Fort Buford: Splendid Isolation
produced by Prairie Public Television with the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(2002), running time: 54 minutes. $24.95 ($21.21, members)

Fort Buford stood in splendid isolation at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers in present day North Dakota for almost 30 years—from 1866 to 1895. This menacing sentinel guarded an important transportation route that became a lifeline for federal troops during the plains wars of the 1870s. In 1881, Native American leader Sitting Bull surrendered at Fort Buford.

"Fort Buford Splendid Isolation" documents how the fort grew in the three major building phases of its lifetime. Using modern videography, historic photos, journal entries and reenactor footage, it gives us a glimpse into what a soldier's life was like at a remote western military fort in the mid to late 1880s.

This exceptional program takes you on a guided tour of the Fort Buford State Historic site and visits the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Flickertail Flashbacks
produced by Bill Snyder Films and the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(1974), running time: 20 minutes. $16.95 ($14.41, members)

Between 1915 and 1920, Bismarck photographer Frithjof Holmboe saw and recorded events, communities, businesses and more on his handcranked, 35mm motion picture camera. This treasure of early twentieth-century life in North Dakota is found at the State Historical Society and now is on video. Narrated by Ken Smith, the film includes segments about agriculture— tractors, harvesting, ranching—as well as scenes from a number of communities, including Mott, Hazelton, Jamestown, Fargo, Hebron, Mandan, Grand Forks and Valley City. It concludes with bits from firemen's demonstrations in 1917.

Frithjof Holmboe: Pioneer Movie Maker
produced by Bill Snyder Films and the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(1977), running time: 23 minutes. $16.95 ($14.41, members)

This second of three videos produced from the Holmboe Motion Picture Film Collection at the State Historical Society tells the story of Frithjof Holmboe and his pioneering film making business. The video begins with a delightful trip on the back of a trolley car traveling along Fourth Street in Bismarck, showing pedestrians in 1915 splendor, automobiles and horses, and stately building facades. Narrated by Ken Smith, this film includes segments on the Bull Tractor, the 1st Infantry Regiment, military training at Fort Lincoln in Bismarck with Col. John Fraine present, lignite mining at Washburn and New Salem, and the Great American Gas and Oil Company at Mohall. Another segment features the Stone Piano Company in Fargo.

North Dakota Way Back When
produced by Bill Snyder Films and the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(1977), running time: 20 minutes. $16.95 ($14.41, members)

Original film footage from 1915 to 1920 shows what rural and urban life was like in North Dakota. The third in a series of videos produced from the Holmboe Motion Picture Film Collection at the State Historical Society, this film displays, among others, homes, barns, gas and horse-powered machines, harvests, cattle drives, and Sunday afternoon family outings in the automobile. Communities pictured include New Salem, Fessenden, Golden Valley, Mott and Belfield. The faces in this long-ago film will remind viewers of family members, and will enthrall anyone fascinated by the lifestyles of an earlier day.

Images of Fort Totten
produced by the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(1988), running time: 60:30 minutes. $19.95 ($16.96, members)

This video is a collection of four short presentations:

•School Days: Recollections of Fort Totten Indian School (29:00). Four former students of the Fort Totten Indian School reminisce about boarding school life.

•To Kill the Indian and Save the Man (11:30). This illustrated lecture surveys United States policy towards Native Americans and provides an overview of Indian schooling, including the role of education in assimilation.

•Soldiers and Sioux (8:00). This segment examines Fort Totten's role as a military post at Devils Lake and places the fort into the framework of national Indian policy.

•Swimming with the Current (12:00). From 1891 to 1959, Fort Totten existed as an Indian school. Its academic life is treated in this presentation.

Through the Lens: North Dakota as Seen by Television in the 1950s
produced by the State Historical Society of North Dakota
(1986), running time: 59 minutes. $19.95 ($16.96, members)

Television in North Dakota debuted in 1953, and the state has never been the same. Narrated by Dennis Neumann, this video reflects on the impact of television on lifestyles, politicians, communities and more. Edited from the television newsfilm collections of the State Historical Society, this video contains excerpts from first broadcasts, the dedication of the Garrison Diversion project, and news footage from the 1957 Fargo tornado, as well as segments on numerous events and people from the 1950s.

1889 Map of North Dakota
23 x 17 1/2 in., black-and-white with red lettering across the bottom. $5.95 ($5.05, members)

Reproduced from the original issued in 1889 and now in the collections of the State Historical Society, this map of North Dakota shows railroad lines, rivers and streams, and every large and small community existing at the time. It is ideal for family history hunters who are interested in finding the changes in the face of North Dakota.

Einar Olstad's Badlands Roundup
19 5/8 x 26 1/2 in., color on black background. $4.50 ($3.82, members)

Blacksmith, artist and rancher Einar Olstad survived the Depression and into the 1950s by expressing himself with his paintbrush. He captured the essence of the American West with his humorous portrayals of cowboys and his touching scenes of hard ranch life. This poster features a three- dimensional work of a roundup cook, one of many people he knew and painted. Many of Olstad's paintings are in the collections at the State Historical Society, with several paintings displayed in the permanent exhibit.

The poster was produced in conjunction with a temporary exhibit of Olstad's work. The exhibit ran from September 1987 to March 1988.

No Two Horns
13 7/8 x 33 7/8 in., color on a light burgundy background. $3 ($2.55, members)

No Two Horns, a Hunkpapa Sioux (1852-1942), was a significant artist in the traditional Sioux style. Considered among the best of Native American pictographic artists, No Two Horns depicted feats of his younger days. The top picture features No Two Horns rescuing a wounded comrade. In the middle picture, No Two Horns has killed an Assiniboine, and his horse carries symbols of bravery. The bottom picture shows No Two Horns' horse killed in battle, possibly at the battle of the Little Big Horn. No Two Horns was a contemporary of Sitting Bull, and he occasionally drew pictures of the great chief. His pictures are in the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The First People
15 x 22 in., sepia. $2 ($1.70, members)

This clay pot, dated to about A.D. 1450, was excavated near the Missouri River in Oliver County, and is on display in a permanent exhibit at the North Dakota Heritage Center. The exhibit features the earliest people in North Dakota and includes a mastodon. On the poster, the pot is shown at actual size. The background features spear, dart and arrowhead projectile points, all examples of those found in North Dakota. The striking design of the poster received the Citation of Excellence award from the Bismarck-Mandan chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

The Last Years of Sitting Bull
21 x 33 in., color on a black background. $3 ($2.55, members)

This famous oil portrait of Sitting Bull was one of perhaps four paintings of the great chief by Catherine S. Weldon. The painting was hanging in Sitting Bull's cabin Dec. 15, 1890, when Standing Rock Indian Police arrived to arrest him. The gash across the painting reportedly was caused by the rifle butt belonging to one of the Indian Police who smashed the frame after Sitting Bull was killed. The painting now is in the collections of the State Historical Society. For information about the life of Sitting Bull, look for the book, The Last Years of Sitting Bull.

Yuto'keca: Transitions
22 x 26 in., color on a burnished gold background. $4.50 ($3.82, members)

This eyecatching color poster complements the book written about the Burdick Collection of Native American clothing and other artifacts. Displayed is a Sioux child's dress, dated 1875-1910, and preserved in the State Historical Society's collections. This buckskin dress shows the traditional beading design that followed the animal hide: the hindquarters make the shoulders with the tail down the center. For information about these unique and exquisite items, look for the book, Yuto'keca: Transitions.

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e-mail: histsoc@state.nd.us

Copyright ©1999-2003 State Historical Society of North Dakota. You are free to use information from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Photographs shown on the State Historical Society of North Dakota's web site are taken from the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and may not be included in any publication, printed or online, without the written permission of the Society.

Last revised April 24, 2003