10 Years Ago – 2000

The local Coast to Coast Store is about to change its name to Mandan True Value. The Mandan store, located at 302 West Main St., is one of nearly 2,500 independent hardware stores that will change to the True Value retail identity. Gene and Virginia Veil purchased Mandan Coast to Coast store in January 1977.

Mandan High School’s girls’ track and field coach Mike Kuhn is among 12 North Dakota coaches selected as finalists for National Coach of the Year. During his 21 years as coach, the Mandan’s track and field teams received a state championship in 1985, six state runner-up finishes and three regional championships. Kuhn has also received a variety of coach awards, including the State Class A Track Coach of the Year eight times and also the Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Coach of the Year for 1985.

25 Years Ago – 1985

Gerald Heuer, administrator of the Mandan Hospital since 1978, has announced his resignation, effective Feb. 28. Heuer has accepted a position as clinic administrator of the Family Health Center, an affiliate of St. Luke’s Hospital at Aberdeen, S.D.

St. Alexius Medical Center’s second Centennial Baby, a girl named Mikaila Ann, was born in Bismarck on Feb. 27 to Michael and Laurie McLean of Mandan. The hospital’s first Centennial Baby, a boy named Joshua Scott, was born on Feb. 1 to Mr. and Mrs. Steven Jacobchick, also of Mandan. Each family received a number of baby gifts, worth several hundred dollars from the hospital’s suppliers.

A plan submitted by Burlington Northern Railroad to clean up the diesel fuel discovered beneath downtown Mandan has been approved by the North Dakota Health Department. It will take three to five years to clean up the estimated 300,000 to 500,000 gallons of fuel. Pumping is scheduled to begin by July 1 with only one well used for recovery. The spilled diesel fuel was first discovered in 1977 during the excavation for the new Mandan Security Bank building on First Street N.W. The source of the spill has not been confirmed for a fact; however, circumstances point to Burlington Northern.

50 Years Ago – 1960

Mandan angler, Gene Keigley, is the first fisherman of 1960 to become a member of North Dakota’s Whopper Club, according to the Game and Fish Department. Keigley was awarded an arm patch for a 5 1/2 lb. sauger caught in January while fishing through the ice of the Missouri River, south of Mandan. The fish, caught on a live minnow, measured 2 feet long and 13 inches around.

J.M. “Mac” Crawford, proprietor of the Western Grill Cafe, is celebrating the seventh anniversary of the business; which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with Christmas their only non-working holiday. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford and their four children came to Mandan from Cody, Wyo., in 1953 and took over the operation of the Western Grill, which had opened by Crawford’s brother, Roy, in 1952. Anniversary specials include: 1/4 chicken dinner, 64 Cents; 10-piece tub of chicken, $1.96.

Brightly colored decorations depicting New Orleans streets during the Mardi Gras was the theme used at the Revelers Club party attended by more than 30 couples. First place prize for the best and most original costume was won by Mr. and Mrs. Del Skjod, who came dressed as jockeys astride a pair of ostriches. Second place winners were the Dave Stuarts who were dressed as gingerbread boys. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gussner were chairmen in charge of the party.

The Mandan Braves invaded the eastern conference last weekend and came up with a surprising 66-61 victory over the Wahpeton Wops. This game was the Mandan’s finale for 1959-60, ending with a season record of 7-14. Although Wahpeton led Mandan in the first period, the Braves, under the shooting of Henry Beckler and Dan Hilligoss, rallied to take the lead by halftime. Mandan’s assault was led by Hilligoss with 22 points, followed by Beckler with 21.

Gene Keigley, of Mandan, poses with his arm patch signifying his membership into the North Dakota Whopper Club in 1960. Above is the actual patch. Keigley won the patch for catching a 2-foot-long sauger in the Missouri River. Submitted photo

75 Years Ago – 1935

A large crowd of rooters followed the Mandan Braves to Bismarck’s Word War Memorial Building, where they battled the Bismarck Demons for a victory, 26-22, and closed their 1935 basketball season with a 12-4 season record.

The game began slowly with the Braves shooting only one field goal out of 16 tries during the first half. But the Warriors finally came alive after the Demons began the second half with three easy field goals within the first minute and the gap between the two rivals began to narrow. The Braves picked up the pace in the fourth, and with three minutes remaining, Mandan’s little Swede Farr sunk a basket, putting the Braves out ahead for the first time, 22-21. As the frenzied battle continued, the Demons fouled frequently in their efforts to crush the Mandan uprising, forcing referee George Heidt to halt the game several times to quiet the unruly crowd before free throws.

The score continued to see-saw until the final minute, when the tow-head Farr managed to slip past the Demon guards for a basket that clinched the victory for the Braves, and for good measure, he flipped in a free throw just seconds before the timer sounded the end of the battle.

Mandan’s hero of the evening was Leonard “Swede” Farr, who scored 12 points, nine of which were sunk in the fourth quarter. Others adding to Mandan’s tally were: Roy Geiger, 9; Ralph Ferderer, 3; and Bill Ordway, 2.

100 Years Ago – 1910

“Mandan’s east end Freight Depot was completely destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. Although the volunteer fire companies were at the scene within four minutes of receiving the alarm and had three lines of hose on the fire within ten minutes, it was to no avail. It would have been a bad job for a well equipped and regular city fire department as the frame warehouse was filled to capacity with inflammable material, and there was not enough pressure in evidence to throw a stream of water 25 feet.

“Fifteen minutes after the fire had started, the entire building was a mass of fire, the whole sky being lightened by huge tongues of flame that rose high above the several grain elevators in the vicinity. A string of a dozen or so boxcars at the unloading platform also caught fire, and it was with difficulty that they were snaked out of harm’s way.

“Great credit is due the fire department and Chief Dave Taylor for the excellent work that they did in saving the surrounding property from destruction. The lumber shed of the Bingenheimer Mercantile Company very narrowly escaped.

“Losses are estimated at $30,000 for the freight depot and its contents. It is unclear if the Northern Pacific will rebuild on the same site or perhaps on the west end of Main St.”