"Those who are alive receive a mandate from those who are silent forever. They can fulfill their duties only by trying to reconstruct precisely things as they were and by wresting the past from fictions & legends." -Czeslaw Milosz
Welcome
Mandan, a railroad town from the start, our hometown adds to its legacy with more commercial and industrial diversity. You are welcome to explore our website and share in our history.
Operation of our website and online record database, and preservation of relevant artifacts needs more than the time and effort our volunteers provide. Please consider a monetary contribution to the Mandan Historical Society. Donations to our IRS part 501(c) organization may be tax-deductable.
Nearing Completion!
Our New Museum Building
Thanks in large part to the generosity of James and Patricia Tostevin, longtime residents of Mandan and descendants of the former owners of the Mandan Pioneer newspaper, the Mandan Historical Society is constructing a small building on the grounds of the ND State Railroad Museum in northwest Mandan.
The 560 square foot space is designated for the exclusive use of the Society. Preparations have resumed this spring, and remain "on-schedule" for a Memorial Day 2020 Grand Opening.
The museum will be open seasonally (Memorial Day through Labor Day) with operating hours corresponding to those of the Railroad Museum; and by appointment for special events.
The Tostevin's monetary gift was supplemented with donations from current Society board members Bob Barr and Kathye Spilman. And through the time and effort of various members investing "sweat equity" during construction, several enhancements could be included in the project.
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Please consider a monetary donation to assist members in developing and building new displays for our museum space.
"HISTORY MYSTERY" SOLVED
For those of you interested in what conclusions were drawn on the mystery photo associated with the Gipple family which made its way back to Mandan....
After consulting multiple references including Google's online book library, we conclude the photo is that of the very prosperous apple farm belonging to G.W. Gipple near Bentonville, Arkansas. The farm would have been the childhood home to J.H. Gipple, former superintendant of the Ft. Lincoln State Park south of Mandan.
The farm operation was featured in multiple publications, touting its integration of post farm processing including "apple evaporating plant, a box factory, a cider and vineager factory in addition to other support buildings including a worker domitory," machine shop and poultry and pig barns.
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While the city of Mandan is defined by its legal boundaries, the community and historical impact of Mandan knows no limits. Please feel free to express your comments and offer suggestions to our programs, activities and content of our website.
The MHSoc's museum and office is located at 3102 37th St; PO Box 98; Mandan, ND 58554 Contact us at info@mandanhistory.org
