Buckstop Junction - Bismarck, North Dakota

Buckstop Junction - Bismarck, North Dakota

Stop in and visit this historic town which was established by the Missouri Valley Historical Society to enable visitors to reminisce about eh late 1800’s and up to the early 1930’s with actual buildings from that time period.  

You will be able to see the country school that was operated near Arena from 1906 to 1958.  The Lein School will certainly take you back to the time when classes were smaller, attention was directed at education and life was simpler, if not better.

There is the Yegen Store which was the property of John Yegen, Bismarck’s first baker and grocer who built his store in 1877.  Prior to that he ran the store out of a tent.

In 1885 the Northern Pacific Railroad was running through the area and so the Sterling Railroad Depot was constructed.  It sits beside the railroad tracks in the village.

You can visit the Coal Mine Camp where you will see a power shovel, mine shaft, scale house and the Chapi building from near the community of Wilton.

From the community of Tappen in 1914 came the Lewis Hotel.  There is a restored Ballroom and Bar and downstairs is a model railroad.  Ballrooms were a critical component of the hotel industry back in the early 1900’s and late 1800’s as a place for gatherings, similar to the conference centers today.

Is there anything more comforting than the old country church?  The Bethel Lutheran Church was built in 1916 near Coleharbor and is on display at Buckstop Junction with the original furnishings in place.  The cemetery fence is from Dunseith.

The great poet Laureate of North Dakota, James Foley, built his home in 1907.  The "American Foursquare" is located at the site for you to visit.

Lumber was a critical component of life on the prairie and in 1910 Andrew Miller built a warehouse for Bismarck Lumber.  It is now the Andrew Miller Farm Museum (of St. Anthony) and located on the grounds.

You will be able to see Capital Aviation Hanger which was built in the early 1930;s to hold the first orth-south air passenger line in the USA.

Along with these there are MANY other buildings available for you to tour and remember, or learn, about life in the earlier days.  It will be a great stop on your North Dakota vacation.  One that will not only be of interest to adults but to the children too.  

To schedule a tour, call (701) 255-4205 or (701) 223-4838. Call for admission fees.

Dates/hours of operation:
Tour Reservations Call 701-250-8575 (24 hour notice prior to tour is desirable).

Regular hours: 1:00-2:00 pm Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, Mid-June through Mid-August.
 
Self-guided walking tour (with printed guide) is available for a small fee.