North Dakota
These Small Towns in North Dakota Have the Best Historic Districts
North Dakota sits at the crossroads of the continent and, as such, has played an important part in the history of the United States, especially during the settlement of the West. Featuring historic buildings and locations related to westward expansion, mining, and conflicts with Indigenous American tribes, the state boasts an impressive number of sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Many small towns are home to historic districts that are fascinating, relevant, and eclectic. Take a brief tour of small towns in the Peace Garden State and dive into their histories.
Medora
The Custer Military Trail Historic Archeological District contains five historic sites within its 18,000 acres that relate to the Plains Indian War, waged between 1864 and 1876. Located near the scenic town of Medora, the district features campsites of Custer’s 7th Cavalry on its way to the Little Bighorn. Visitors can also take in the Battle of the Badlands historic battlefield and see rocks with initials carved by some of Custer’s men.
While in the area, another historic site can be experienced roughly 35 miles north of Medora. Elkhorn Ranch was established by future President Theodore Roosevelt in 1884. Sitting on the banks of the Little Missouri River, the ranch was considered one of the success stories of post-Little Bighorn ranching in the north-central part of the country. Roosevelt hired two backwoodsmen from Maine to run the ranch, which they did quite well for several years, until the Starvation Winter of 1886-7 decimated the cattle stock. In addition to losing his interest in running a ranch, Roosevelt lost 60% of his herd and only returned to North Dakota a few times afterward.
Noonan
In the extreme northwest corner of the state, Noonan, in Divide County, boasts several historic sites worth a visit. Near the town of Noonan, one can see the Niels Nielsen Fourteen-Side Barn, a nearly round structure built in 1914 using a pre-fab kit purchased from the Chicago House Wrecking Company. On Main Street in Noonan, the Travelers Hotel has welcomed guests since 1910, including such distinguished visitors as railroad executive James Hill and sharpshooter Annie Oakley. The hotel has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010.
Sitting a short drive from Noonan, the Ambrose-Torquay Border Crossing connects Ambrose, North Dakota to Torquay, Saskatchewan, and is one of the relatively few international border crossings between Washington State and the Great Lakes, although Ambrose itself is now just a ghost town.
West Fargo
Bonanzaville must be your first stop in the West Fargo area. The best way to describe this one-stop shop is, if it happened in North Dakota in the past, it is represented here. From exploring life in the region 100 years ago, to the experience of the first settlers of the Red River valley, fans of history and culture will find plenty to keep busy. During Pioneer Days, the community is invited to bring their old tractors and farm machinery to show off.
The Red River Zoo is unlike most zoos you may visit. Their animals are very hands-on. Visitors can interact with many of them and even feed them, so it resembles a petting zoo in that respect. Also, in harmony with the area, the zoo focuses on cold-weather species, so you are sure to see animals not seen in zoos further south, and they are more likely to be active in winter months when other animals are more interested in huddling and hibernating.
Sports fans will want to experience the Roger Maris Museum. A shy and humble man, Maris declined the original offer to build a museum about him, but he later relented and agreed that it should be in his hometown. Although the museum does not keep statistics (strange for a sport obsessed with numbers), it is estimated that yearly visitors number in the millions.
Devil’s Lake
For lovers of all things outdoors, Devil’s Lake outshines the rest. The town serves as the gateway to the massive brackish lake that hosts boating, fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, and tubing. If it can be done on or near water, this gem in the center of the state has it covered. If camping is too rustic for your tastes, the Devil’s Lake area is peppered with finer resorts and lodges. If your idea of nightlife has less to do with sitting around a campfire and more with sitting around a green felt table, there are even casinos in the area.
Golfers will not want to miss out on the Coyotee Flats Golf Center, while Civil War enthusiasts must visit the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery. The half-dozen waterfowl protection areas that surround the lake draw birdwatchers from around the world.
Mandan
Mandan, on the banks of the Missouri River, serves as your base to explore the center of the state, as well as the capital city. Cross the river into Bismarck to visit the Bismarck Cathedral Historic District, home to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Built during the Second World War in the Art Deco style, it remains the seat of the Diocese of Bismarck. The Old Governor’s Mansion still stands in the middle of town, as does the Northern Pacific Railway Depot, which resembles an old Spanish mission of the Southwest. The Towne-Williams House is worth a look, as is the Camp Hancock Site.
A site of great interest to Indigenous American historians is Chief Looking’s Village, located in Pioneer Park. Since the site of the former Mandan settlement has been relatively untouched by archaeologists and vandals, it is of great value to researchers, as is the nearby Menoken Indian Village Site located about 20 miles away.
Cooperstown
Located in Griggs County, Cooperstown is one of the few places where you can tour a Cold War-era nuclear missile silo. The Oscar-Zero Missile Alert Facility is part of the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site and is open to visitors who remember the Cold War and those who would like to know more about it. The Topside Facilities Area includes the original recreational areas for the service men and women, including a lounge, pool tables and ping-pong tables, the old security center, and a visitor center. 50 feet below, visitors can tour the launch control center, which housed the missiles themselves, and the control rooms from where launch commands were issued. It is a somber and sobering reminder of a perilous world.
Hazen
Many culturally and historically important Indigenous American sites are located near Hazen in Mercer County, near the center of the state. Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site in nearby Stanton, contains the remains of three Hidatsa Indian villages that date back to around the year 1600. Visitors can see remains of earthen dwellings some of which were 40 feet across and 14 feet high. This site was immortalized in the travels of Lewis and Clark, as Sacagawea brokered peace between the explorers and Indigenous peoples.
Other nearby sites of Native American historical significance include the Turtle Effigy State Historic Site and the Fort Clark Trading Post Site, which at various times was home to the Mandan and Arikara peoples and later was the location of an American fur trading post.
North Dakota enjoys a rich history and rewards the visitor around every turn. With roots running deep through the history of American architecture, westward expansion, Native American history and culture, and even the recent history of the Cold War, North Dakota deserves more than passing glance. Towns with historic districts are found from one end of North Dakota to the other, so pack your bags and prepare to spend time among the lesser known parts of the state.
FARGO — One season ago, a Cinderella run for the West Fargo United girls hockey team came up just short in the state championship game.
United, the No. 7 seed, fell to Legacy/Bismarck in the 2025 final.
This time around, the team had momentum swaying in its favor, riding nine consecutive wins into Saturday’s title game against Grand Forks at Scheels Arena.
Led by goals from a pair of senior captains, United capped its redemption season with a 10th straight victory, fending off the KnightRiders 2-1 to claim the North Dakota girls hockey state tournament championship.
“It just means everything,” said United’s Payton Stocker, whose goal at the 12:31 mark of the second period gave her team a 1-0 lead. “We’ve worked so hard and throughout the season, it’s just been such a battle. Winning and coming out on top is just such a great feeling.”
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
Stocker was followed up in scoring by United captain Rachel Spanier. The defenseman fired a slap shot from the left point that beat Grand Forks goaltender Kylie Schmaltz to make it 2-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the middle frame.
Reagan Wilson locked things down in net for United, finishing with 23 saves and picking up an all-tournament team nod.
“This is my first year of high school hockey,” the sophomore goaltender said. “I can’t believe coming in here and winning a state title with all of these girls. I just love them so much.”
While it was the senior duo of Stocker and Spanier finding the net for United on Saturday, contributions were seen across the board.
Sophomore Emma Hassler also put forth an all-tournament campaign with five goals and an assist for six points over the three-day stretch.
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
Freshman Kaylee Augdahl finished the tournament with four points — including
a double-overtime winner
over Fargo North/South in Friday’s semifinals — and junior Liana Williamson added three assists.
“It wasn’t just us (seniors),” said Stocker, who joined Hassler and Wilson on the all-tourney team. “It was everyone collectively. Being seniors, it feels a lot better. It was a great feeling.”
United, the No. 5 seed this year, capped its season with a record of 17-9-0.
“These girls are awesome,” first-year United head coach Kennedy Blair said. “They’ve worked super, super hard since last April. Wake up early in the mornings, go into off-ice training, on-ice training and all that.
“This group of girls is really special. They’re a really close-knit group, and they trusted our coaching staff coming in as a first-year group.”
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
Blair knows a thing or two about winning championships. She was a North Dakota state champion goaltender with the former Bismarck Blizzard co-op and also won an NCAA Division I national title with the Wisconsin women’s program in 2021.
Yet, she never imagined ending her first year as a high school varsity coach with a state championship.
“No, I didn’t,” said Blair, who also won North Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors. “But I had belief in these girls that we could get to the state championship again.”
It’s the United co-op’s first-ever state title — which consists of West Fargo, West Fargo Sheyenne and West Fargo Horace high schools.
Prior to Saturday, the last time a West Fargo girls program won the state title was in 2014 when it was still a standalone program competing as the Packers.
“It’s amazing considering United hockey has never won a championship game,” Wilson said.
Grand Forks, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, ended its campaign with a 21-5-0 record.
Ella Yahna’s fourth goal of the tournament — which came on a 2-on-1 rush with the assist from teammate Reese Meagher, put the KnightRiders within one shot with 8:17 remaining in the third.
Grand Forks, however, was unable to find the equalizer as its bid for a first state championship came up just short.
“I thought we came out in the first and we had a tough time,” Grand Forks head coach Kelly Kilgore said. “I felt we battled some nerves. I really liked our second period … We carried the play and tilted the ice a little bit back in our favor. The shots kind of started to really turn in our favor.”
Stocker said she wouldn’t have wanted to win a state title as a senior with any other group of teammates.
“(They mean) everything,” Stocker said. “We’re so tight and they’re all my friends. Leaving them is going to be hard. But they mean everything to me. We’re all so close and I love them a lot.”
FIRST PERIOD: No scoring.
SECOND PERIOD: 1, WFU, Stocker (Augdahl, Hassler), 12:31. 2, WFU, Spanier (Augdahl, Stocker), 16:25.
THIRD PERIOD: 3, GF, Yahna (R. Meagher), 8:43.
SAVES: WFU, Wilson 7-13-3—23. GF, Schmaltz 7-3-14—24.
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks Children’s Museum has revealed the anonymous donor of the $2 million in matching funds that prompted others to step forward and bring the fundraising campaign closer to its goal of $35 million.
“It is with deep gratitude that the Grand Forks Children’s Museum now shares the name behind that bold vision,” said Katie Mayer, executive director of the museum, in naming Pam Laffen of Grand Forks as the anonymous donor.
With this gift and other major contributions, the fundraising campaign “stands at just $1.75 million remaining, bringing the finish line clearly into view,” Mayer said.
The museum “reflects Pam’s passion for learning and her belief in creating meaningful opportunities for children which have guided her life’s work and are deeply reflected in this gift,” she said.
Laffen said, “I am honored to be part of a community that supports a project dedicated to encouraging growth in education and service for future generations.”
Recognizing the impact of Laffen’s gift, Mayer said, “Pam and her late husband, Lonnie, shared a deep appreciation for this community. Being raised in a rural area in North Dakota taught them to be actively engaged in their immediate and surrounding communities across the state.”
Contributed / Grand Forks Children’s Museum
At the start of the “Unlocking Tomorrow, Together Challenge,” the $2 million would be released, or “unlocked,” with the receipt of each of eight $250,000 donations. The challenge actually resulted in “securing nearly 10 leadership-level commitments and accelerating the campaign even further,” Mayer said.
A leadership gift of $250,000 from the Pancratz Family Foundation, based with the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation, has helped to “unlock one of the final keys in the challenge,” according to an announcement from the museum. The gift has added “meaningful momentum at a pivotal time in the campaign.”
The foundation’s commitment to the museum “reflects a strong belief in expanding opportunity for children and families, and helped carry the challenge to completion.”
The final keys to the $2 million matching grant were “propelled by an extraordinary wave of generosity from families and businesses across our community,” Mayer said.
A vertical climber, to be named for Pam Laffen, is designed to physically and symbolically connect the land and sky levels of the museum, Mayer said. It will span two stories and include a slide. Designed to face 42nd Street, it will be visible from the road, serving as a signature feature of the building.
The climber will reflect the guiding phrase “In land, we root. Through sky, we rise. Together, we grow.”
“The words echo both the spirit of the community and the belief that learning, curiosity, exploration and opportunity are built step-by-step, grounded in place and lifted by possibility,” Mayer said.
Kalamazoo — There’ll be a new champion in the NCHC.
Will Zellers scored the game-winning goal in the third period as No. 3 North Dakota downed No. 4 Western Michigan, 5-3, Friday night at Lawson Arena. The Broncos never led and trailed all of the third period, though a late push nearly tied the game with the net empty.
“Overall in the game, I thought it was a pretty tightly contested effort. I thought they just scored too easy,” Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “You know, for us, we had a couple breakdowns, and they’re so talented, so good, they took advantage when we broke down.”
The teams finish the regular season Saturday night. Western Michigan came into Friday’s game tied with Denver in standings points and five points behind North Dakota, needing that many to get a share of the Penrose Cup it won last season en route to an NCAA championship, too.
As far as regular season results go, the Broncos will play for second seed in the NCHC Tournament, needing to outpace Denver, which plays Arizona State this weekend.
Western Michigan (23-9-1, 15-7-1 NCHC) goaltender Hampton Slukynsky made 16 saves on 20 shots in the loss while North Dakota’s Jan Spunar stopped 22 of 25 shots. It was a battle of two of the NCHC’s top netminders, and each made key stops in a tight-checking, physical game.
Zellers put North Dakota (25-7-1, 17-5-1) up 4-2 4:42 into the third period off an assist from Detroit Red Wings draft choice Dylan James.
“He kind of made a play out of nothing there,” said North Dakota coach Dane Jackson, who is in his first season as head coach after being on the coaching staff since 2006. “And that was a really nice kind of moment where you go OK, we got a little got a little leeway here, and we can just kind of play a little bit more free.”
North Dakota took a 3-2 lead into the third period with goals from defenseman Sam Laurila alongside forwards Ollie Josephson and Josh Zakreski. Defenseman Zach Bookman and forward Liam Valente scored for Western Michigan.
One too many times in the second frame, Western Michigan’s blue line let a North Dakota forward in all alone to face Slukynsky, who stopped a couple of rushes in the opening minutes of the period.
With four minutes until the intermission, the Broncos finally got burned. On a feed from linemate Anthony Menghini, Lakreski cut to the glove side of a sprawling Slukynsky and beat him with the backhand. The goal gave North Dakota the 3-2 lead, after a seeing-eye shot from Bookman along the right wall had tied it up two apiece 8:10 into the period.
“I actually thought the second period was our best period,” Ferschweiler said. “… We started to take over. We got the goal, tied 2-2, and are kind of just humming along. Four minutes left, we just hand them a goal. Blown coverage. That was inexcusable, honestly, with some of our better players on the ice.”
The opening period played out as a back and forth track meet through the neutral zone as each side settled in. Laurila put North Dakota up 1-0 with his first career goal. After Slukynsky denied him on a trio of tries earlier in the shift, he fired a shot to beat the Western Michigan netminder 4:40 into the game.
It took just a minute and 34 seconds after Laurila’s opener for Western Michigan’s top line to get it right back. A blue-collar shift from captain Owen Michaels fed linemate Will Whitelaw along the left boards, and he sprung Valente for a breakaway goal that evened up the score.
“I thought we gave it to them too easy a couple times tonight,” Whitelaw said. “And I think when you’re playing a team like that, obviously they’re gonna put it in your net. But I think it’ll be a big lesson for our group going forward.”
For the better part of the first period, the Lawson Lunatics peppered North Dakota defenseman Jake Livanavage with jeers, but he got his own licks in with 7:48 left in the first period as he fed Josephson right at the net for the 2-1 goal. That score held through the first period.
With 2:02 remaining and Slukynsky pulled, forward Zaccharya Wisdom pulled Western Michigan within one. He nearly had the equalizer with 40 seconds on the clock on a backdoor try, but he mistimed the shot. Mac Swanson scored an empty-netter with 20.7 seconds on the clock to clinch the win, and with it the Penrose Cup, presented to North Dakota in the locker room and then paraded around the ice.
“It’s the hardest regular season championship to win, in my opinion,” North Dakota forward Ben Strinden said. “So it’s awesome. Obviously, it’s not our end goal, but we’re going to enjoy it for sure.”
cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
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