Constructed in 1917 as a food warehouse, the three-story 24,000 sq foot building served as a wholescale food distribution point for western ND cities served by the NP Railway including New Salem, Glen Ullin, Hebron, Richardton, Flasher, Elgin, New Leipzig, Mott, Hazen and Beulah.
The building was constructed at the site of the former Northern Pacific Railroad's first passenger depot on the south side of the intersection of Main Street and Collins Avenue. That wood depot was expanded and converted into NPRR's first freighthouse when the "Queen Anne" style passenger depot opened in November 1882 four blocks west.
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The previous building burned to the ground on March 8, 1910 in a spectacular fire. When the NP Railway decided to rebuild a freighthouse on west Main Street and avoid frequent spring floodwaters, a business group headed by Hiram Lyon, purchased the lot. The site was ideally located for them, adjacent to their lumber, elevator and farm implement sales and service buildings to the west. It also stood across Main Street from Lyon's First National Bank.
The new warehouse would be in the heart of the commercial district with an existing rail spur. The building continued to be in active use by the Missouri Valley Produce Company through World War II and the late 1940s. However as truck transportation industry grew in size and was more flexible in the movement of fresh produce, the importance of rail transportation decreased.
Downtown Aerial Photo Sept 1922 Missouri Valley Produce Warehouse (lower right corner)
It was purchased in 1953 by the John Iverson Company and used as an electrical and lighting supply warehouse and wholesale distributer. They closed their operation in 1992.
Two recent attempts were made to return the building to active use. In 2008, a feasibility study proposed a multi-use facility including a children's museum and a non-profict food cooperative. The most recent in 2010 was as non-profit cooperative for microshops, art gallery and “Pride of Dakota” store. However today it remains empty.
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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
