MANDAN Historical Society

Working to Preserve & Promote Mandan's Heritage since 2004

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Area Landmarks

Cary Bldg - Mandan Drug

CCC Camp Chimney

Christ the King Church

Collins Av Civic Bldg

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Great Plains Academy

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Collins Ave Courthouse

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NP "Queen Anne" Depot

Original Passenger Depot

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Biographies A-C

J D Allen

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Margaret Bingenheimer

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James Clark

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Viola Boley Coe

Daniel Collins

Elizabeth Custer

George Custer

Biographies D-L

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Henry Dahners

C E V (Charles) Draper

Esther Davis

Tony Dean

Joseph Devine

Ronald Erhardt

John Forbes

Palma Fristad

Gilbert Furness

Aloysius Galowitsch

Frederic Gerard

Zalmon Gilbert

Charles Grantier

James Hanley Jr

James Hanley Sr

Mary Harris

C Edgar Haupt

Michael Lang

William Langer

Albert Lanterman

William Lanterman

Richard Longfellow

Rolland Lutz

Hiram Lyon

Biographies M-R

George Marback

Gary Miller

Lee Mohr

Margaret Naylor

John Newton

Anton Ness

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George Peoples

Arthur Peterson

Nels Romer

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Walton Russell

Antonie Rybnicek

Ervin Rybnicek

Hynek Rybnicek

Biographies S-Z

Margaret Schaaf

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J O Sullivan

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Edwin A Tostevin Sr

Edwin D Tostevin Jr

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Lee William Mohr (1904-1983)
Courtesy of State Historical Society of ND 10057-B2-F06-01
Lee William Mohr was born in Myles, Iowa on April 17, 1904, the only child to Margaret C. and Detlef C. Mohr. His grandfather Detlef H. Mohr and father had immigrated from Germany to Iowa in 1883 when D.C. was only 8. His grandfather farmed near Davenport and later near Wheatland, IA. But Detlef C. Mohr eventually left the farm to seek his own fortune and started with selling produce.

After his marriage and a period of sharing ownership and operation of a grocery, dry goods and evenutually farm implement dealership in Iowa, D.C. decided to move his wife and son Lee in 1919 to North Dakota.

The family initially settled in to Dickinson but moved to Mandan a couple of years later.  Lee graduated from Mandan High School in 1922.  He continued his education at Penn State, completing a business course there.

When his father opened a J.C. Penny store in Mandan, the younger Mohr returned to work for the company.
 
He stayed with them for fourteen years and worked in J.C. Penny stores in Mandan, Minneapolis, and Peoria, Illinois.

He married Kathleen Harriss from Cooperstown, ND in Grand Island, Nebraska and, soon after, took leave of his employer to travel around Europe.

Courtesy of State Historical Society of ND 10057-B3-F06-03
Courtesy of State Historical Society of ND 10057-B3-F06-02
An amateur photographer to that point in time, Mohr made extensive use of his camera while overseas.  The experience had a profound effect on him, because he returned to Mandan after four months and purchased a photography studio from longtime Mandan photographer Rolland R. Lutz in October 1937.

He would eventually construct a new studio building at 200 3rd Avenue NW and work as a photographer for more than thirty years.  Lee Mohr would eventually construct a new studio building at that same location in 1941.  Constructed of Hebron tile and brick, the studio utilized the ground floor and basement areas, while offices and suites were on the second floor.

200 3rd Ave NW - Mandan
Click to Enlarge
In addition to the portrait work that came with his chosen profession, Mohr made several images of events and locales around the state. He primarily photographed rodeos but also made images of floods caused by Missouri River overflows, trains, train wrecks, construction projects, the Garrison Dam, Fort Abraham Lincoln, the Chateau de Mores, and several familiar sites around Bismarck including the Capitol Building, airport, Mary College (now the University of Mary), and the Lewis and Clark Hotel, among many others.

Lee Mohr served as a President of the North Dakota Photographers Association and was a charter member of the Mandan Rodeo Association.  He was served as President of the Mandan Rotary Club.  He was also master of the Mandan Lodge No. 8 of AF &AM, was a member of El Zagel Shrine, York Rite, Jesters, and the Mandan Elks Lodge.

He retired from the profession in 1969. Mohr died on November 20, 1983 and is interned beside his wife in Mandan's Union Cemetery.

This information was based in part on the ND Visual Artists Archive website authored by Ben Nemenoff.  The Society appreciates its contributions toward this Legacy Program biography.

The MHSoc's museum and office is located at 3827 30th Avenue NW; PO Box 1001; Mandan, ND 58554
Contact us at info@mandanhistory.org


Last Updated 03/28
/23    ©  2007-2023  Mandan Historical Society   All rights reserved