constructed in 1913, was designed for the purpose of creating a space where legal and governmental functions could be carried out. The building, which was designed by architects Buechner &amp; Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota, is the most expensive courthouse that the constructors built. The total cost of the building initially rang in around $200,000, with $25,000 worth of additions added later on. Considering the time period of its construction, this was quite an extravagant cost. The majority of these costs were payed for by residents of Grand Forks County. The building is also the largest of the 13 courthouses designed by Buechner &amp; Orth in North Dakota. Structurally, the Grand Forks County Courthouse is designed in such a way that it stands out among other buildings located in the downtown area. Its Classical Revival style modified by white limestone along with large Corinthian columns make for a pleasing aesthetic structure. It also took architectural influence from other styles such as Modernist and Beaux Arts. These types of styles were seen in many downtown Grand Forks buildings built during this time as part of the “City Beautiful” project. Later on in its history, a two-story law enforcement center was added on to the courthouse, connected by a stairwell. Although the addition’s closed window openings do not resemble that of the courthouse apertures, its design does still match the pre-existing style of the courthouse. The interior of the courthouse is also impressive with its extreme attention to detail, featuring numerous murals and various pieces of artwork, as well as an art glass skylight. It also features blue marble wainscoting in the halls and terrazzo floors. Possibly the most interesting focal point of the building is its iron dome located on top of its exterior. Atop the dome is the statue of Justice, serving as a reminder of legal justness. Standing for over a century, the courthouse has succeeded in serving its purpose of providing a place for governmental functions and legal processes. It is where all judicial hearings in Grand Forks as well as county commission meetings are held. Additionally, it is also the home of the clerk’s office, the offices of state attorneys and auditors, and various other county offices. One interesting aspect of the courthouse is that it hosts the police officer memorial service annually on the north lawn. Lieutenant of the North Dakota Highway State Patrol Troy Hischer, who frequently visits the courthouse for occupational matters, participates in the ceremony each year. On November 25 of 1980, it was added to the list of historical buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite its long history and various encounters with hardships, such as the Red River Flood of 1997, the Grand Forks County Courthouse has managed to not only survive, but prevail. It is one of the oldest buildings representing the judicial branch in Grand Forks County; even today, it still serves as a symbol for government and justice.

The Grand Forks County Courthouse, constructed in 1913 by designers Buechner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota, is located in downtown Grand Forks. Famous for its immense attention to detail and impressive architectural design, it is the most expensive and largest courthouse constructed by Buechner & Orth. Its structural design was influenced by several architectural styles, such as Classical Revival and Beaux Arts, similar to many other historical buildings located in downtown Grand Forks as part of the “City Beautiful” movement. For decades, the courthouse has stood as a central symbol of the judicial branch of Grand Forks County. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1980.

Grand Forks County Courthouse

Alexander Griggs&nbsp;(1838–1903) was an&nbsp;American&nbsp;steamboat&nbsp;captain and is generally acknowledged as the founder of the city of&nbsp;Grand Forks. Griggs first traveled to the confluence of the&nbsp;Red River of the North&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Red Lake River&nbsp;(the site of present-day Grand Forks) in 1870 using&nbsp;flatboats&nbsp;to carry cargo downstream on the&nbsp;Red River of the North.&nbsp;During the fall of 1870, Griggs and his crew embarked on another such trip through the confluence area, but were stranded when their boat froze in the icy waters of the Red River one evening. The crew built a small cabin and lived there during the winter of 1870-1871.&nbsp;They soon decided that the area would be a good spot for a new town. Others soon joined Griggs at the site and the community of Grand Forks was formed. Griggs officially platted the town site of Grand Forks in 1875.He also became the fifth mayor of Grand Forks, serving from 1888 to 1889.&nbsp;Griggs was also the city’s third postmaster, served on the Grand Forks City Council, as a&nbsp;Grand Forks County&nbsp;Commissioner, and on the&nbsp;North Dakota&nbsp;state constitutional convention. In addition, he founded the Second National Bank, established a gas works, built the Grand Forks Roller Mill, constructed the first brick commercial building in Grand Forks, and opened a hotel (the Grigg House). A statue of Griggs sits on the grounds of the&nbsp;Grand Forks County Courthouse. Nearby Griggs County North Dakota was also named in honor of the entrepreneur and steamboat captain.&nbsp;

This statue at the courthouse was dedicated in 2001 and honors Alexander Griggs, an early settler who is considered by many to be the founder of Grand Forks. Griggs filed the first land plat for the original townsite of the community in 1875. A steamboat captain and builder, Griggs played an integral part of the growth of the city during the steamboat era of Grand Forks. Griggs learned his navigational skills as a hand working aboard ships that traveled along the Mississippi River and he became an established pilot by the age of nineteen. Partnering with railroad magnate, James J. Hill, Griggs established a steamboat business on the Red River and built the Selkirk in 1871. After establishing the original town plat, Griggs vigorously promoted the early development of Grand Forks. He established the Second National Bank and the the local gas works among other enterprises such as the Grand Forks Roller Mill, the first brick city block of buildings, and the Griggs House hotel. Griggs was the city’s third postmaster and was politically active, serving on the City Council, the Board of County Commissioners, the Railroad Commission, and the first state constitutional convention. He also served as the mayor of Gran Forks from 1888 to 1889. He left Grand Forks shortly after that time and established another steamship line in 1893, the Columbia and Okanogan Steamboat Company. This line was based out of Wenatchee, Washington, and this was the location where Griggs died on January 25, 1903.

Captain Alexander Griggs Statue, Grand Forks

George B. Clifford was born in 1859 in Concord, New Hampshire. He moved to Grand Forks in 1882, at the age of 24, and opened a law practice. Thirteen years later in 1895, Mr. Clifford and other businessmen in the area organized the Cream of Wheat Corporation. The corporation moved its headquarters to Minneapolis in 1900, but Mr. Clifford remained in Grand Forks until 1909. During his time in Grand Forks, Mr. Clifford was an instrumental leader and builder in the community. He is known for having built some of the best buildings in the city, including the Clifford Annex Building which was constructed in 1906.The Clifford Annex Building drew its name from the adjacent Clifford Building, a larger edifice built in 1904 by George B. Clifford and his business associates. The annex building was designed by architect Joseph Bell DeRemer and was built with locally sourced materials i.e. Red River Valley clay bricks. Many of the other buildings in the downtown area used similar locally sourced materials, which resulted in many superb brick buildings being built during this time. The Clifford Annex Building was owned by the Clifford family for sixteen years before being purchased by Sam and Isadore Papermaster.The Papermasters owned the building for eleven years. They operated the Clothes Panatorium, a laundry, and clothing repair shop until the business fell victim to the Great Depression. The Clifford Annex Building was put up for auction and purchased in 1933 by E.J. Lander and Company for $22,807.97. The Lander Co. retained ownership of the building until 1983. The building was central to the downtown area during the 40s-60s extended era of commercial prosperity. During this time the Clifford Annex building consisted of apartments, a photo studio, a gift shop, and a bookstore.The era of prosperity the Clifford Annex Building and the downtown area enjoyed through the 1940s and 1960s ended though in the 1970s with the movement of local retailers to the southwestern part of town. Through the 1970s and 1990s, the building was occupied by small specialty businesses and professional offices. These businesses consisted of a bank's computer center, a tailor, an office supply company, a dance studio, a real estate company, a psychotherapist, an insurance company, a boutique, and many more small businesses. The building's deed transferred hands several times between several financial institutions throughout the 80s and 90s until its destruction following the 1997 flood. Formerly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was removed from the National Register in 2004 due to its replacement with a newer building on this site.

The Clifford Annex Building was built in 1906 on Grand Forks' original townsite. It was built and originally owned by George B. Clifford, and designed by architect Joseph Bell DeRemer. It takes its name from an adjacent, larger building also owned by Clifford.  In 1914 the building was purchased by Joseph Clifford. Over the next eight decades, the building would trade owners, until the flood of 1997. Following the flood, the building was destroyed and replaced by a new corporate center and its adjacent parking ramp. The demolished building was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. 

Clifford Annex Building

The Empire Arts Center lies at the heart of the Downtown Grand
Forks Historic District. When its original owner, A.J. Kavanagh, first had it
constructed in 1919, he wrote the first chapter in the building’s colorful
history. The theater was originally opened under the name, The New Grand Theatre.
It was boasted as being North Dakota’s finest theater, with newspapers citing
its contract with Paramount-Artcraft productions to get new films as early as prominent
Twin Cities theaters, premium fireproof design, 948-person capacity, basement
tunnels to keep the theater warmer, and extravagant ornamentation. The New
Grand was the first theater in Grand Forks devoted to motion pictures and on
opening night, November 10, 1919, around 500 people braved a blizzard to see the
showing of A Witness for the Defense.1,2The theater underwent a series of changes through the 20th
century. In 1928, it became the first theater in Grand Forks to play a “100% talking
movie” with its showing of Lights of New
York. The theater’s name changed to Paramount Theatre in 1930 and it added a
marquee with 3,000 lights—the largest in North Dakota at the time. The
Paramount was renamed the Empire Theatre in 1954 with the addition of cutting-edge
CinemaScope equipment and a new marquee that vertically reads, “EMPIRE,” and
still exists today. The manager at the time reported the name was changed to
represent North Dakota becoming an oil, land development, and industrial empire.
The Empire Theater remained much the same for decades until competition from
the growing video rental industry prompted it to switch to a 99-cent theater
showing budget films in 1987. In 1994, the theater’s owner, Midcontinent Theater company, ceased its operation. Until this time, the theater had shown films for
75 consecutive years.3The building was given a new life in December of 1994 when
Midcontinent Theater Company donated it to North Valley Arts Council (NOVAC), a
local arts group.4 NOVAC soon acquired the neighboring Satrom Building and began
remodeling the spaces to create one multi-use arts center, named the Empire Arts
Center.5 Hal and Kathy Gershman, as well as the Knight Foundation, made substantial
early donations to kickstart the fundraising campaign.6 The renovation process
suffered a significant setback during the 1997 Red River Flood. The theater narrowly
escaped the fire that followed the flood because someone noticed the fire jump
to the Empire’s roof and quickly alerted the fire department, which was able to
save the building. The floodwater, however, rose to four feet high on the first
floor of the Empire and caused around $150,000 in damage.7 This could have doomed
the Empire Arts Center because its donors now had expenses from flood damage of their
own to pay, but no donors rescinded their commitments and many others made new contributions.8 The Empire Arts Center, along with other local arts groups, became a unifying
force for the community. Its importance as a cultural institution was attested
to by community leaders and its interaction with the community grew
substantially. The Empire Arts Center, fortunately, got the support it needed to complete the
renovation.9On March 27, 1998—less than one year after the flood—the Empire
Arts Center opened its doors to a capacity crowd.10 The Empire had been fully
renovated with&nbsp;an improved stage and added art gallery, among other enhancements.11 The Empire Arts Center has continued to serve the Grand Forks community as a host
of a variety of theater productions, performing arts, films, concerts
speakers, community events, and meetings.12&nbsp;Today, it has four venues: the main
theater, a Black box theater (added in 2014), a backstage performance venue,
and a gallery.

This landmark movie theater turned multipurpose arts center in the heart of Grand Forks has been a local cultural institution for a century. Originally constructed in 1919, this theater showed movies each year until 1995, before a brief hiatus that ended with the theater’s transition to the home of a multifaceted arts organization. After the 1997 Red River Flood and the subsequent fires that devastated downtown, the Empire became a point of unification for the community. Today, the Empire Arts Center offers a variety of venues and events.

Empire Arts Center

The population of Grand Forks went up by five thousand
from the years of 1920 to 1925. This caused a need for housing for new
educators for the university as well as railroad workers and people looking to
take up the offer for free land around the area. Sixty-eight housing applications were approved to be built within 1928.&nbsp;With the stock market
crash in October of 1929, the building boom halted. The Great Depression began
and with a drought hitting the west side of North Dakota, people flocked to
Grand Forks and Fargo to find any sort of work.&nbsp;The apartment buildings are three stories tall and made
out of red brick. They are rectangular are show English revival style, like most
of the housing in Grand Forks built in the late 1920s did. In the building, the
windows are original and are set in wood frames. This style was common around
the downtown area of Grand Forks. Though most of the buildings have since
disappeared, the few that remain show the popularity for the housing boom.&nbsp;The designer of the Skarsbo apartments was Thomas B.
Wells. Wells had established his architectural practice in the Grand Forks and northwestern Minnesota area in 1923. His styles were classical revival and
Gothic revival that he kept emphasizing into the 1930s. After designing the
building, Andrew T. Skarsbo and the Thorvaldsen-Johnson Co. actually built the
apartment buildings. After finishing the build, Skarsbo went on to live in one
of the apartments with his wife and family. By looking at the Skarsbo Apartments, a general idea
of the population boom and architectural style of buildings created in Grand
Forks towards the end of the 1920s becomes clear. Designed as a classical
revival by Thomas B. Wells and built by Andrew T. Skarsbo and the Thorvaldsen-Johnson
Co., the building rests on 204 North Sixth St by downtown Grand Forks. A staple
of apartment styling from the pre-Great Depression Era, both the buildings and
the caretaker cottage in between are registered in the National Register of
Historic Places. 

&nbsp;

Designed by Thomas B. Wells and built by Andrew T. Skarsbo in the late 1920s, the Skarsbo Apartments give modern people a glimpse into the life of pre-Great Depression Grand Forks. Between the years of 1920 and 1925, the population of Grand Forks rose by 5,000 making a need for housing apparent. By being one of the few still standing of the classical revival style of most downtown Grand Forks buildings, the still liveable apartment building is a great example of the housing shortage and cultural lifestyle in 1928. Looking into the Skarsbo Apartments is the same as looking at a time capsule. 

Skarsbo Apartments 

During the late 1800’s the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Grand Forks was just getting started. A group of Christians thought it would be a good idea to get a YMCA up and running so young men could have a place to pray and sing, along with offering a place to read and a gym. The YMCA was popular among these young men in the community and aimed at promoting fitness, along with social and spiritual engagement.In the 1904 the new YMCA was constructed on the Fifth Street between Demers and First Avenue North. This building was a three-story building which had a pool, a gym, and still a place for worship. Through many years there were men’s leagues and teams for a few different sports such as basketball, swimming, and bowling who would end up traveling and some would do quite well. The YMCA would also have community events such as treasure hunts, along with orchestral concerts. During World War II the YMCA had become a USO center for service members to connect to their families. After the war (and even before) the YMCA would hold classes for boys to learn, grow, and just try and be the best person they could be.A new YMCA building opened in 1969. There were many different activities for boys (and now even expanding to girls) such as swimming, floor hockey, baseball, racquetball, and many more. Some community events were things such as summer camps, Swim-a-Thons which would be held in the 1970’s. The new YMCA has gone through a few different renovations to expand and make it even more community friendly by renovating some areas as well as adding things like a women’s health club. The YMCA continuously partners with non-profits to support the community to this day as well. Even up to today the YMCA has been an integral part of Grand Forks and provided a place for people to spend their leisure time doing activities such as working out, swimming, and a place just to hang out with friends to help improve their lives physically and emotionally, as well as a great place for fun.

In 1886 the original Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Grand Forks was established with the help of six churches in the Grand Fork community. The original YMCA had an attitude that it wanted to support young men in the Christian community and still supports these morals. Throughout the 1900’s the YMCA in Grand Forks has moved throughout a few different building and has had many different renovations to help the YMCA community more. Even with these projects and renovations going on the YMCA has continued to help people live an active life and has continued to support the Grand Forks community. The current YMCA building which was built in 1969 has continued to support the community along with providing a place for physical activity.

Grand Forks YMCA

<div>The Fire Hall Theatre was originally the first fire department in Grand Forks. When the fire department in Grand Forks was in operation it had seven firemen that were not volunteers but paid
staff; the fire chief's first name was August. The fire department had "state of the
art equipment."1&nbsp;Both fire stations started out with horses, but slowly traded
them in for machines until it was all trucks in 1929. The fire department was
closed in the early 1970s due to it being too close to the train tracks. The problem was
if there was a train on the tracks they wouldn’t be able to pass the train to
get to a fire. Then the secondary fire department took over as the main fire department. The
Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre was founded in 1947 as a non- profit
organization "to provide entertainment."2 From the time they were established to 1983
they performed wherever they could, in churches, performance halls, and hotels.
That changed when they bought the fire hall for $3500 from the city wrecking crew.
The group remodeled the fire department building by turning the horse stable and truck
area into the stage, seating area, and lobby area, the break room into the
dressing room and make up room. They also kept the spiral stair case that goes
from the stage up to the prop storage and leads to the dressing room and the
costume room. During the great flood of
1997 the Fire Hall Theatre had a&nbsp;lot of water damage, and some feared that it would
be demolished. They didn’t know how bad the damage was because they couldn’t
visit it. Thanks to fundraisers in the spring they were able to open again in
September after some recovery time. There are three main programs at the theater.
The community theater main stage, spotlight players, and theater workshops for
youth. The main stage is the plays and musicals they put on during the year and
any and all are welcome even if you have no experience. The time you put in is
voluntary, the people in the plays rehearse for 5 weeks and put on the play for
3. The spotlight players are for the theater’s young performers. The performers
range from ages 6 – 16. They do a musical in the fall to let the young performers
gain experience, they also put on one in the summer for performers ranging from
6 – 14. The theater workshops for the youth are where the theater puts on “Play
Days” for children in grade 1-8 at the Fire Hall Theatre&nbsp;during the school
year. They play theater games, create characters, and create a play in a day.</div>

On
some travel websites like TripAdvisor a lot of people say that the Fire Hall Theater gives you an intimate experience.3 With the stage and the first row of
seats maybe being four feet apart. Most on this website gave it a five-star
review, said the performances were good, and that it is meant for everyone.
Sometime the actors will walk through the crowd too. The theater sits 108
people. They put on 7 to 8 plays and musicals a season, along with other
activities like the theater workshops, helping 2nd act singers, and
helping an elderly musical theater group, 65 and older, who perform at
different events.There
is a tale that a ghost might haunt the Fire hall Theater. Many people have
heard footsteps upstairs with no one else in the theater. The people there will
sometimes see shadows on the other side of the theater when no one else is
there. Some think it may be one of the firemen that haunts the building. The
ghost doesn’t seem violent and is actually very helpful when props go missing.4

&nbsp;

What was once the first Fire Department in Grand Forks North Dakota is now a theater. It was built in 1905 and acted as headquarters when the second fire department was built and occupied in 1908. The fire department was then bought by the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre in 1982 and produced its first show Dracula in 1983 after some remodeling.  The theater is rumored to be haunted.  

Fire Hall Theatre

The first city hall in Grand Forks was built in 1885 at the intersection of Third Street and Selkirk Avenue, which is now University. It was replaced by the present building at the intersection of Fourth Street and Second Avenue North in 1911. While the city hall has stood at this location since this time, it has been renovated and remodeled numerous times, most recently in 1999. The justification for the 1999 major renovations was to better enable city hall to continue to serve the public. Throughout history, the Grand Forks City Hall may have undergone cosmetic changes, but its purpose to serve the public has stayed consistent.The current city hall building, built in 1911, was designed by the architect John W. Ross, the first licensed architect in North Dakota, and contracted by Northern Construction and Engineering Company. Ross styled this building according to the prominent Classical Revival architectural movement with influence from Modernist and Beaux-Arts styles. While this style of building would not likely be built today, the style of the current city hall was typical of the majority of buildings when it was being built in the first decade of the twentieth century. Notably, this style was characteristic of many buildings built between the Spanish-American War (1898) and the start of World War I (1917). It was designed to fit in the same architectural style of the Federal Building (built in 1906) and the Grand Forks Public Library (built in 1903). As stated previously, the architecture of this building is a vital part of its historical significance. The Modernist and Beaux-Arts styles are shown by ionic columns that flank the second-story balcony along with a large, scrolled cartouche (an oblong architectural decoration). This city hall was built using limestone and yellow brick furnished by John Dinnie, part of the Dinnie Brothers construction firm. Additionally, this building features fireproof construction and reinforced concrete brick bearing walls. It is a two and ½ story building that was built to stand the test of time through the choice of building materials and architectural styles. It is one of four surviving buildings in Grand Forks that features the style of Classical Revival. Other buildings modeled to mirror city hall after it was built are Central High School (built in 1917) and the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. Each of these buildings were part of the "City Beautiful" architectural movement that aimed to bring a visual focus to the Central Business District's public area.Grand Forks' City Hall was nominated to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1981. It was stated to be in excellent condition on the original site and recommended to be nominated to the NRHP as a historic resource of downtown Grand Forks. At this time–before the 1999 remodel of city hall–this building had only undergone minor alterations. These changes included replacing the double hung original windows with glass windows and anodized aluminum frames, enclosing the front entry and metal canopy in front arched entry with glass and aluminum, remodeling the basement, and modernizing the lighting and carpeting in offices and the central stairway.The Grand Forks City Hall has always been dedicated to serving the public. Specifically, the city hall has always been vital for functions related to the local government and elections. Throughout its history, this building has hosted City Council meetings and public hearings. This city hall has also kept its commitment to serving the public through the historic use of the city hall auditorium to house public classes such as leathercraft, painting, and hook-rug making. Overall, city hall has served as a vibrant part of public history in Grand Forks since it was built.

Grand Forks’ City Hall is a prominent and historic building that is part of the Grand Forks downtown historic district. Originally built in 1911, this building has always been dedicated to being a service for the public. Throughout its history, this building has served as a meeting place for the public as well as the central hub for local government and politics. Additionally, it gains its historical significance from its architectural styles—Classical Revival, Modernist, and Beaux-Arts—that many of the buildings in downtown Grand Forks were originally styled after as a part of the "City Beautiful" movement. Because of this, the city hall has become a central part of the historic architecture within Grand Forks.

Grand Forks City Hall

The city of Grand Forks started off with the trading of furs in 1740. As time went on and technology got better, railroads started showing up in the Dakota Territory and all over the northern and eastern part of the Dakota Territory. Before the arrival of the St. Paul Minneapolis Manitoba Railway, there was the Northern Pacific Main-line railroad. This was the only railroad in the northern part of the Dakota Territory before 1878. It was not the best because it had irregular train service, light passenger, and freight traffic because of the company’s bankruptcy. In 1878, railroad companies started to create more tracks all over eastern northern Dakota which connected it to the rest of the country.Since there were now railroads in the Dakota Territory and in Grand Forks, the city grew very fast. This was able to bring in many different goods from around the country and also immigrants from other countries. Many of these immigrants were from Europe but more specifically Norway. These immigrants and people who were moving here started farming and the agricultural economy in North Dakota started to grow. These people started to farm a lot of wheat. This created a farming bonanza of wheat. The railroads helped trade all the wheat to other cities like Duluth and/or Minneapolis. All that trading helped to bring in other goods like manufactured goods and building materials to the Dakota Territory to help people and the towns.In the 1890s there were two major railroads in the Grand Forks area. One was the Northern Pacific and the other was the Great Northern. These two had a rivalry with each other. Since the automobile had not been created yet, these railroads were the major source of people traveling to many different places. The Great Northern Railroad was built off of DeMers Avenue and the Northern Pacific was built just east of it. In the later years when automobiles were becoming the next best thing, the Northern Pacific Railroad built a new Depot, in the Tudor Revival style, in order to attract more customers than the Great Northern railroad and the automobiles. Today, the Northern Pacific Depot and Freight House is located at 202 N. Third St. and is no longer used for train passengers. The building houses other businesses today.

In 1878, railroads started to make their way to North Dakota. Since there was a lot of farmland available here, because the government pushed out the Native Americans, many settlers would take the train to go and settle the land to create farms. The Northern Pacific Depot and Freight House was able to accommodate all of the new people arriving but also goods and stuff coming and going. Now the building is no longer used for trains and railroads. Now the building is used for people looking to get mortgages. This is because the railroad changed from its original position to a more central area in the city, right along Demers Avenue going east to west and another one going north to south along 42nd Street. 

Northern Pacific Depot and Freight House

The site was constructed in 1893 and held an original cost of roughly $12,000 for the three-story building. This expense was paid by the Grand Forks Mercantile Co, Wholesale Grocers. In the over 100 years since the site's construction, it has continued to remain a fixture within Grand Forks.The site's construction and current design can be described as a brick three-story rectangular building. While this seems to be a lackluster description of such a historic site, these characteristics are fitting for its original intended purpose. The site also has been noted for its steel beam use paired with a reliance on wood/timber frame. This was indicative of this era in 19th-century architecture as modern materials were being used at an increasing yet reluctant rate.The historic significance which led to the site's place among databases such as the National Register of Historic is due to one particular aspect of the building, As mentioned in historic North Dakota Cultural Resources Surveys. “This building is the only original structure on the east side of North Third Street which represents the wholesale district of Grand Forks in its heyday during the period from 1890- 1920 when the city was a major distributing point via the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads to the vast agricultural hinterland to the west, east, and north.” This statement, for the most part, continues to ring true to this day and is a fundamental characteristic of the site when it comes to properly acknowledge its place in the city throughout history and into the modern age.Aside from the site's historic importance to the city in its early years, and the specific characteristics in the modern era which have led to its preservation, the sites continuously changing and innovating purpose and service is yet another sign of its significance. In an article/posting found on the JLG architects website, they describe both a renovation that focused on bringing back the original look and vintage style of the building as well as listing several of the various businesses which have been housed within the building. The Grand Forks Mercantile Co was once home to a Ford Motor Dealership, Hugo’s food store, a stamp store, and a John Deere Implement store. The site also underwent several minor renovations and construction projects which have slightly altered both the exterior and interior of the building over the years.One such renovation and redesign occurred after a fire took place within the building during World War II that nearly destroyed it entirely. Another renovation was done in 1946 that was responsible for some further minor re-designs of the interior. This is yet another example of how the history of this building has helped shape it and cement its place within Grand Forks.The Grand Forks Mercantile Co. site was first nominated to the NRHP in a nomination form received on September 13, 1982. This nomination form provided an account of reasonings and positions behind the site's significance as well as another general description of the building and its historic purposes. This form was successful in beginning the process of preserving the site, both physically, and in records, and was instrumental in its continued existence and impact upon the city.In the modern setting, the building now houses several restaurants and remains a lively site in downtown Grand Forks. This historical building continued to adapt and find new services to the community throughout its history. These are examples of why and how the Grand Forks Mercantile Co. has cemented its state as a staple of the downtown Grand Forks city planning and architecture.

The Grand Forks Mercantile Company is a building located near the Red River in Downtown Grand Forks. The site was constructed in 1893 and has served the various communities which have found themselves around it. From a Ford Motors dealership to Hugo’s food store, the site remained a fixture within Grand Forks for many years. This achievement and service have been denoted as early as October 1982 when the site was listed within the National Registry of Historic Places. Throughout various renovations of the site and changes within the city the Grand Forks, Mercantile Co. has managed to be utilized.



Grand Forks Mercantile Building

The&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald&nbsp;is a daily&nbsp;broadsheet&nbsp;newspaper, established in 1879, published in&nbsp;Grand Forks, North Dakota,&nbsp;United States. It is the primary daily paper for northeast&nbsp;North Dakota&nbsp;and northwest&nbsp;Minnesota. Its average daily circulation is 34,763 on Sundays and 31,524 on weekdays. It has the second largest circulation in the state of North Dakota. The&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald&nbsp;won a&nbsp;Pulitzer Prize for Public Service&nbsp;for its coverage of the&nbsp;1997 flood&nbsp;but the prize was bittersweet, as the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;building had not only been inundated but, ironically, burned to the ground in the midst of the floodwaters. Despite losing its offices during the flood, the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;never missed a day of publication. Temporary offices were set up at the&nbsp;University of North Dakota&nbsp;and at a nearby elementary school. Papers were distributed free of charge to flood "refugees" in neighboring towns. Following the&nbsp;flood, the newspaper rebuilt its office building in&nbsp;downtown Grand Forks. Its distinctive features are a tall clock tower and the symbolism built into the structure, as well as parts of the old building that survived the fire. A new printing facility was also built in an&nbsp;industrial park&nbsp;in the western part of Grand Forks. Knight Ridder&nbsp;sold the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;to&nbsp;The McClatchy Company&nbsp;on June 27, 2006. McClatchy had already arranged the sale of the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;to&nbsp;Forum Communications, owner of&nbsp;The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead&nbsp;and&nbsp;WDAZ-TV&nbsp;in Grand Forks. Today, the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;is one of many regional newspapers published by Forum Communications.<div> </div>

Serving Grand Forks since 1879, the Grand Forks Herald is both one of the oldest papers in North Dakota and the state's second largest circulation. Beyond the city of Grand Forks, the paper also serves northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Although the paper's headquarters was destroyed by the 1997 flood and fire, the paper still won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the same flood and fire. The building was rebuilt, this time with a clock tower and symbols dealing with the flood. 

Grand Forks Herald Building

*Information about the Federal Building was provided by historians of the General Services Administration (GSA) "The building was among the first monumental civic buildings in Grand Forks. Originally completed in 1906, the building was envisioned to be a majestic Post Office and Federal Courthouse at a time when Grand Forks was achieving increasing prominence in the agricultural hub of the Red River Valley. The city's existing post office, housed in an 1870s log cabin, had become obsolete and rising political and business influences demanded a more monumental and permanent post office and courthouse. The new Federal building was sited at the north corner of Fourth Street and First Avenue in the downtown business district.James Knox Taylor,&nbsp;Supervising Architect&nbsp;of the U.S. Treasury Department, was responsible for the building's Beaux-Arts Classical design. The building inspired similar architecture for the adjacent enclave of Classical Revival buildings, including City Hall and Central High School.In 1936, the demand for more space prompted the construction of a three-story addition to the rear of the building, designed by&nbsp;Louis A. Simon&nbsp;of the Supervising Architect's Office. The addition harmonized modern infrastructure with the original architecture by using like materials and details. The new configuration included passenger elevators and a light well to illuminate the first-floor work areas. In 1964, when the U.S. Postal Service moved out of the building and into a new, larger facility, interior renovations remodeled the first floor into offices, adding a new stair tower to the north side of the building.In 2002, the building was renamed after Federal District Judge&nbsp;Ronald N. Davies. Judge Davies served in the municipal courts in Grand Forks from 1932–40, and was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the U.S. District Court Judge of North Dakota. Most notably, Judge Davies presided over the&nbsp;Stromsodt v. Parke-Davis and Company&nbsp;case in 1966, a case that involved a damage suit against one of the nation's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers.The Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse reflects James Knox Taylor's mannered use of classicism to create an imposing architectural statement of the Federal Government's presence in Grand Forks. The building is a three-story, rectangular, masonry structure of yellow brick and limestone detailing that creates one of the most prominent displays of&nbsp;Beaux-Arts Classicism&nbsp;in the city. Federal Government architects embraced classicism during the early twentieth century as a method of symbolizing democratic ideals of government and power. The distinctive style is exemplified in the building's symmetry, central emphasis, and classical ornamentation. On the facade, the most elaborate decorative features are reserved for the centralized three-bay section. Like the secondary elevations, the facade is composed of three horizontal zones. A rusticated base of alternating bands of limestone and brick courses is differentiated from the smooth limestone walls of the upper stories, which form the middle zone. The upper stories are articulated fenestration framed by colossal&nbsp;Tuscan order&nbsp;pilasters. The third zone is defined by the entablature, including a blank frieze surmounted by a heavy dentil molding, projecting cornice, and balustraded parapet, composed of alternating balusters with raised panels. A large festooned cartouche at the parapet is a crowning feature of the central bay's vertical axis.Refined Beaux-Arts embellishments accentuate the facade's key features. The main entrance is prominently centered and framed by a segmental arch bedecked by a keystone and festooned swags, and banded pilasters, which support an 'audience balcony' above.The interior public spaces are monumental in scale and classical in detail. The first-floor entry lobby, while reduced in size from its original configuration, retains its 16-foot ceiling, featuring a cast-plaster cornice, moldings, soffits, and modillions. Marble adorns the walls and window sills. A central marble staircase with a richly ornamented cast-iron balustrade ascends from the first-floor lobby to the upper floors. The second- and third-floor finishes are generally unchanged from their original condition, consisting of white marble wainscoting and green marble base and trim. Second- and third-floor public corridors have coved ceilings with cast-plaster&nbsp;picture moldings&nbsp;at the spring line.The courtroom - with monumental proportions - represents a dignity apropos of its function as a Federal courthouse. Its coffered, 24-foot ceiling features dentil molding, modillions, and plaster acanthus leaves and buds that grace each coffer's perimeter. The walls are divided by wood wainscoting surmounted by raised plaster panels with molding surrounds. Windows extend upwards from the wainscoting and are partially trimmed on three sides with cast-plaster acanthus leaves matching those on the ceiling. From its earliest period, the courtroom has been carefully preserved. When the judge's bench and jury boxes were relocated from the east to the west wall in 1936, the alterations to the wainscoting, plaster ceiling details, and the wall panels were painstakingly matched to existing 1906 finishes.Because few older buildings in the city's central business district have survived unmodified, the Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse stands as an unusual example of a monumental structure essentially unaltered. As it has for the past century, the building today represents the Federal presence and stands as a visual focus and historic architectural antecedent in downtown Grand Forks."

The Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a historic post office and federal office building located at Grand Forks in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. Also and historically known as U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name. This 1905 building has been remodeled and expanded many times during its over 100 year history. Although suffering damage from the 1997 Red River flood, it survived enough to not have to be demolished. The building is named after Judge Ronald Davies. He was instrumental in 1957 in essentially overriding the decisions by Pulaski County's (Arkansas) Court by nullifying their injunctions and demanding the Little Rock School Board integrate their schools.

Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse

The&nbsp;Telephone Co. Building&nbsp;in&nbsp;Grand Forks,&nbsp;was built in 1904. It was listed on the&nbsp;National Register of Historic Places&nbsp;in 1982. It includes&nbsp;Early Commercial, "Vernacular-Classical Detail", and other architecture.Along with&nbsp;Wright Block, the&nbsp;Clifford Annex, the&nbsp;Dinnie Block, and&nbsp;Golden Square, the Telephone Co. Building was one of many "commercial vernacular brick buildings with classical revival details" that were built during a major building boom, with high quality brickwork.&nbsp;It was built in 1904 by the Northwestern Telephone Exchange Company, which later became&nbsp;Northwestern Bell.&nbsp;This replaced a previous exchange that was located on the fourth floor of an office building, which had some accessibility problems. A 1901 author pointed out that the cable ran into the office from a nearby pole and was unsightly, and that the wiring inside the building was not very orderly either. The building was rather crowded. The company was in the process of buying a lot for the new exchange building.The building was damaged by the 1997 Red River flood but later repaired. Used as a place for businesses&nbsp;today.&nbsp;

Constructed during the "building boom" that took place in Grand Forks during the 1890s and early 1900s, this building was a replacement for a previous telephone company building. Built in 1904, this larger building was able to be more suffiencent in its accessibility and containment of its equipment, since the previous building was too small. Being to small the large telephone pole and wires stuck out in the skyline like a sore thumb. 

Telephone Co. Building (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

The&nbsp;First National Bank&nbsp;is a five story building&nbsp;that was built in 1914–15 and listed on the&nbsp;National Register of Historic Places&nbsp;in 1982. It was built for the Scandinavian-American Bank, but has been identified as the First National Bank building since 1929.When it was founded, the Scandinavian-American Bank had its offices in the Metropolitan Opera House n Grand Forks. The new bank building was constructed in 1914–15 and occupied in 1915. When the bank later obtained a charter as a&nbsp;national bank, it took the name Northwestern National Bank. In 1929, it merged with the First National Bank, and the combined bank located in this building.&nbsp;First National Bank failed in 1933, during the&nbsp;Great Depression, but was replaced by a new First National Bank entity that later became&nbsp;Alerus Financial&nbsp;in 2000.The building is located on a corner lot, approximately 90 by 100&nbsp;ft in size, at the intersection of DeMers Avenue and North Fourth Street. It is considered an excellent example&nbsp;of the use of&nbsp;Classical Revival architecture&nbsp;in the context of a large commercial building.&nbsp;The two sides that face the street have two-part&nbsp;facades&nbsp;in which the lower two stories are fronted by rusticated&nbsp;ashlar&nbsp;piers built on top of polished&nbsp;granite&nbsp;blocks and the three upper stories are faced with red&nbsp;brick. The top of the building is decorated with a stone&nbsp;cornice.The property was included in a 1981 study of the historical resources of&nbsp;downtown Grand Forks.&nbsp;It was damaged by flooding and fire in the&nbsp;1997 Red River Flood; it is the only building on the block that was not demolished as a result of flooding and fire

Originally home to the Scandinavian-American Bank, this 1915 structure was one of the largest in Grand Forks at the time. Over 2 decades later the building changed hands to the First National Bank and was still connected with that bank until 2000. Now it is home to Alerus Financial. During the 1997 Red River flood, this building was almost destroyed by the waters and subsequent fire. However, it was one of a handful not selected for demolition (and the only one in its block). From the outside is appears the same as it did when first constructed. 

First National Bank (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

The&nbsp;New Hampshire Apartments&nbsp;in&nbsp;Grand Forks, North Dakota&nbsp;were listed on the&nbsp;National Register of Historic Places&nbsp;in 1982. They were built in 1904 at a cost of $26,000 and were significant as a building designed by architect&nbsp;Joseph Bell DeRemer. The apartments were an example of commercial&nbsp;vernacular architecture, and the building was the first in Grand Forks to have a planned second-story-level walkway to another building (the Security Building).&nbsp;When listed on the National Register, the apartment complex was one of few remaining downtown structures designed by DeRemer with classical details.&nbsp;It was built by the&nbsp;Dinnie Brothers, a construction firm that was established in 1881 and was at one time responsible for the building of more than 60 percent of the commercial buildings in Grand Forks When the large amount of snow melted due to high temperatures during April and May 1997, the Red River, that ran through Grand Forks, flooded over,&nbsp;devastating&nbsp;most of the city. The flood washed into the apartments and the following fire finished off the destruction of the apartments.&nbsp; *Any older photos of the apartments, or of what remained following the 1997 flood, should be added to this page.*

On this spot once stood the New Hampshire Apartments, a complex destroyed by the 1997 Red River Flood and subsequent fire. Designed by New Jersey architect, Joseph Bell DeRemer and constructed by the Canadian Dinnie Brothers, who owned a businesses in Grand Forks. Opened in 1904, the complex was used until its demise in 1997. A marker sits where the apartments once stood. 

New Hampshire Apartments

The Metropolitan Opera House was built in 1890 by the Grand Forks Opera Company on land donated by&nbsp;James J. Hill&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Great Northern Railway&nbsp;at a cost of $91,000.&nbsp;Though the term "Metropolitan" may have been an overstatement for a community that, at the time, had just 5,000 citizens, those behind construction of the building were looking to the city's future growth. The building required two mortgages to complete and struggled to stay in the Black after opening. Nonetheless, it was able to provide citizens 50 years of opera and theatre.By the 1940s, opera had fallen in popularity due to new forms of entertainment such as film. The Met was no exception and the curtain fell for the last time. Over the next 50 years, the building was home to a variety of businesses. During this period, the 1890s interior was gutted and replaced by bars and bowling alleys.Badly damaged during the&nbsp;1997 Red River Flood, the building sat empty for several years and came close to meeting the&nbsp;wrecking ball. However, the former opera house was saved by the Historic Preservation Commission. The exterior has since been restored to its 1890s appearance, while the interior has been converted to high-end apartments with space for businesses on the first floor. In 2015, Rhombus Guys Brewing Company opened on the first floor.The building was designed by prominent&nbsp;Minneapolis&nbsp;architect&nbsp;Warren B. Dunnell&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Richardsonian Romanesque&nbsp;style.&nbsp;It went through an extensive renovation/restoration by&nbsp;JLG Architects&nbsp;in 2005 and 2006.

The Metropolitan Opera House (or The Met) is located in the downtown area of Grand Forks. The building, constructed in 1890, faces the Red River of the North and sits between the BNSF Railway tracks and a parking structure. At one time, the Opera House was considered the best opera house between Minneapolis and Seattle. Today, the building has been converted into an apartment building called the Opera House Lofts

Metropolitan Opera House (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

The Viets Hotel&nbsp;was an 1876&nbsp;vernacular&nbsp;Greek Revival&nbsp;building in&nbsp;Grand Forks, North Dakota. In proceeding years it had been the&nbsp;Richardson House&nbsp;(by 1884), a subdivided residence (by 1896), the&nbsp;Hall Hotel&nbsp;(from around 1906 until at least 1938),&nbsp;Hotel Apartments&nbsp;(1940),&nbsp;Hall Apartments&nbsp;(1942–88), and&nbsp;Bachellor Apartments&nbsp;(1989–97). At times when extra rooms were needed for visitors, a building at 317 S. 3rd St. was used as overflow.&nbsp; Following six snow storms and then high temperatures soon afterwards, the Red River flooded over in 1997, the worst flooding to happen in Grand Forks since 1826. Flooding affected northern and eastern&nbsp;North Dakota, parts of Minnesota and the Canadian&nbsp;provinces&nbsp;of Saskatchewan&nbsp;and Manitoba. To make matters worse, a fire then hit the city,&nbsp;destroying buildings, both those affected by the flooding and those left untouched by the flood.&nbsp;Sitting next to the Red River, the already neglected Viets Hotel was filled with mud, water and trash. Not wanting to repair the building, the city decided to demolish the building and a dike replaced it.&nbsp; *If any older&nbsp;photos of the hotel can be found, they should be downloaded to this page*

On this spot where a dike now stands, the old Viets Hotel was located here when it was first completed in 1876. The hotel was Grand Forks's oldest retail establishment until its destruction in the 1997 Red River Flood. The hotel over the 120 years of its existence was also known by many other names, such as the Richardson House, Hall Hotel and Hall Apartments, to name a few. Known for its vernacular Greek Revival architecture, the hotel would suffer in types of neglect before its destruction. 

Viets Hotel

In
1882, the year of Charles Thurber’s lynching, North Dakota had not yet gained
statehood; rather, it was part of the Dakota Territory. Grand Forks had only
been founded a little over ten years before the murder, but the “Great Dakota
Boom” was in full effect by the year 1882.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>&nbsp;As a marker of its growth, the Red River Valley Railroad Company built the railroad
bridge&nbsp;that spanned&nbsp;from East Grand Forks, Minnesota into Grand Forks, Dakota
Territory in 1879; that same year, the Manitoba Railway Company under the
direction of James J. Hill bought the company and the newly constructed bridge.
With a bridge spanning the Red River, goods could now be easily transported
across territorial lines, thus bringing a sense of “civilization” to the town.[2]&nbsp;By 1880, two years before, the population of
Grand Forks reached 1,705 individuals, but of this number, only two were
African American; five years later, the population of African Americans rose
over fifty inhabitants due to the massive amount of migrating individuals into
the territory.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a> While Grand Forks was relatively new,
the city had an established police force and the surrounding county had a
sheriff’s department with numerous deputies. The murder of Charles Thurber by
the hands of a mob shows the impact that racial differences had on the
residents of Grand Forks in 1882 in terms of dispensing vigilante justice.

On
October 23, 1882, Charles Thurber was arrested in East Grand Forks, Minnesota
for allegedly sexually assaulting two women eight miles west of&nbsp;Norton (now Buxton)- a town itself located
about thirty miles south of Grand Forks, ND. Since the crime occurred in the
Dakota Territories, Thurber was returned back to Grand Forks law enforcement
and placed in the city jail, which was located in the newly constructed city
hall, located downtown. After hearing about the alleged assaults of the African
American Thurber on two white women, many individuals in Grand Forks became
outraged, concluding that vigilante justice should be served and Thurber should
be lynched. After a failed attempt at storming the jail and releasing Thurber,
the crowd dispersed until the next day. Around 2:30 in the afternoon on October
24, 1882, after being taken out of city hall surrounded by numerous law
enforcement officials who were protecting Thurber, a crowd began to gather and
follow the procession towards the Grand Forks County courthouse at 124 S 4th
Street. Soon after the declaration that the hearing would have to be delayed
due to the judge presiding over the case not being prepared, the mob that had
gathered stormed up the back stairs of the courthouse. A melee occurred, and
the mob released Thurber from his jail cell, and threw a noose around his neck.
The crowd drug Thurber through the city, eventually bringing him to the St.
Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba railroad bridge that spanned the Red River
between Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. At 4:04 PM, Thurber was shoved off
the side of the bridge with a rope around his neck, and hung there until his
official time of death at 4:30. The next day, Charles Thurber was buried in an
unmarked grave in the Potter’s Field Section of Memorial Park Cemetery in a
plain coffin.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4]</a> After a day of discussion on whether or
not leaders in the mob would be indicted, there was a decision made by
officials that nobody would be arrested for Thurber’s death.A similar incident occurred later in that week which suggests that Thurber's race had on impact on the mob's decision to murder him. A Canadian doctor named Andrew Elliot was accused on October 28, 1882 of exposing himself to a young girl in Grand Forks. Similar to Thurber, Elliot was apprehended by authorities, but a mob seized him from the jail, forced him to confess to the crime, and ultimately tarred and feathered his nearly naked body before they forced him to leave the town. Although the crimes that Thurber and Elliot were punished for were similar, only one of them ended in the death of the individual. To the mob, a few ideas were clear:&nbsp;both men deserved to be punished for the crimes they committed; the existing justice system would not provide the "correct" form of justice, whatever that may be; and finally, that&nbsp;Thurber, being Black, deserved to die while Elliot would be allowed to stay alive, although badly injured.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[5]&nbsp;</a>

The
phenomenon of lynching was widespread during the late nineteenth century and
early twentieth century, and recent data sets on the phenomenon found there to
be over 5,000 occurrences between 1684 and 1983.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[6]</a> Referring to themselves as a form of
“vigilante justice,” mobs of people came together in an attempt to enact their
will upon individuals who they deemed to have committed a crime, whether this
meant in terms of statutes or in terms of disrupting the norm. While vigilantism
could refer to a number of different actions, the most serious was the murder
(or lynching) of an individual who had not been found guilty of a crime in a
court of law; instead, their guilt was decided through a form of mob consensus.
Though most lynchings against African Americans occurred in the southeastern
part of the United States, where people in former Confederate States utilized
vigilante methods in order to bring justice to their communities in the
Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction Era, lynchings also occurred throughout
the United States and its territories, including the murder of Thurber. The death
of Charles Thurber was only the first incident of lynching in North Dakota. Between
1882 and 1931, eleven people died due to mob violence in the state: two Black
individuals (including Thurber), three Native American individuals, and six
white individuals.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[7]&nbsp;</a>

Currently,
there is no marker to designate or memorialize the death of Charles Thurber at
the hands of an angry mob. In the early spring of 1997, students from Grand
Forks Central High School approached the both the Grand Forks City Council and
the city’s Historic Preservation Commission for funds to erect a plaque in
memory of Thurber. When the devastating flood of 1997 hit the region only a
short time afterward, it halted any plans going forward.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[8]</a> In September 2016, the Commission
revisited the proposal and approved the design and placement of a plaque at a
future date.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[8]</a>&nbsp;Individuals who are further interested
in the event can also go to the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special
Collections located within the nearby Chester Fritz Library (located on the
campus of the University of North Dakota) and request a special folder filled
with primary and secondary sources on the lynching of Charles Thurber.

On October 23, 1882, an African American man named Charles Thurber was accused of committing sexual assault in a rural area nearly thirty miles south of Grand Forks, Dakota Territory. He evaded capture by local authorities until that night, when he was then brought to the Grand Forks County jail. The next morning, a mob of white residents from Grand Forks and the surrounding area stormed the building, sprung Thurber from the jail cell, and brought him to the Grand Forks Rail Bridge that spanned the Red River. A little past 4:00 PM October 24, 1882, the mob wrapped a noose around Thurber's neck, attached to the bridge, and pushed him off. No individuals were indicted in the murder.

1882 Lynching of Charles Thurber

The Red River of the North has flooded repeatedly through the centuries. It is highly prone to spring flooding because of its northward flow, the nearly flat former lake bed of the valley, and ice formation on the river. As spring approaches, the snow melts from south to north in the same direction as the river flow. At times high waters encounter ice on the river and back up, spreading out of the banks. The wide flatness of the terrain, formed from an ancient lake bed, and the low slope of the river also contribute to severe flooding in the region.Serious floods occurred in 1948 and 1950. The&nbsp;1950 flood&nbsp;reached a high of 30&nbsp;ft at Winnipeg and caused the largest evacuation in Canada's history: an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people had to be evacuated. An estimated $606 million CAD (1997) of damage resulted. In the aftermath, the government of Manitoba and the Canadian federal government constructed flood safety measures.The first known records of floods along the Red River were documented in the 1770s. Severe floods have occurred throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, including in 1979.&nbsp;Residents and officials incorrectly assumed that homes that were safe in 1979 would be beyond the reach of a future flood.The Red River forms the border between&nbsp;Minnesota&nbsp;and&nbsp;North Dakota. A few sets of "sister cities" developed along opposite sides of the river.&nbsp;Grand Forks, North Dakota&nbsp;and its counterpart&nbsp;East Grand Forks, Minnesota, were the pair most severely affected by the 1997 flood.&nbsp;Fargo, North Dakota/Moorhead, Minnesota&nbsp;(Fargo-Moorhead) and&nbsp;Wahpeton, North Dakota/Breckenridge, Minnesota&nbsp;also had severe flooding. Much of the flooding accumulated not only because of the rising river levels, but also from overland flooding, as meltwater did not drain away. Temporary dikes were erected along the riverfront and around the edges of towns, but were sometimes overwhelmed.It was difficult for the cities to prepare for such an enormous flood. The&nbsp;National Weather Service&nbsp;(NWS) had forecast that the river would crest at 49 feet,&nbsp;which was its highest level during the 1979 flood.&nbsp;The cities had built dikes to this level, but the river continued to rise past it. Taken by surprise, the NWS did not upgrade its forecast until April 16, the day the river reached 49 feet.The dikes in the low-lying Lincoln Drive neighborhood of Grand Forks were the first to break, doing so early on April 18, as the river kept rising.&nbsp;Other dikes in the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area failed that day and the next, flooding thousands of homes. During this time, Grand Forks mayor Pat Owens ordered the evacuation of more than 50,000 people, much of the population of the city. This was the largest evacuation in the United States since the evacuation of residents in&nbsp;Atlanta, Georgia during the&nbsp;Civil War.Water reached areas more than two miles inland from the Red River, requiring evacuation of all of East Grand Forks and 75% of Grand Forks. School was cancelled in both cities for the remainder of the term, as were classes at the&nbsp;University of North Dakota.&nbsp;All transportation was cut off between the two cities (and for many miles, the two states). East Grand Forks residents were evacuated to nearby&nbsp;Crookston, namely to the&nbsp;University of Minnesota Crookston. Residents of Grand Forks were given mandatory evacuation orders on April 18, and retreated to&nbsp;Grand Forks Air Force Base&nbsp;(residents stayed in airplane hangars, which were supplied with more than 3,000 cots).&nbsp;Many residents also evacuated to motels and homes in outlying communities.The river crested at 54.35 feet on April 21, and the river level did not fall below 49 feet until April 26.&nbsp;Because water drained so slowly out of the most low-lying areas, some homeowners could not visit their damaged properties until May. By May 30, the Red River had receded below flood stages everywhere in North Dakota.There was some sense of imminent threat in Grand Forks, but the cities could not prepare for such an enormous flood. The&nbsp;National Weather Service&nbsp;(NWS) had a long-standing forecast for the river to crest at 49&nbsp;feet,&nbsp;which was the river's highest level during the 1979 flood.&nbsp;The cities had been able to get their dikes to this level, but the river continued to rise past it, to the astonishment of the NWS (which did not upgrade its forecast until April 16, the day the river actually reached 49&nbsp;feet).The dikes in the low-lying Lincoln Drive neighborhood of Grand Forks were the first to break, doing so early on April 18.&nbsp;Other dikes over the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area would fail that day and the next, flooding thousands of homes.When the dikes in Grand Forks could not keep out the flooding river, Pat Owens ordered the evacuation of over 50,000 people on April 18, which up to that time, had been the largest civilian evacuation in the United States since the evacuation of residents in&nbsp;Atlanta, Georgia during the&nbsp;Civil War.&nbsp;She later reflected on the decision saying, "...if I evacuate this city and nothing happens they're gonna impeach me. But if I don't, we're going to lose lives."&nbsp;Because all transportation was cut off between the two cities (and for many miles, the two states), East Grand Forks residents were evacuated to nearby&nbsp;Crookston, namely to the&nbsp;University of Minnesota Crookston, while residents of Grand Forks, who were given mandatory evacuation orders on April 18, went to&nbsp;Grand Forks Air Force Base.With the assistance of the National Guard and Air Force personnel, several hundred patients were evacuated from local hospitals with no injuries or loss of life during the evacuation process.&nbsp;Many residents also evacuated to motels and homes in neighboring communities. Some residents of Grand Forks criticized the National Weather Service for its incorrect prediction of the river level, as it had prevented them from securing their possessions from their homes. One resident said: "If they'd said earlier the river would hit 52 feet (16&nbsp;m), I would have moved my stuff out of my house. At 49, it was safe."The flood made national news. The most familiar footage is possibly of the fire that started on April 19 in downtown Grand Forks, surrounded by floodwaters, where eleven buildings and sixty apartments were destroyed.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald&nbsp;building was totally destroyed in the fire, along with 120 years of archives.&nbsp;Firefighters were not able to begin extinguishing the fire immediately as they had to evacuate nearly forty people in one of the nearby apartment complexes who had defied the evacuation order.&nbsp;Additionally, their tankers were unable to reach the buildings due to the height of the floodwater and the water pressure from the hoses and fire hydrants was too weak to extinguish the flames.&nbsp;The National Guard placed the fire trucks on several tractor-trailers to prevent them from flooding, which allowed the firefighters to assist in extinguishing the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, two aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks from the Grand Forks International Airport were brought in to fight the fire because their engines were higher up off the ground, and thus did not get clogged by the flood waters.&nbsp;&nbsp;The firefighters received assistance several hours after the fire started by a fire-bombing plane that dropped&nbsp;retardant&nbsp;and helicopters who made sixty drops totaling 120,000 gallons of water.&nbsp;Three of the firefighters were treated for hypothermia after treading through the cold temperatures of the flood water.&nbsp;The fire was later determined to have been caused by an electrical problem that had resulted from the large amounts of floodwater. The national attention of both flood and fire reached&nbsp;Joan Kroc, the McDonald's heiress, who anonymously (her anonymity was later revealed to the public by the&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald) donated $15,000,000 to be divided into $2,000 portions for each damaged household (though the amount some homeowners received was less due to the huge number of devastated homes; in all 7,500 households received funds).&nbsp;Additionally, another single anonymous donor gave $5 million which was distributed in $1,000 allotments.&nbsp;In November 1997, North Dakota Governor&nbsp;Ed Schafer&nbsp;reported that victims had been assisted by 50,000 relief agency volunteers who had served more than 2 million meals.&nbsp;Additionally, the communities received clothing and supplies that were donated from every U.S. state.&nbsp;&nbsp;During a concert in&nbsp;Fargo, the rock group&nbsp;KISS&nbsp;donated the money from sales of a special T-shirt to the Fargo and Grand Forks areas to assist in flood relief.All told, there was $3.5 billion USD in damages to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, making it the eighth most expensive natural disaster in the U.S. since 1903.&nbsp;Across North Dakota and Minnesota, there were 4,500,000 acres&nbsp;of land covered in water.&nbsp;Thousands of people were relocated after the disaster. In May 1997, the Red Cross conducted a damage assessment of 8,000 North Dakota homes.&nbsp;The report indicated that 519 homes, 53 mobile homes, and 73 apartments had been destroyed by flood waters while 701 homes, 69 mobile homes, and 175 apartments sustained major damage.&nbsp;Inspectors reported that 5,959 homes, 166 mobile homes, and 497 apartments received minor damage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Over 5,200 businesses had been destroyed, damaged, or somehow affected by the winter and spring blizzards and the flood.&nbsp;In Grand Forks alone, 75% of the homes, 315 businesses, and 16 of 22 local schools had been flooded.&nbsp;East Grand Forks had over 500 condemned homes, with only eight homes not damaged by the flood.&nbsp;Grand Forks, losing only 3% of its population from 1997 to 2000, did not fare as badly as its sister city, which lost nearly 17% of its residents. Not a single person was killed in the flood itself.On April 22,&nbsp;President&nbsp;Bill Clinton&nbsp;flew over Grand Forks surveying the flooded cities. He then visited the thousands of refugees at the nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base and commented on the community's spirit, stating "Water cannot wash that away. Fire cannot burn that away. And blizzards cannot freeze that away."&nbsp;President Clinton also declared that the&nbsp;Federal Emergency Management Agency&nbsp;would compensate 100 percent of the cost of emergency work, instead of the normal 75 percent.&nbsp;He also requested that Congress approve $488 million for various counties within North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota for short and long-term reconstruction efforts. In June,&nbsp;Canadian Prime Minister&nbsp;Jean Chrétien&nbsp;and President Clinton appointed the International Red River Basin Task Force containing members of both countries. The task force's purpose was to find ways to improve flood forecasting.North Dakota and Minnesota leaders initially asked the federal government for $100 million in disaster relief, but increased their projections to $500 million for Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Pat Owens went to Washington D.C. to persuade Congress to provide the funds contained in a $5.5 billion relief bill.&nbsp;&nbsp;Although the bill was initially vetoed by President Clinton since he disagreed with additional unrelated legislation being added to the bill, he signed it on June 11.&nbsp;East Grand Forks Mayor Lynn Stauss, reflected on the government assistance to the city, saying: "This community could not have survived without the help of the state and federal government."Grand Forks received $171 million from the federal program, Community Development Block Grants, which was used for 198 projects within the city.&nbsp;One city worker estimated that 10–15% of the funds went to developing downtown Grand Forks, while the remainder of the grants were distributed to the other projects throughout the city.After the flood reached unexpected levels, Senator&nbsp;Kent Conrad&nbsp;wrote in a letter on April 30 that he was "very concerned about the capability of the National Weather Service to accurately and in a timely manner predict river levels on the Red River in North Dakota."&nbsp;Earl Pomeroy told the&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald&nbsp;that "the inability to get realistic flood numbers certainly hindered the communities' ability to prepare."&nbsp;Although the Grand Forks Corps of Engineers was also criticized for their efforts, they revealed that for the last ten years before the flood, the engineers had tried to convince citizens to approve the construction of a more extensive flood protection system.&nbsp;Additionally, the head of the river-forecasting for the weather service of North Dakota and Minnesota attributed the rise of the Red River moving faster and higher than previously expected due to the sandbag levees that residents built to protect their homes, as it narrowed the channel of the river.The 5-foot discrepancy between the actual crest and that which the NWS had predicted led to widespread anger among locals, especially since the citizens of both cities reached and even slightly surpassed the NWS's level of protection through weeks of hard work. Lynn Staus, the mayor of East Grand Forks initially complained on the NWS's predictions, "They missed it, and they not only missed it, they blew it big."&nbsp;He later commented again, saying "I am not trying to blame the weather bureau. [But] we live day by day by those predictions, and many of our people did not go out and buy flood insurance."&nbsp;Anger over the predictions was most famously expressed by a local resident's devastated home having the words "49&nbsp;feet my ass" smeared on the exterior.Over 20,000 volunteers went to Grand Forks to assist in recovery efforts.&nbsp;The Red Cross dispersed over 25,000 clean-up kits (containing bleach, cleaning materials, goggles, and other equipment) funded by the State Department of Health that owners used to clean their flood-damaged property and possessions.&nbsp;Since many possessions and appliances were contaminated by flood water,&nbsp;sewage,&nbsp;mold, and&nbsp;mildew, residents were told by city officials to paint the word "Flood" or make some other mark to prevent&nbsp;looting.&nbsp;Over 60,000 tons of flood debris was hauled to local landfills.Grand Forks' daily newspaper, the&nbsp;Grand Forks Herald, continued to publish papers throughout the flood despite having its printing facilities destroyed. Newspapers were printed in&nbsp;St. Paul, Minnesota&nbsp;and flown on a charter plane to Grand Forks for deliveries.&nbsp;For their efforts, the staff of the&nbsp;Herald&nbsp;was awarded the&nbsp;Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.Several local schools were destroyed, prompting the construction of replacements. Because construction was not finished on most of these schools until the end of 1998, hundreds of students spent a year and a half of school in temporary locations ranging from churches to&nbsp;FEMA-constructed temporary metal buildings,&nbsp;known by locals as "tin bins." Numerous city buildings were also damaged, especially in East Grand Forks, where the flood-ravaged downtown area had been home to the city hall and the public library. Both have since been replaced by new buildings,&nbsp;though not before spending a few years housed in a former elementary school and an ice rink's warming house, respectively.Both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks had to decide whether to develop the land along the river. The president of the East Grand Forks planning-and-zoning commission commented on the idea of development, "The river had been our friend for all these years. It had been like an old dog, sleeping comfortably at our feet, and then one day it jumped up and bit us. We had to decide: Do we put it to sleep or try to make amends?"&nbsp;What were once entire neighborhoods are now covered by grass and trees, part of an extensive area of parkland called the&nbsp;Greater Grand Forks Greenway.&nbsp;In East Grand Forks, this transformation is especially visible. One former neighborhood is now a large campground, the center of what is now known as the&nbsp;Red River State Recreation Area.&nbsp;The cities of today are significantly different from their pre-flood state, but many residents are pleased with this, seeing it as fulfillment of President Bill Clinton's promise that the cities would "rebuild stronger and better than ever."&nbsp;Population estimates by the Census Bureau and by the city of Grand Forks itself now show a growing community.The National Weather Service has since revised their method of forecasting spring floods. Increased technology and funding has allowed for the mapping of the entire Red River bottom, more flood monitoring gauges, and up-to-date satellite images of the river at various flood stages.The area continues to experience flooding as another major flood occurred April 2006.&nbsp;However, the Red River did not go near the level of the 1997 flood and only caused minor damage, primarily in rural areas, including water over roads and bridges. The lack of damage done to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks in particular can largely be attributed to the aforementioned improved dikes and Greenway zone.New dikes have been constructed in Fargo, Grand Forks, and East Grand Forks. Fargo initially had three different plans to choose for developing a dike, and construction of the dike was funded with $10.5 million it received from FEMA and $5.5 million from state funds.&nbsp;For Greater Grand Forks, the system of levees and new "invisible floodwalls" was completed in 2007, having cost several hundred million USD. The areas bordering both sides of the rivers has been converted into a giant park called the&nbsp;Greater Grand Forks Greenway.Since the flood, Grand Forks' recovery has been used as a model by other communities which have suffered from natural disasters. After&nbsp;Hurricane Katrina&nbsp;hit several U.S. states in 2005, Grand Forks adopted the city of&nbsp;Biloxi, Mississippi. Current Grand Forks mayor&nbsp;Michael Brown&nbsp;stated that it was important "to utilize the experience from those people who went through those disasters, like our fire chief, police chief and public works directors. So we went to Biloxi and said, 'This is what we have learned.'"&nbsp;Grand Forks leaders met with Biloxi city officials, and sent a list of contacts and a 24-page booklet that detailed how to coordinate volunteer agencies and how to interact with FEMA.&nbsp;One Biloxi city official stated that Grand Forks had "just helped us to understand what we were looking at, and gave us some direction to go in, which was really needed, with the rebuilding and the recovering."By 2007, the population of Grand Forks had resumed the same levels as before the flood.&nbsp;East Grand Forks mayor Lynn Stauss stated "We like to call ourselves the poster child of flood recovery because we think we showed how different governments working together could make it happen.<div> </div>

Following six snow storms and blizzards hitting this part of the country throughout the 1996-1997 winter, then followed up with extreme high temperatures in April and May of 1997, the Red River flooded, cresting up to over 54 feet in height, and devastated a few miles inland of the city. This 100-year flood cost millions in damage and destroyed most of Grand Forks's historic structures that were located near the river. Dikes and flood walls were soon established in preparation for future flooding, some constructed where the city's oldest buildings once stood. The flood and subsequent fire not only affected Grand Forks, but also northern and eastern North Dakota, some of western Minnesota, and lower halves of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.    

1997 Red River flood hits Grand Forks

The Old Diamond Milling Company played an essential role in the early history of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The company was established in 1881 by a group of investors from Minneapolis, who recognized the potential for flour milling in the region. The mill was built on the banks of the Red River of the North, which provided a reliable source of water to power the machinery. The building itself was constructed of brick, stone, and iron, making it one of the most modern and efficient mills of its time. The company's success was due to a combination of factors, including its proximity to wheat-growing regions, the availability of waterpower, and the high quality of its products. The company was also known for the invention of Cream of Wheat which is a national phenomenon around the world today. In 1893, Tom Amidon had the idea of creating a new wheat cereal product while attending the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He experimented with different wheat varieties, trying to find a way to create a smooth, easily digestible cereal. He eventually found that by milling wheat semolina to a fine consistency and then cooking it, he could create a creamy, porridge-like consistency. Amidon named the product "Cream of Wheat" and began selling it to local grocers. Initially, Cream of Wheat was primarily marketed as a health food, emphasizing its ease of digestion and high nutritional value. However, it soon gained popularity as a convenient and tasty breakfast food.In 1897, the company was purchased by the Diamond Milling Company, which began aggressively marketing the product across the country. By the early 1900s, Cream of Wheat had become one of the most popular hot cereals in the United States. Over the years, Cream of Wheat has been marketed in a variety of ways, featuring different slogans and images on its packaging. One of the most enduring elements of its branding has been the iconic image of "Rastus," a smiling African American chef who was used in Cream of Wheat advertisements for many years. In recent decades, however, the company has shifted away from this imagery, recognizing that it is offensive and racially insensitive.The flour produced by the mill was known for its purity and strength and was sold throughout the country. Despite its success, the Old Diamond Milling Company faced a number of challenges over the years. One of the most significant was the advent of the roller mill, which revolutionized the industry in the early 20th century. The roller mill was more efficient than traditional stone mills and quickly became the preferred method of flour production. In response, the Old Diamond Milling Company began to upgrade its machinery, but it was never able to compete with the larger mills that dominated the industry.The Old Diamond Milling Company operated until the 1930’s when it was forced to close due to declining demand for its products. The building was sold to a local grain elevator company and was used for storage until it was demolished in the 1960’s. Today, little remains of the Old Diamond Milling Company except for a historical marker located near the site of the original mill.

The Old Diamond Milling Company was an integral part of the agricultural industry in Grand Forks, North Dakota from the late 1800’s to the mid-1900’s. Founded in 1881, the mill processed wheat into flour and was a significant contributor to the local economy. The mill was also the place that invented Cream of Wheat that is widely used today. Its strategic location along the Red River and the Northern Pacific Railroad made it a crucial player in the regional flour milling industry.

Old Diamond Milling Company

Edwin “Whitey” Larson opened the Coney Island Lunchroom in 1925 at 108 Second Avenue North in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Across the border, North Dakota state Prohibition, which began on July 1, 1890, had been effective for over thirty years and caused several saloons and bars located along the state border to relocate and continue operations in Minnesota alongside Larson’s business. Several border cities benefitted from the strategic business relocations, including Hallock, Oslo, Warren, and East Grand Forks, which hosted the immediate relocation of fourteen saloons after North Dakota’s simultaneous union admission and Prohibition. From 1880 to 1915, East Grand Forks received a majority of its revenues from three disreputable industries: gambling, liquor, and prostitution. Larson’s Coney Island Lunchroom was one of over forty saloons and gambling establishments in downtown East Grand Forks, a statistic that would draw attention from international newspapers and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Despite Minnesota ratifying the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919 and officially enforcing national Prohibition on January 17, 1920, Larson continued outlawed operations to earn lucrative profits from illicit sales throughout the Prohibition Era.The Coney Island Lunchroom became Whitey’s Wonderbar in 1932. Larson commissioned Samuel DeRemer, a local architect, to redesign the building in the art deco style of the times and to construct the first stainless steel horseshoe bar in the United States. Not only did Whitey’s Wonderbar visually embody the architectural trends of the Prohibition Era, but it also offered the reprehensible cultural pastimes, such as gambling, slot machines, or various card games, to the local populace. A kitchen fire forced Larson to rebuild as Whitey’s Café and Lounge a decade later, and the shutdown of the gambling industry in 1947 dealt a significant blow to Larson’s traditional operations. Upon such events, Larson concentrated on the culinary operations of his business and developed a strong reputation as a local restaurant with unique architecture, excellent customer service, and sensational dishes.Greg Stennes purchased Whitey’s Café and Lounge in 1973 and continued operations from 108 DeMers Avenue until the 1997 Red River Flood hit East Grand Forks. The Red River of the North forms the boundary between Minnesota and North Dakota, and separates several border cities in each state, such as Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. During the catastrophic natural disaster, the Red River crested just over fifty-four feet in April 1997 and slowly receded over the next month. Several properties in downtown East Grand Forks and Grand Forks were damaged in the flood, but subsequent fires completely destroyed buildings. Stennes relocated Whitey’s and its art deco architecture, including the original horseshoe bar, up the block to 121 DeMers Avenue during the city recovery and resumed operations until selling his business to a local investment group in 2010. In 2011, new owner Tim Bjerk completed a cosmetic remodel of the space, preserving the original stainless steel horseshoe bar from the Prohibition Era, and reopened 121 DeMers Avenue as Sickies Garage Burgers and Brews.Despite ending its operations permanently in 2010, the property in which Whitey’s Café and Lounge was located in is still in use today. Food Network television personality Molly Yeh purchased 121 DeMers Avenue in 2022 and opened a new combination bakery, café, and marketplace called Bernie’s. Yeh’s show, aptly titled Girl Meets Farm, chronicles how the Manhattanite-turned-farmwife combines her upscale, ethnically diverse dishes with traditional Midwestern cuisine to create new recipes for the amateur chef at home. In a similar fashion, Bernie’s offers customers familiar favorites, such as traditional Scandinavian fare or beverages from local breweries, with unique twists inspired by Yeh’s culinary experience on the East Coast and her urban upbringing. The space still utilizes the original horseshoe bar as a takeout counter, and seats over two hundred guests in areas inside and on the western patio. Yeh envisions Bernie’s to be a place for customers to “slow down and enjoy time with the people that they’re with, and really love the food."[1] Although the new eatery is a marked departure from the Prohibition-Era business first established by Edwin “Whitey” Larson, Bernie’s represents the long-standing tradition of the Midwestern communities supporting their local small businesses, as well as the aspirations of East Grand Forks for prosperity in the future.

Whitey’s Café and Lounge served food, drinks, and entertainment to the local East Grand Forks community for over eighty years. The restaurant and bar survived Prohibition, several local floods, and multiple changes in ownership for nearly nine decades, but permanently closed its doors in 2010. The building is currently home to a new local restaurant, but distinct architectural pieces from the Art Deco movement, including the original stainless steel horseshoe bar, remains a focal point of the property. Serving as a visual reminder of the city’s foundation and its scandalous economic successes, as well as its resilience against adversity, Whitey’s Café and Lounge represents both the history of East Grand Forks and the possibility of its future.

Downtown Grand Forks Expanded Walking Tour

Odd Fellows Building (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information