A three volume set entitled Minot North Dakota and Area History, has been added to the Institute for Regional Studies Archives book collection. The books were authored by Bruce Anderson. The following book descriptions come from Amazon:
“Minot, North Dakota and Area History Vol. 1 1880-1940 is the first volume in a 3-book series. The book is 9 X 12, 481-page hard cover book. The book contains more than 650 photographs and hundreds of stories about the colorful city of Minot and the surrounding area of Ward County. This is truly a history book covering Minot and North Dakota using historic photographs and words to present the stories. The book also features 90 huge double-page spread photographs showing the smallest of details. This book also highlights through stories and photographs many of Minot's early pioneers that raised Minot from Erik Ramstad's hay field along the Mouse River into a thriving boom town nicknamed the "Magic City." The book highlights early ranchers, homesteaders, lynchings by the "Montana Stranglers," outlaws, the railroads, buffalo bone hunting and business, horse trader; Luke Sweetman, legal immigration, the introduction of automobiles, the Glidden Auto Tour, newspapers history, automotive and gas stations, Minot deliver wagsons and trucks, the Socialist movement, World War I, Mouse River recreation, Minot Parks, Mouse River floods, early farming, churches, Minot hospitals and much more.”
“Minot, North Dakota and Area History Vol. 2 1900-1949 is a 9 x 12, 505-page, hard cover book. The book contains more than 800 photographs and hundreds of stories on the colorful city of Minot and the surrounding area of Ward County. This is truly a history book covering Minot and North Dakota using historic photographs and words to present the stories. The book also features more than 70 huge double-page spread photographs showing the smallest of details. This book highlights through stories and photographs many of Minot's early residents that raised Minot from Erik Ramstad's hay field along the Mouse River into a thriving boom town nicknamed the "Magic City." The book highlights hundreds of photographs of city views and streets. The book covers county and city law enforcement, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, bootlegging, vice, incredible crimes from robbery to murder, the Minot Fire Department and major fires, "Operation Haylift" during the winter of 1948-49, Life Magazine's visit to Minot State Teachers College in 1941, the United Nations Military Staff hunting trip to Minot in 1946. Streets, sewer and power, the discovery of coal and coal mining, early Minot businesses and industries, fairs, carnivals, circuses, parades and celebrations, Minot education, famous people from Minot and the area, recreation and entertainment, hunting, the first radio station in Minot, the "Great Depression," and America goes to war in 1941.”
“Minot, North Dakota and Area History Vol. 3 "The Fabulous Fifties" is a 9 x 12, 528-page, hard cover book. The book contains more than 1,400 photographs and captions as well many stories that take you "back to the fifties." The book also features more than 49 huge double-page spread photographs. This book takes you back to a simpler time, the "Fifties," through photographs that provide vivid memories of growing up and what life was like in the 1950s. The book features large photographs of city views and streets. The 1950s culture and fashions, from bobby sox to poodle skirts and more, are covered. Photo memories show a picture of growing up in the "Fifties." The First District Health Unit and fighting the polio epidemic are featured. School memories take one back to their school days. Events such as the visits by President Truman, President Eisenhower and Lawrence Welk are relived through wonderful historic photos. Photos relive the Soapbox Derby, the early years of the Nodak Racing Club, the Minot Mallards, neighborhood grocery stores, drive-in restaurants, theaters, business and industry. The shady district of "High Third" is covered in depth with rare pictures and stories. The crime of the decade in Minot is featured in depth through newspaper stories and photographs. The birth of North Dakota's first television station, the only station between Minneapolis and Spokane, Washington; the police and fire departments; YMCA; parks and recreation and much more are covered in this book.”
