North Dakota

In February 1952, the Air Force announced its plans to build Grand Forks Air Force Base to support Strategic Air Command bombers and tankers as well as Air Defense Command fighter-interceptors. On February 8, 1957, Air Defense Command activated the 486th Fighter Group on Grand Forks Air Force Base. In December 1957, the Air Force activated the Grand Forks Air Defense System of the North American Air Defense Command. This sector became operational with the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system to cover the air space of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota and one Canadian province (Manitoba). The first Boeing B-52H Stratofortress arrived on April 29, 1962. In 1983, the B-52Hs were replaced with B-52Gs, and on December 4, 1986, B-52Gs departed the base, replaced by B-1B Lancers in 1987. The 321st Strategic Missile Wing became operational to administrate, man, and operate the Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in December 1966. The Air Force made the formal announcement that it would remove 150 Minuteman III ICBMs with the inactivation of the 321st on July 2, 1998. After that, the Detachment 1, 9th Reconnaissance Wing arrived with the Global Hawk.

Fortitude after the flames

In 1893, Fargo was simply trying to thrive amid an impending national depression. One Wednesday afternoon in June, a ferocious fire quickly devoured hundreds of businesses and more than thirty blocks in the heart of the fledgling city. Residents were stunned, but they weren't defeated. Through perseverance, grit and some helpful insurance money, owners immediately began rebuilding. The arduous reconstruction ended up protecting the city against unemployment and poverty.

Author Danielle Teigen describes the efforts and individuals who helped rebuild a stronger, better city. More than a century later, that resilience and determination continues to be a hallmark of the Gateway to the West.

A curtain flutters in the window of an abandoned farmhouse. Textbooks from the 1940s lay scattered on the floor of a one-room schoolhouse. Receipts for a load of grain sit on the desk of a ghost town grain elevator. If you are a person who likes exploring these abandoned places with camera in hand, North Dakota is a target-rich environment. Drive down any gravel road, and soon you will come across a relic from the past. This is why author John Piepkorn loves North Dakota.

John Piepkorn is a photographer who has had a lifelong interest in abandoned places. On multiple trips across North Dakota in the last twenty-five years, he has documented hundreds of places that were once filled with life. Today, those places stand empty. John has made an effort to document the churches, schools, and abandoned farms that dot the North Dakota landscape. Each place has a story to tell, and even in the decay, beauty can be found.