West Fargo, North Dakota.

Every community of any size has at least one attraction that locals are aware of and maybe have visited once or twice. Other than that, it’s not considered unless friends or family come to town and you are looking for places to share about your community. In my mind, Bonanzaville is just one of those locations.

The last time I brought a family member to visit (before this July), was literally decades ago. The museum and pioneer village has changed and improved immensely in those years. The museum, operated by the Cass County Historical Society, today features displays that focus on the history of the Red River Valley and life in rural North Dakota and Minnesota. There is also a classic car museum,  a railroad museum, an early telephone museum, an aviation museum, and several other dedicated museums featuring technologies used in life on the prairie in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The best part of Bonanzaville, though, is the pioneer village. The opening photo features the Brass Rail, a saloon and hotel that was originally in Page, North Dakota, about an hour drive from our home in Fargo. Next door is a reproduction building, the Cass-Clay Creamery, a reproduction of a 1920’s era creamery.

The photo immediately above is of Fargo’s first house. Constructed in 1869, when Fargo was mostly a tent city, the house even served for a short time as Fargo’s jail. In 1974, the house was donated to the Cass County Historical Society for placement at Bonanzaville. By 1980, it was restored to near original condition.

For those interested in railroading, the Spud Valley Railroad Club features a model train display that is housed in the original Kathryn North Dakota train depot. With over 400 feet (122 m) of tracks, the trains are triggered by the motion of people entering the building and the display begins operating in a replica of 1950’s era Fargo. If real trains are more to your liking, there is also a railroad museum on the grounds.

One building that holds some great memories for me is Dawson Hall. This theater has been modernized inside and is home to a local theater group that produces one play a year. For several years, I was a member of that group and often played a supporting role in their annual farce.

The Houston House is a Bonanza Farmhouse originally located near Hunter, North Dakota. Built by David Houston (of Eastman Kodak fame), Houston was one of the owners of a bonanza farm. For a time, very large corporate farms containing thousands of acres of rich Red River Valley farmland were a profitable agricultural force in North Dakota. Usually owned by one or two individuals who didn’t live in the region (like David Houston,) these farms were often 10,000 acres or more. They became an economic force until the first decade of the 20th century when the high costs of land and production made them significantly less profitable. For those interested in the concept and operation of bonanza farming, check out the resource here.

Throughout the year, there are activities planned on the grounds at Bonanzaville, though in 2020, because of the pandemic, many of their events have been canceled. One of the popular attractions is the South Pleasant Church originally located in Christine, North Dakota. Every year there are many wedding ceremonies performed in the church that was moved to Bonanzaville in 2015. The Cass County Historical Society has a complete web site documenting the exhibits housed at Bonanzaville. Check here for schedules of special events, current hours of operation, and information about the exhibits. I present for your review a gallery of images captured during our most recent visit to Bonanzaville.

John Steiner

West Fargo, North Dakota

Ah, Fargo. We are home again. The last four years, we spent at least part of the winter in the warmth of the Arizona sunshine. My blog features much of the natural beauty of that state. Like a man with a new love affair, it seems Arizona is all I have to write about and photograph.

For the most part, I’ve ignored the state of my birth and our home for the past 37 years. It’s about time that I focus my blog on North Dakota. I can’t promise that every Travel Tuesday post will be about North Dakota. We do have some travel plans to nearby states this summer, but I want to focus on North Dakota this summer and show my readers why I chose North Dakota as my home state… even though I’m not much for winters and run south with the first snow fall.

One of the stock jokes about the state is that the “Indian Wars” are still an issue and that the Wells Fargo stage stops daily to pick up its load of mail and passengers headed west. Obviously those days are gone, but if you come to the growing community of West Fargo, you can relive some of those days of yesteryear courtesy of the Cass County Historical Society. This week, Travel Tuesday visits Bonanzaville, a 12-acre (48562 sq. meter) pioneer village containing over 40 historic buildings and thousands of historical artifacts.

Bonanzaville takes its name from the bonanza farms that, between 1875 and 1890, were created from the sale of Northern Pacific Railroad land. The farms, located in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota mostly along the Red River Valley, grew vast amounts of wheat. Investor run farms operated with local managers, cheap farm laborers and the latest in mechanized farming. By the 1920s, the over-taxed land all but lost production capacity and the bonanza farms faded into history.

Bonanzaville’s 12 acres are laid out into streets along which visitors can stroll and view the collection of buildings brought in from around the region. Many of the buildings are open and furnished with period museum pieces. In fact, the day we visited, a cool October afternoon, the buildings were closed. However the historical society held an auction. They sold excess antiques. In the gallery accompanying this post, I have photos of a few items being offered for sale that day. Small crowds called out bids enthusiastically on the available items offered in multiple locations by a small group of auctioneers..

The Cass County Historical Society has created several museums within the pioneer village. Inside some of the buildings a visitor can find the Eugene Dahl Car Museum, the Law Enforcement Museum, the Eagles Air Museum and several others. The Pioneer Village is open from May to October and the Cass County Museum building features displays of Native American and bonanza farm artifacts among its collection. Located just off I-94 in West Fargo, and a short detour off I-29, travelers through the state would find Bonanzaville a worthwhile stop on their travel. Plan to spend much of a day exploring the artifacts and visiting the pioneer village. You can read more about Bonanzaville and the Cass County Historical Society here.

John Steiner