History
The State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation is a private, non-profit organization supported by membership and donations. The Foundation was formed in 1965 by the state legislature to generate private financial support for the State Historical Society’s projects and programs that cannot be funded by the legislature. Governor William Guy initiated the concept of the Foundation and Governors Brunsdale and Davis supported the formation of this organization.
Foundation dollars, generously donated by people like you, have contributed to the building of the current North Dakota Heritage Center and Pembina State Museum in which valuable collections from our state’s history are displayed and securely stored.
The Foundation prints and distributes North Dakota History: Journal of the Northern Plains which is the premier historical research publication of the agency. Currently more than 2000 members receive these publications annually.
The Foundation has been aggressively building a network of partnerships with business leaders and significant individuals from around the state—History’s Trustees. These donors and partners support the work of the Society and Foundation by being informed community members all across the state. Many have worked with the legislature to encourage funding for major projects and others have worked at local levels to enhance regional historic sites and similar resources. The Foundation is most grateful for the leadership of these individuals. All six living governors serve as Honorary History’s Trustees for the Foundation.
The Society
The State Historical Society of North Dakota is the state’s history agency. The Society is dedicated to bringing history and people together through its museums, research library, preservation efforts, historic sites, educational programs, archeological digs, publications and web site.
The Society makes history fun and enjoyable. Hundreds of thousands of children, youth and adults annually visit the Society’s museums and historic sites. Hundreds of people write, call or stop at the State Archives and Historical Research Library at the North Dakota Heritage Center every month for assistance in tracking family roots and other valuable information. Thousands of individuals visit the Society web site looking for resources on a monthly basis. Many more take part in educational programs, field tours, museum-theater, live demonstrations, film and lecture series, traveling exhibits and teacher workshops.
The Society’s collections grow with the years. The collection currently houses over a million archaeological items preserved for us in exhibits and research, thousands upon thousands of history, natural history and ethnology artifacts, books, periodicals, maps, photos, manuscripts, records, newspapers, and oral histories, plus clothing, furniture, household items and automobiles--all items that were once used or cherished by you and your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.