Created by the order of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Dakota Territory was formed by all or part of North and South Dakota, Montana and the northern half of Wyoming.
1880
According to US Census reports, the population of Morton County was 198 males and 2 females.
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1881
The Mandan Pioneer weekly newspaper began operation in October. Initially it was owned by F.H. Ertel, previously from Jamestown, and Herbert H. Gove originally from Rochester, Minnesota. Gove would quickly sell his interest in the venture. By 1909, it went into more homes in Morton County than all other publications combined.
1882
In January 1882, The Mandan Pioneer replaced The Mandan Criterion, as the official newspaper of Morton County. The Criterion was published by Harry Robinson who had immigrated from Wisconsin, and continued to operate until at least 1887.
A new Queen Anne style passenger depot was completed in the Fall of 1882 at the cost of $12,000 ($270,000 in 2010 dollars).
The 100-feet long by 32-feet wide building had a brick first floor and was surrounded by an 8-foot platform sheltered by a wood canopy supported by ornate iron pillers. The wood second floor was accented by hipped wall-dormers for the windows. The Western Union office located there would prove office for up to nine telegraph operators on duty 24-hours a day. A cupola with a bell-shaped roof topped the building. This building retained the title of the finest railroad depot west of St. Paul for over a decade.
Mandan experienced it's first major fire on November 29 along Main Street businesses. Mandan had no fire engine , but Mandan's superintendent telegraphed Bismarck's mayor for assistance. Within fifteen minutes, the Bismarck fire brigade was mobilized and hundreds of volunteers rushed to aid it's sister city. In thirty-five minutes, they had crossed the Missouri River by railcar and began dousing the fire with water from the rail car's engines.
When the last flames were squelched, Mandan had lost three hotels, Mack and Drury's restaurant, a hardware store, and a grocery house, totalling $17,000 ($380,000 in 2010 dollars). Mandan's first volunteer fire department was formed in response to the event.
1883
1886
Mandan, now five years old, has a population of nearly 2500. Main Street businesses included ten saloons and boarding houses, six restaurants, four grocery/dry goods stores, three doctors, two pharmacies, a Chinese laundry, a tailor and dressmaker's shop, several livery stables, two banks, four churches, two schoolhouses, a lumberyard, a brickyard, an opera house, a flour mill, a train depot and freight house, a hotel, postoffice, courthouse and jail, a racetrack, two four-page weekly newspapers and an undertaker.
In January 1886, County Treasurer Bingenheimer and County Auditor Van Vleck and Clerk of Court Doyle moved their records into the new courthouse and offices. The two story brick building was located on the hill west of Stark Avenue (which was later renamed Collins Avenue). A sheriff's quarters and jailhouse, located to the west of the new courthouse, was also part of the complex.
After extremely bitter winter temperatures, spring came to the area in late March. The Peoples and Shields stables experienced unusually high demand for buggy rentals for an impromptu Sunday drive, prompted by the mild weather. The work of washing buggies was a leading cottage industry in Mandan during the first part of the year.
1887
1889
The MHSoc's museum and office is located at 411 W Main St, Mandan, ND 58554 Contact us at info@mandanhistory.org or leave message at (701) 751-2983
