Tag Ward County

Minot Air Force Station

The Remains of Minot Air Force Station

Troy Larson 18 Comments

When we ran our Kickstarter campaign to fund the printing of our first book, we offered supporters the opportunity to name a location they would like us to photograph in exchange for their support. One of our supporters asked us to visit and photograph the former Minot Air Force Station, about 14 miles south of Minot.

Minot Air Force Station was the first major Air Force installation in North Dakota, predating the other Minot and Grand Forks bases. It was originally a radar base intended to detect and identify unidentified aircraft in American airspace — a relic of the age before ballistic missiles, when the Soviet threat was from long-range bombers.

Continue reading “The Remains of Minot Air Force Station” →

Minot, Fall, 1940

The Magic City, Fall 1940

Troy Larson 15 Comments

For those of us who are history buffs, the 1930s and 40s are a golden age of documentary photography. Government photographers from the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information traveled the country, photographing American cities big and small. They left behind a photographic treasure trove of places that no longer exist. It was photos like those, largely the work of Arthur Rothstein, that allowed us to do our book on North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo Moorhead Lost and Found, and another of those government photographers, John Vachon, captured these photos of Minot in October of 1940.

Continue reading “The Magic City, Fall 1940” →

Hartland is a tiny rural settlement in Ward County, about 25 miles northwest of Minot. We were on our way back to Fargo from Williston on a two day trip to explore a few places and we visited Hartland to see what we could see. Unfortunately, much of what remains of Hartland is now fenced and posted “no trespassing,” so we were unable to get closer to the two abandoned homes shown here.  We saw one inhabited home on the site of Hartland, too.

Hartland, North Dakota

Hartland, North Dakota

Do you have a story about Hartland? Let us know in the comments.

Hartland, North Dakota

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Hartland, North Dakota

Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC

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Hartland, ND

Troy Larson 16 Comments
Niobe, North Dakota

They Left the Desks in the Old Niobe Schoolhouse

Troy Larson 23 Comments

Contributor Tom Pence sent these photos of Niobe, North Dakota, in Ward County, just a few minutes west of Kenmare. Niobe was founded in 1907, and the Post Office was built in 1908. The all-time peak population was reported as 250 in 1920, and there are still residents in Niobe today. Tom’s comments on Niobe:

Really, only one good “ghost” of a building in Niobe. The rest are either in relatively good shape and lived in, or else in shambles falling into the basement. This was a school building. It was fun stomping around the old territory once again.

Niobe, North Dakota

Niobe, North Dakota

Such a charming little schoolhouse.

Niobe, North Dakota

Niobe, North Dakota

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Niobe, North Dakota

The last generation of students left this place–graduated to the school of life–but the desks remained behind.

Niobe, North Dakota

Photos by Tom Pence. Original content copyright Sonic Tremor Media

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Gassman Coulee Trestle

Gassman Coulee Trestle

Troy Larson 44 Comments

Our May 2010 trip took us through Minot, so we stopped to take some photos of this — the Gassman Coulee Trestle in Trestle Valley, just outside of town.  It’s not abandoned, but it’s a really nice place to be outside with your camera on a hot summer night.

Gassman Coulee Trestle

The bridge is 1792 feet long and 117 feet tall at its highest point. When a train crosses, you can hear the rumble miles away.

Gassman Coulee Trestle
Gassman Coulee Trestle

The Sheyenne River Bridge near Karnak is one step larger than this bridge.  The Northern Pacific High Line Bridge in Valley City is bigger still.

Gassman Coulee Trestle
Gassman Coulee Trestle
Trestle Valley Lodge

Years ago, there was a ski resort in this valley called the Trestle Valley Ski Resort and this was the lodge.

UPDATE: Site visitor Jeff snapped these photos of the former lodge, today a private residence.

Trestle Valley Ski Lodge
Trestle Valley Ski Lodge
Trestle Valley Ski Lodge

Trestle photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, original copyright Sonic Tremor Media