In 1910, the city saw the completion of a new hospital, the completion of the initial portions of a city sewer system, a major extension of the drinking water mains and the opening of the city's first park. The Northern Pacific also added hundreds of miles of track as its southern branch was completed into the communities of Flasher, Elgin, New Leipzig and Mott.
The NP Railway east freighthouse, filled to capacity with flammable materials, was destroyed by fire on March 8. Despite efforts by Chief Dave Taylor and his volunteer firemen, the water pressure was inadequate to contain the fire with three lines. Losses were estimated at $30,000 for the building and its contents. A string of 12 boxcars alongside also caught fire, but were moved and extingiushed. The lumber shed of the Bingenheimer Mercantile were also saved. The Heart River almost overflowed its banks again during the spring thaw, prompting NP to build their new freight house & passenger depot on west Main St. (current the Morton-Mandan Public Library).
Newspaper reports of packs of wild dogs "over run the town ... seen out in the street opposite the Pioneer block ... is a disgraceful scene for travelers arriving by train at the Depot." Ladies of the city asked the City to compel bathers in the Heart River to wear swimsuits as they were shocked at the "frank nudity" they displayed. White Star Livery, owned by E. McAuliff, boasted a new brougham, a coupe and a cabriolet horse carriages from the Twin Cities but it would not be enought to reverse the downward demand resulting from the introduction of the automobile.
The last serious attempt to sub-divide Morton County occurred in October 1910. The Glen Ullin News newpaper championed the cause, proposing to split the county from north to south and promoted it's city as the new county seat. However the citizens of Flasher, supported by its local newspaper the Flasher Hustler, their proposal was to spilt the county on an east-west line making its town as county seat.
1911
The Missouri Slope Fair featured "Lucky Bob" St. Henry with his Curtiss biplane "Sweetheart."
Thousands attended the Fair to witness the demonstration, including passengers arriving on a special train from Bismarck.
A new waterworks pumping plant was installed and associated piping by the G. W. Haggart Co. of Fargo for a bid price of $74,141 ($1.7 million in 2010 dollars).
The year 1911 saw more creameries and more dairy cattle added to Morton County. Through the application of dry farming methods, hundreds of farmers harvested crops that paid well. The city of Mandan with a population near 4,000 continued to prosper.
1914
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Efforts to dam the Heart River started as early as 1908, when the State Reform School (today's Youth Correctional Center) applied to use water to irrigate its land. With support from the Mandan Chautauqua Association and the Russell-Miller Milling Company, a dam was installed on the west side of the city. The 160 foot long steel and concrete dam was larger than originally proposed and included a 90-foot wide spillway.
The cost of the dam was $5671 ($122,000 in 2010 dollars). With $2000 of State funding, the Mandan Commercial Club spearheaded the effort to raise the remaining funds from local sources. Raising the river 7 feet, a reservior between 2.5 to 3 miles long was created behind it.
The dam was completed just in time to control a record river flow of nearly 6500 feet per secton on June 27 resulting from a cloud burst the day before. The prior high river flow was approximately 6100 cubic feet per second in June 1904.
1918
1919
Some information presented on this page is based on the research conducted by Diane Boit on assignment to the Mandan News in her weekly "Those were the Days" columns.
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
