I grew up at 714 8th Street South (from 1952-1976) and played many touch football and baseball games at Dill Hall. What we called, “Dill Hall” was the area that was just north of the original Dill Hall building. Our Dill Hall was bordered by 7th Street on the west, 5th Avenue on the north and the dirt road that would have been an extension of 5th Street from the top of the hill where the toboggan slide was. The south boundary was a sidewalk and chain link fence that went from 7th Street to the toboggan slide at the corner of 5th Street and 7th Avenue. The playing field that I called Dill Hall was surrounded by slopes. The slope to the south was the highest and the slopes on the 7th Street side was maybe 12′ high on the south end tapering down to about 6′ high at the corner of 7th Street and 5th Avenue. The slope along 5th Avenue tapered down to field level at the NE corner of the field (where 5th Street would have intersected with 5th Avenue if 5th Street had not stopped at 7th Avenue). The original Dill Hall building was, until it was torn down in1964, the headquarters for Western States Life Insurance Company. In 1966 I was in the 8th grade at St. Anthony’s when Western States completed their new headquarters. I remember before the original Dill Hall was torn down the Western States sign over the front entry facing 7th Street was removed and underneath it was the word, “Library” in raised concrete letters. One nice spring day in 1966 my 8th grade class walked over from St. Anthony’s and were given a tour of the new Western States building.
What you didn’t mention, Jim, is that you also played tackle football team at DH. I have a vivid after-school memory as a 4th thru 6th grader of watching you and the other 7th and 8th grade monsters walking down 8th Ave from St. A’s to 7th St to “the Hall” for practice in your helmets, pads and cleats. Quite a parade.
Absolutely correct, James Ashel. So then I did a little more research and found that “Dale Hall” (which was what I thought it was, and pronounced it that way, was the site of “Fargo College,” and what we thought of as Western States Life was, in fact, its last remaining building which had started out as a Carnegie Library! Here’s more:
I just about broke my head open “boot-sliding’ down the road that pitched down to 5th Ave from the base of the stairway up to the toboggan launch tower.. Only a really-nasty concussion, but a very close thing indeed.
Dear Troy:
I have been searching the internet for 2 days for an picture of the toboggan slide that used to be by Dill Hall on and near 7th and 5th streets in Fargo. The closest I’ve come is you made mention of it in your article. Please if you do have a picture of the toboggan slide, would you be so kind as to forward a copy to me? I would be so grateful.
Best Regards,
Barbara Brooks barbarabrooks445@gmail.net
Dear Troy: Correction Re: Taboggan Slide
The slide was actually mentioned in a comment left by James A. Crary and not your piece about, Ghosts of North Dakota, Jones and Dill College.
Still looking for a picture.
Sincerely,
Barbara Brooks
Ghosts of North Dakota 
I grew up at 714 8th Street South (from 1952-1976) and played many touch football and baseball games at Dill Hall. What we called, “Dill Hall” was the area that was just north of the original Dill Hall building. Our Dill Hall was bordered by 7th Street on the west, 5th Avenue on the north and the dirt road that would have been an extension of 5th Street from the top of the hill where the toboggan slide was. The south boundary was a sidewalk and chain link fence that went from 7th Street to the toboggan slide at the corner of 5th Street and 7th Avenue. The playing field that I called Dill Hall was surrounded by slopes. The slope to the south was the highest and the slopes on the 7th Street side was maybe 12′ high on the south end tapering down to about 6′ high at the corner of 7th Street and 5th Avenue. The slope along 5th Avenue tapered down to field level at the NE corner of the field (where 5th Street would have intersected with 5th Avenue if 5th Street had not stopped at 7th Avenue). The original Dill Hall building was, until it was torn down in1964, the headquarters for Western States Life Insurance Company. In 1966 I was in the 8th grade at St. Anthony’s when Western States completed their new headquarters. I remember before the original Dill Hall was torn down the Western States sign over the front entry facing 7th Street was removed and underneath it was the word, “Library” in raised concrete letters. One nice spring day in 1966 my 8th grade class walked over from St. Anthony’s and were given a tour of the new Western States building.
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What you didn’t mention, Jim, is that you also played tackle football team at DH. I have a vivid after-school memory as a 4th thru 6th grader of watching you and the other 7th and 8th grade monsters walking down 8th Ave from St. A’s to 7th St to “the Hall” for practice in your helmets, pads and cleats. Quite a parade.
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Absolutely correct, James Ashel. So then I did a little more research and found that “Dale Hall” (which was what I thought it was, and pronounced it that way, was the site of “Fargo College,” and what we thought of as Western States Life was, in fact, its last remaining building which had started out as a Carnegie Library! Here’s more:
http://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/closing-fargo-college
and here’s a picture:
or, here’s the link to the picture: http://library.ndsu.edu/fargo-history/?q=content/fargo-college-library
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Wow! I remember Dill Hall for the great toboggan slide! I had no idea there was a Fargo College.
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I just about broke my head open “boot-sliding’ down the road that pitched down to 5th Ave from the base of the stairway up to the toboggan launch tower.. Only a really-nasty concussion, but a very close thing indeed.
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Here’s my nascent web-site
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Here’s a real nice post about this back on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1043062047&fref=ts
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Mike Williams oriinal link now at:https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207096245418195&id=1043062047&set=rpd.1043062047&source=49
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I lived at the tobbagon “run” as we called i because t was across the street from my house. On a good day you could almost make it to the stop and go.
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I cannot find one image of the Mickelson field toboggan slide on the whole internet why is that?
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Dear Troy:
I have been searching the internet for 2 days for an picture of the toboggan slide that used to be by Dill Hall on and near 7th and 5th streets in Fargo. The closest I’ve come is you made mention of it in your article. Please if you do have a picture of the toboggan slide, would you be so kind as to forward a copy to me? I would be so grateful.
Best Regards,
Barbara Brooks
barbarabrooks445@gmail.net
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Dear Troy: Correction Re: Taboggan Slide
The slide was actually mentioned in a comment left by James A. Crary and not your piece about, Ghosts of North Dakota, Jones and Dill College.
Still looking for a picture.
Sincerely,
Barbara Brooks
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