North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library crosses construction milestone • Idaho Capital Sun
![Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library crosses construction milestone • Idaho Capital Sun Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library crosses construction milestone • Idaho Capital Sun](https://idahocapitalsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_1460edit-scaled-1.jpg)
MEDORA, North Dakota – The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will produce its own heat and energy using geothermal sources.
The facility will emit zero carbon emissions, produce zero waste and serve as a catalyst for continued development in North Dakota’s scenic western border region.
And, as of this week, it’s halfway to completion.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will be one of the most sustainable museums in the world upon opening,” said Ed O’Keefe, the library’s CEO.
Donors, lawmakers and other dignitaries gathered Wednesday in Medora to celebrate the milestone of laying of the final steel beam into position, which marked the midpoint in the construction process.
“Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Believe you can and you are halfway there.’ Folks, we are halfway there,” O’Keefe said during an on-site ceremony to more than 100 attendees.
The next goal for construction teams will be to beat the snow and frozen temperatures and enclose the structure by November so interior work can begin.
The library is scheduled to open to the public on July 4, 2026, to commemorate the country’s semiquincentennial.
“It’s going to be one of the 1,000 architectural wonders you need to see before you die,” O’Keefe said. “It’s really going to have a lot of significance for many different audiences.”
North Dakota ‘on a journey to create the best presidential library in the nation’
During the event, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said the beam placement was only the beginning of milestones for the presidential library.
“We’re on a journey to create the best presidential library in the nation,” Burgum said. “There’s 14 others, but this will be the best. This will have the biggest impact on generations to come.”
Burgum, along with first lady Kathryn Burgum and other visiting officials, signed the last steel beam before it was raised into position in what will become The Arena at the Roosevelt library, commemorating one of the 26th president’s famous speeches.
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The governor noted another famous quote from Roosevelt, who said he would not have been president if not for his time in North Dakota.
“All that will come here will draw inspiration from that life that Roosevelt lived, the courageous and bold life, and … they’ll learn about his time that he spent here,” Burgum said.
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said one his favorite parts about the library and its design is how it incorporates itself into the landscape of the Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
“This is so Roosevelt, right?” Cramer said. “So much of construction and development replaces nature with a structure. In this case, they’ve built a structure into nature and that tells the story of Theodore Roosevelt so beautifully and with such integrity.”
Cramer, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., spearheaded an effort to acquire the land and federal funding for the project across three different bills in Congress. One of the bills, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act, would allocate $50 million to the project through the U.S. Department of the Interior and grant access for the library to display some of Roosevelt’s personal items that are housed at various federal agencies. The legislation was introduced in April.
Cramer said he’s hopeful the bill will be added to a continuing resolution to fund the federal government and appropriated by the end of the year. If not, he joked with Hoeven during the event that they may not come home for Christmas. He also added that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is from New York, Roosevelt’s home state.
“As long as he’s not bitter about North Dakota getting the project, he should help us preserve Theodore Roosevelt’s heritage,” Cramer said.
The library’s foundation has raised $320 million of a revised $450 million fundraising goal, O’Keefe said. Fundraisers are hopeful to add the federal $50 million to that total before the end of the year.
Joe Wiegand, a Theodore Roosevelt impersonator who stars in a one-man show in Medora, said he thinks the library will appeal to multiple generations.
“That really is the cornerstone of the Roosevelt experience,” Wiegand said. “It’s a family experience … it’s not just for guys in suits, it’s not just for historians, it’s for the families of this country and the families of the world who will come out and be inspired.”
The North Dakota Monitor, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: [email protected]. Follow North Dakota Monitor on Facebook and X.
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North Dakota
Slight drop in oil, gas production in North Dakota for June
![Slight drop in oil, gas production in North Dakota for June Slight drop in oil, gas production in North Dakota for June](https://gray-kfyr-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EMHBHZ54FNDUBKKV5DNSQQNDUE.jpeg?auth=a1482013b16d6a14e05cfa4d1d8ac2c03578d0e1a158476e9f35d0e0a44a16a5&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) – June was a quiet month for North Dakota’s oil and gas industry.
In the latest Director’s Cut report, Department of Mineral Resources Assistant Director Mark Bohrer said oil production fell 2% to about 1.17 million barrels per day. Gas production saw a 1% drop to about 3.47 billion cubic feet of gas a day.
Bohrer said the drops stem from fewer wells and downtime at some gas plants.
He said it may be difficult to achieve the 1.3 million barrel mark by the end of the year, given the slow movement trends.
“I think it will be a struggle. We’ve had a couple months of down production. Hopefully, the July numbers will turn around and we’ll see a little bit of an uptick, but we’re hopeful,” said Bohrer.
Rig counts in the state have also held steady in the upper thirties.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
ND Highway 67 closed due to emergency culvert repair
![ND Highway 67 closed due to emergency culvert repair ND Highway 67 closed due to emergency culvert repair](https://gray-kfyr-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2F77OMXMMRD53GI2ZQLRE56WII.png?auth=5f2993d9c004707eb869d61318e2f20ff25a6c691a9f933a78cd9c8f9a8dabe0&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
SLOPE AND BOWMAN COUNTIES, N.D. (KFYR) – In southwest North Dakota, ND Highway 67 is closed from the junction of Highway 21 to Scranton, due to an emergency culvert repair.
No through traffic will be allowed due to damage to the roadway from a culvert failure.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol says motorists should use alternate routes via Highway 22 or 85.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
Beam signing marks progress for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
MEDORA, ND — State officials and guests gathered Wednesday at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library construction site for a beam signing ceremony, marking a significant milestone in the project’s four-year campaign toward completion.
The project has raised over $270 million in private donations, surpassing the initial $100 million needed to unlock a $50 million state endowment.
Gov. Doug Burgum, a vocal advocate for the endowment, emphasized that the state controls the $50 million, generating investment earnings. He highlighted that the library is on track for a grand opening on July 4, 2026, coinciding with the nation’s 250th birthday.
Manuel Holguin JR / The Dickinson Press
“This historic milestone that we have today is one of many that we’re going to have as this great project moves forward,” Burgum said during the Wednesday, Aug. 14 ceremony. “We’re on a journey to create the best presidential library in the nation. There are 14 others; this will be the best. This will have the biggest impact on generations to come, and it’s going to be a library worthy of carrying the name of our 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.”
Sen. John Hoeven, who has played a key role in advancing the library’s establishment, attended the ceremony. Hoeven’s efforts include passing legislation that enabled the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) Foundation to purchase U.S. Forest Service land in Billings County. He worked with local and state officials and the Medora Grazing Association to negotiate the land purchase agreement.
Hoeven also secured provisions in the Interior appropriations bill to support the loan of historic artifacts from the Smithsonian for display at the library. He introduced bipartisan legislation to preserve and display materials related to Roosevelt’s life.
Manuel Holguin JR / The Dickinson Press
“This library is a historic project for our state, honoring Teddy Roosevelt and the significant impact North Dakota had on his presidency,” Hoeven said. “Today’s milestone is a welcome step in the library’s construction, and we look forward to seeing this tremendous project come to completion.”
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer also participated in the ceremony.
“It’s hard for me as a former tourism director to exaggerate the impact the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will have,” Cramer said.
Guests toured the site, learning about the construction and status details. They gathered to sign and watch the beam be lifted and hoisted into position in what will be “The Arena” exhibit at the TRPL.
The Dickinson Press
The architecture firm Snøhetta designed the library to integrate seamlessly with the Badlands, reflecting Theodore Roosevelt’s deep connection to the landscape and his legacy of conservation.
Ed O’Keefe, the CEO of the TRPL Foundation, addressed the crowd and thanked all those present. O’Keefe has played a major role in the development and vision of the library.
O’Keefe, a North Dakota native with a rich background in journalism, aims to make the library one of the most sustainable museums globally, targeting zero energy, water, emissions, and waste.
Addressing the crowd, O’Keefe said, “As I look out today, it’s pretty amazing to see all of the people who are responsible for this incredible event. I think Theodore Roosevelt would have really enjoyed today.”
Manuel Holguin JR / The Dickinson Press
LeAnn can be reached by phone at 701-456-1212 or via email at lstasiowski@thedickinsonpress.com
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