History of the Enderlin Historical Society and Museum, Inc.
Museum is open from May through September!
Check back in May 2010 for new hours.
Getting Started
On February 22, 1967 after Enderlin’s 75th anniversary, ten local residents met to incorporate as the Enderlin Historical Society and Museum. The Jubilee Steering Committee donated all monies and property such as unsold plates, books, etc. to the Society and in November the first officers were elected. By-laws were adopted in 1968.
Permanent Location
Since that time, several transactions have taken place in an attempt to establish a permanent Museum location. This includes acquisition of the Fingal, ND depot in 1971 from the Soo Line Railroad at no cost except for the moving fee of $460.00. The depot was placed in Patrick Pierce Park with the intent that it would serve as a museum. However, due to continued vandalism, the depot/museum was sold to the Enderlin Golf Club in 1976 for $400.00. In 1972, the Society acquired Lot 29, Block 2, original Enderlin from the city and rented out the garage and lot space for various activities. In 1990, the Society purchased the Masonic Temple building from the Enderlin Public School District, converted it to a Museum and made improvements costing $13,481.00. This cost, as well as many, many hours of volunteer time and labor have made the Museum what it is today. Many artifacts were donated and exhibits have been set up.
Becoming Museum Owners
In 1996, tax exempt status under IRS Code Section 501 (c) 3 was acquired. Also in 1996, Lot 29, Block 2 was sold in exchange for a new roof on the Museum. At the time of the purchase of the Masonic Temple building, the Soo Line Railroad owned the property upon which the building rested and the Society leased the property. Later, the City of Enderlin purchased the property from the Soo Line and the Society entered into a 10-year lease-to-own agreement with the city to purchase the Museum property. In 2008, after experiencing financial difficulties, a generous donation from Dwight Fraedrich of Fraedrich Transport of Enderlin allowed the Society to pay off the balance of the lease, thereby becoming owners of the land as well as the building.
The Museum
The Museum is a majestic old building with a rich history from when it served as the Masonic Temple. It was built in 1927 of pressed red brick with white stone coping in modern Colonial style. It is 35 by 85 feet and cost $26,000.00 to build. It contains two floors and the lower level was built with a specially constructed “dance floor” which the architect designed with a footing of cinders, air spaced to prevent buckling. It originally was steam heated by the Soo Line roundhouse. Currently, the building is unheated.
Progress
During the past year, the Historical Society was privileged to sponsor the Smithsonian exhibit “Journey Stories” made possible through a grant from the ND Council on the Humanities. In conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibit, local displays were developed to highlight local “Journey Stories” including baseball, the railroad, the military, and family histories. Over 1,200 people visited the exhibit during the six-week period it was on display. The local exhibits have now become part of the permanent exhibits at our Museum.
Regular hours have been established at the Museum during the summer months with other times available by appointment. Generous donations have allowed the Society to replace the rotted front doors. The sidewalk has been replaced by the City during an upgrade of the area. Thanks to many hours of hard work from numerous volunteers, windows have been repaired, landscaping is being done, rooms have been cleaned and the lower level has been developed into an exhibit area depicting 1) an early Enderlin business district and 2) an agricultural display. The Society has received a ND Cultural Heritage Grant for 2009-10 which will provide funds to complete much-needed electrical work, install a commercial-grade back door and purchase archival safe preservation supplies.
Challenges
The immediate challenge of the Society is to raise enough funds to continue to repair the building to make it a secure and safe home for the artifacts so generously donated. We continue to struggle with roof repair issues and repair of the interior walls and ceilings. Once the building is totally stabilized, our efforts can be directed to the real reason for a Museum – display and interpretation. We encourage you to become a part of our preservation efforts by joining our society and donating your time, talents and financial support so we can continue to move forward. We continue to work to preserve the rich heritage of the Enderlin area for current and future generations.
How You May Help
Please visit out web site at http://www.geocities.com/enderlinhistory/ to view more history of the Enderlin area. Click on the “Membership” link to learn how you can participate in preserving that history.
The museum is closed October through April, except by appointment.
Contact 701-437-3205 or 701-793-9743 if you need to make an appointment.