On this day in 1937, uncovered records revealed that William A. Rockefeller, father of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, once lived near Park River, N.D., where he bought and sold land in the late 1880s.

Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:

Exhumation of dusty records reveals a North Dakota chapter in the lives of the Rockefeller family.

Almost forgotten in the near half century, but revived with the death Sunday of John D. Rockefeller at his Ormond Beach home in Florida, is the story of the bizarre William A. Rockefeller, the oil tycoon’s father, who lived in Park River in the ’80s.

Search for records began after Daniel E. Flynn, Bismarck businessman, reported he recalled hearing a story that Rockefeller lived in the Park River vicinity.

Establishing the veracity of his residence in Walsh county is a musty document in the register of deeds’ office in Grafton. It tells the story of William A. Rockefeller buying seven quarter sections of land for $6,000 on June 23, 1886, from P. D. Briggs.

On Oct. 10, 1890 — slightly over four years later — another transfer is recorded. With Rockefeller business sagacity the transfer price had gone to $10,000. Part of the present city of Park River is located on the land.

The story of the Park River Rockefeller dovetails with the Rockefeller life story. The elder Rockefeller was shrouded in mystery. Supposedly he abandoned his family.

Always in funds, he led a sequestered existence, revealing little of his life before coming to North Dakota. He later was known as Dr. William Rockefeller and the deed on the land transfer bore that name.

He sold patent medicine cure-alls, old timers in the Park River area recall. He remained in the Park River district for about four years. In Freeport, Ill., in 1910, well past 90, he died.

Harry O’Brien, publisher of the Walsh County Press at Park River, said C. D. Lord, a pioneer banker and real estate man, still a Park River resident, handled the land transfer in 1889.

Another story, unsubstantiated, is that John D. Rockefeller visited his father on several occasions. He came by private train, the train routed by night into Park River, and few people were aware that he had come into the community.

Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.

DICKINSON — Incumbent North Dakota Public Service Commissioner

Sheri Haugen-Hoffart

is seeking reelection to a six-year term, facing challenger

Deven Styczynski

in the June 9 Republican primary.

A lifelong North Dakota resident of Bismarck, Haugen-Hoffart was appointed to the Public Service Commission in 2022 by then-Gov.

Doug Burgum

after former Commissioner Brian Kroshus resigned to become state tax commissioner. Before joining the commission, she served in leadership roles with Capital Electric Cooperative and Central Power Electric Cooperative, becoming the first woman to chair the board of directors for both organizations.

During an interview with The Dickinson Press, Haugen-Hoffart discussed her candidacy, experience on the commission, utility costs, energy development, landowner concerns and the Public Service Commission’s role in overseeing major infrastructure projects across North Dakota.

1. Why are you running for the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and what qualifies you for the position?

I’m running for re-election to the Public Service Commission because I believe deeply in responsible energy development, strong consumer protections, and fair treatment for landowners. North Dakota’s energy and utility landscape is changing rapidly, and experience matters.

During my time on the Commission, I’ve focused on ensuring that the projects we approve meet the law’s requirements for safety, transparency, and respect for the people who live and work on the land. The Public Service Commission is not a policy-making body — our responsibility is to apply the law as written — and I remain committed to carrying out that duty with fairness and integrity.

Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press

I bring experience that directly supports the work of the Public Service Commission. My background in energy includes ten years on the boards of Capital Electric Cooperative and Central Power Cooperative, where I gained firsthand understanding of the full system — from generation and transmission to distribution. Combined with four years of hands-on regulatory experience at the North Dakota Public Service Commission, this has prepared me to evaluate complex projects, ask tough questions, and make decisions grounded in facts, law, and common sense.

My work with landowners, utilities, and industry leaders has shown me how to support economic growth while staying true to North Dakota’s values. By listening directly to landowners, keeping my boots on the ground to understand how our utility systems operate, and staying engaged with ongoing education and industry innovation, I’ve gained the practical insight needed to make informed, balanced decisions.

2. What do you believe is the biggest issue currently facing the Public Service Commission and North Dakota residents?

The biggest challenge is managing rapid energy infrastructure growth while protecting consumers and landowners. North Dakota is seeing unprecedented interest in pipelines, transmission lines, carbon capture projects, and large-scale energy users like data centers. Each project brings opportunities, but also concerns about safety, land use, and long-term costs.

The PSC must ensure that development is done responsibly, transparently, and with strong protections for the people who bear the impacts. That means rigorous siting reviews, clear communication, and a commitment to keeping utility rates fair.

3. How would you balance energy development with landowner rights, especially regarding pipelines, transmission lines, and carbon capture projects?

The balance starts with a simple principle: landowners deserve respect and transparency. Energy development is important to North Dakota’s economy.

As a commissioner, I have focused on — and will continue to focus on — ensuring landowners receive clear information, requiring companies to meet strict safety and environmental standards, and holding developers accountable for reclamation and long-term impacts, even though the NDPSC has no authority over easements or easement contracts.

Responsible development is possible — but only when landowners are treated as partners, not obstacles.

4. What role should coal, oil, and renewable energy play in North Dakota’s future energy strategy?

North Dakota’s strength is its diverse energy portfolio. Coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and emerging technologies all play important roles.

Coal remains essential for grid reliability and baseload power. With continued innovation, including carbon capture, it can remain a stable part of our energy mix.

Oil and gas drive our economy and support thousands of jobs. Responsible production and pipeline infrastructure are key to keeping the industry strong.

Renewables, especially wind, have become major contributors to our energy output. They bring investment and help diversify revenue for landowners.

Our future depends on maintaining a balanced, all-of-the-above strategy that keeps energy affordable and reliable.

5. Utility rates continue to affect households and businesses. What should the PSC do to keep services affordable while maintaining infrastructure?

Affordability starts with rigorous oversight of utility rate requests. The PSC must ensure that every dollar a utility seeks to recover is justified, necessary, and in the public interest.

Key priorities include scrutinizing utility investments to ensure they are cost-effective, encouraging long-term planning that avoids sudden rate spikes, supporting infrastructure upgrades that improve reliability without unnecessary spending and promoting competition where possible.

North Dakotans deserve reliable service at an affordable price, and the PSC’s job is to hold utilities accountable for delivering both. Because North Dakota has prioritized responsible oversight and long-term energy planning, our state now has the lowest electricity rates in the nation and is one of only a few states where rates have actually decreased over the past five years.

6. What concerns are you hearing most often from rural and western North Dakota residents, and how would you address them as commissioner?

Rural and western North Dakotans raise concerns about pipeline and transmission line routes, road impacts and reclamation, utility reliability, and cost allocation. These issues come forward most clearly during our public hearings, where landowners and community members share their perspectives on proposed projects. As a commissioner, I address these concerns by carefully evaluating the evidence presented in the record, ensuring companies meet their commitments, and weighing how each project affects the people who live and work on the land.

Kelly Harju / The Dickinson Press

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The Public Service Commission does not oversee easements or easement contracts, and we are not policy makers. Our responsibility is to apply the law—nothing more, nothing less. Through the hearing process, we examine routes, impacts, reclamation plans, reliability considerations, and cost allocation to ensure that every decision is grounded in facts, law, and the long-term interests of North Dakota. Rural North Dakota is the backbone of our energy economy, and its residents deserve a fair, transparent process in every siting decision.

7.  What distinguishes you from your opponent(s), and why should voters choose you in this election?

What sets me apart is experience, consistency, and a proven record of fair, fact-based decision-making. The PSC handles complex technical, legal, and economic issues that directly affect North Dakota families and businesses. I’ve demonstrated that I can evaluate these issues carefully, listen to all sides, and make decisions grounded in the law and the long-term interests of the state.

Voters should choose me because I bring steady leadership, deep knowledge of the regulatory process, and a commitment to protecting both consumers and landowners while supporting responsible energy development.

8. As North Dakota sees growing interest in data center development and the energy infrastructure needed to support it, how would you balance economic growth with public concerns?

As interest in data center development grows, it’s important for the public to understand what the Public Service Commission does—and does not—have jurisdiction over. The PSC does not decide where a data center can or cannot be built. Those land-use decisions are made at the local level.

What the Commission does oversee are the energy infrastructure components that may be needed to support a data center: new or high-voltage transmission lines, new or expanded substations, major upgrades to existing utility infrastructure, and changes in utility rates to cover new costs. When these projects come before us, we evaluate them through a public, transparent process that considers safety, environmental impacts, reliability, and cost allocation.

Balancing economic growth with public concerns means applying the law—nothing more, nothing less. At public hearings, we hear directly from landowners, local officials, and community members about routes, impacts, reclamation, and long-term reliability. Those concerns become part of the official record we must consider when making a decision. My role as commissioner is to ensure that any infrastructure tied to data center development meets legal standards, protects the public interest, and reflects the values of North Dakotans.

9.  Should taxpayers or utility customers bear any costs associated with infrastructure upgrades tied to private data center projects? Why or why not?

Private projects should pay for the infrastructure they require. Utility customers should not be responsible for subsidizing upgrades that primarily benefit a single company or industry.

The PSC must ensure that costs are allocated fairly, utilities do not pass private development expenses onto ratepayers and any shared infrastructure investments clearly benefit the broader public.

North Dakotans expect fairness, and that includes making sure private development does not shift its costs onto the rest of the ratepayers.

By:Jeff Beach

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The University of North Dakota is looking to expand its ability to pull minerals needed for electronics by building a refining facility at a coal mine.

University officials are seeking a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a facility at the Falkirk coal mine near Underwood, north of Bismarck.

The project has a total estimated cost of about $100 million, Dan Laudal, executive director and research professor with the UND College of Engineering and Mines said Tuesday during a tour of its pilot extraction facility in Grand Forks.

The tour provided UND the opportunity to show off its work to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

Cramer, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the United States needs to develop domestic sources of the critical minerals needed for electronics and the development of artificial intelligence to compete with China.

Duffey said maintaining a technological advantage is key to national security and the department has a need for high-value critical minerals.

“I’ve got a team of folks that know this industry like the back of their hand, know what’s emerging in terms of capability,” Duffey said. “I’m going to make sure that I go back and tell them what I saw here, and that we’ve got awareness of North Dakota, what North Dakota can offer for the department and the nation.”

UND is operating its rare earth pilot plant in what was a coal-fired power plant that served the city of Grand Forks.

Laudal said it brings in about 10 tons of lignite coal per day from western North Dakota. Critical and rare earth minerals are often found bound to coal.

“Ten tons a day of coal on the back end, we maybe get a few kilograms per week of concentrated product,” Laudal said.

That product is a mix of 17 different critical minerals that could be sold to be further separated into individual minerals and then used in electronics.

Laudal said the pilot plant is about 2% the size of a full-scale commercial operation. The proposed commercial demonstration site at the Falkirk mine would be about 10% the size of a full-scale facility.

The Department of Energy grant would help secure other investment, which likely would include state support.

David Straley of North American Coal was on the tour and said the state’s coal industry is on board.

“Lignite is one of the best possible resources for this type of project,” he said.

Using North Dakota’s existing coal mines cuts the cost of developing critical minerals.

He said the coal that remains after removing critical minerals makes an even better fuel.

If UND obtains the grant, Laudal said it may take 18 to 24 months for design and construction and it could be operating and making money by 2029.

Laudal estimated it would take 20 to 30 workers to operate the facility.

In addition to being successful commercially, he said a goal would be to create a model that could be replicated elsewhere.

Cramer and Duffey will visit Minot on Wednesday. Grand Forks and Minot are both home to Air Force bases.

But Cramer said the critical minerals plant tour was the most important stop of the trip.

“The adversary has a supply chain,” Cramer said of China’s critical mineral development. “At this point, we are in a hurry as a nation, rightfully so, to bring more, more rare earth elements, and everything that’s connected to that, domestically.”