The mission of the Enderlin Historical Society and Museum, Inc. shall be the collection, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the history of the Enderlin area.
Enderlin Historical Society & Museum
Welcome
Our Mission
The Enderlin Historical Society and Museum collects artifacts, oral histories and genealogy that pertain to the city of Enderlin and the surrounding community. Among our collections are many historic local photos, athletic trophies, school yearbooks dating back to 1906, early family histories, and Enderlin area memorabilia.
We are working hard to insure the high quality of preservation that our local history deserves. This includes raising funds for museum quality storage materials, instilling professional standards of operations, developing quality exhibits and educational programs.
Getting
Started
On February 22, 1967 after Enderlin’s 75th
anniversary, ten local residents met to incorporate as the Enderlin
Historical
Society and Museum. The Jubilee Steering Committee donated all monies
and
property such as unsold plates, books, etc. to the Society and in
November the
first officers were elected. By-laws were adopted in 1968.
Permanent Location
Since that time, several transactions have taken place in an attempt to establish a permanent Museum location. This includes acquisition of the Fingal, ND depot in 1971 from the Soo Line Railroad at no cost except for the moving fee of $460.00. The depot was placed in Patrick Pierce Park with the intent that it would serve as a museum. However, due to continued vandalism, the depot/museum was sold to the Enderlin Golf Club in 1976 for $400.00. In 1972, the Society acquired Lot 29, Block 2, original Enderlin from the city and rented out the garage and lot space for various activities. In 1990, the Society purchased the Masonic Temple building from the Enderlin Public School District, converted it to a Museum and made improvements costing $13,481.00. This cost, as well as many, many hours of volunteer time and labor have made the Museum what it is today. Many artifacts were donated and exhibits have been set up.
Becoming Museum Owners
In 1996, tax exempt status under IRS Code Section 501 (c) 3 was acquired. Also in 1996, Lot 29, Block 2 was sold in exchange for a new roof on the Museum. At the time of the purchase of the Masonic Temple building, the Soo Line Railroad owned the property upon which the building rested and the Society leased the property. Later, the City of Enderlin purchased the property from the Soo Line and the Society entered into a 10-year lease-to-own agreement with the city to purchase the Museum property. In 2008, after experiencing financial difficulties, a generous donation allowed the Society to pay off the balance of the lease, thereby becoming owners of the land as well as the building.News
We DID Windows!
Thanks to almost unbelievable support, all 40 windows in the Museum have been replaced with new, secure, maintenance-free windows! Through window sponsorships and other generous donations and grants, the total cost of $42,524.85 was raised to fully fund the project. Installation was completed in two phases with the final installation in October 2012. What was expected to be a multi-year project was accomplished in slightly over one year! The new windows are similar in style to the original window in order to maintain the historic appearance of the building. All remaining exterior wood around the windows has been wrapped making the windows totally maintenance free.
Events
Board Meetings
Board Meetings are scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month - April through October
(e-mail info@enderlinmuseum.org for exact time and location)
**Old Fashioned Saturday Night**
Remember the "good old days" when Enderlin was the place to be on Saturday night? The Enderlin Historical Society has scheduled its second annual "Old Fashioned Saturday Night in Enderlin" fundraiser for May 18, 2013.
Old Fashioned Saturday Night in Enderlin, ND
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Vintage/Classic Car “Cruise-In”- Cars park downtown
5 to 6:30 p.m
Vintage/Classic Car Cruise around town 6:30 to 7 p.m
Dining: TraxSide Café, VFW
Shop Local Businesses 5 – 7 p.m., Old Fashioned Popcorn Stand
Museum Open House 5 – 7 p.m.
Jukebox Record Hop/Sock Hop in City Auditorium 7 – 10 p.m.
50’s and 60’s music for all ages – kids and adults – dress for your favorite decade. Dance admission 25 cents & 50 cents!
Free Will Donations at Dance for
Museum Dehumidifier Climate Control Project
Round up yor friends, dress for your favorite era if you wish, polish up that car for cruising around town, and make plans to head downtown on Saturday night, May 18th in support of your Historical Society and Museum! If you can't attend but would still like to help fund the special projects, donations may be sent to the address on our Support page or via PayPal.
Goals
Planning for the Future
The Historical Society Board of Trustees has developed a set of basic plans to provide direction as they move into the future. Please follow the attached link to view the basic outline of these plans.
Historical Society Short and Long Range Planning
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