DAKOTA BUTTES MUSEUM - 400 11th St - just West of the Armory - open Tues, Thurs & Sun 1 to 4pm from
Memorial Day - Labor Day or by appointment - call 701-567-4429
"Ordinary things . . . for an extraordinary experience!"
Do not miss the DAKOTA BUTTES MUSEUM, a complex of four newly redesigned and
refurbished buildings and outdoor exhibits displaying over a century of life and times in
Adams County and southwestern North Dakota. Located in southeast Hettinger, ND, at
400 11th St. South just west of the Armory, the museum houses a rare, horse-drawn fire
truck and hose cart, as well as a memorable collection of early Twentieth Century farm
machinery, railroad memorabilia, early and mid-century vehicles, and extensive wall
displays of Bucyrus, Haynes, Hettinger and Reeder.
See the HALL OF FLAGS, a display highlighting the homesteaders’ ethnic
backgrounds. See over 350 photographs of first and second generation residents.
See the Titanic Survivor display, Judge Sonderall’s Land Office and the recreation of
the early Adams County Record building, in addition to displays on the county Court
House, military service and sacrifice, churches, areas businesses, home life, school
and community music and sports, health care on the prairie the Yellowstone Trail,
Custer's Campground along Hiddenwood Creek and so much more.
New displays include:
- Prairie Thunder Buffalo Mount
- A Century of Photography
- A Century of Dolls
- Caps - goal is 3000 or more
taking donations
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9 - Hole Grass Green Golf Course
Hettinger's 9-Hole grass green golf course is municipally owned by the Hettinger Park
Board and is located 4 miles south of the city. The golf course is open year round,
weather permitting and is open to the public. The Club House is open during the
evening summer hours. Golf carts are available to rent.
For more information, please contact the Hettinger Golf
Course at 567-2339. The course celebrated their
50th Anniversary in the summer of 2011.
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Hunting & Fishing
The Hettinger Area offers outstanding fishing and upland and big game hunting. Game
and wildlife are abundant in the Hettinger area. Big game, such as white tail deer, mule
deer and antelope can be located easily. Waterfowl of many species and upland game
birds such as the sharptail grouse, Hungarian partridge and the majestic ring neck
pheasant are also plentiful.. The Pheasant Fest Committee provides numerous contests
to local hunters (both pheasant and deer) along with connections to local services that may
be needed. A Landowner/Operator Appreciation Banquet is held in December as part of
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Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake Park, located on the south end of Main Street,
offers modern camping facilities with full hook-ups, bandshell
with dance floor, non-motor boating, fishing, large playground
area,a walking /running path around the lake, and the
Centennial Fountain.
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Relive the Last Great Buffalo Hunts
In one of the last historic hunts, 2,000 Teton Lakota
Sioux - men, women, children - left Fort Yates on
June 10, 1882, and trekked the 100 west to the
valley of Hiddenwood Creek. In three days they
killed 5,000 buffalo. This "great hunt" began near
what is now Haynes, and extended west into the
Hettinger area and perhaps north to the Cedar River.
At night the Teton Lakota families feasted, danced
and listened to stories of courage and victory told by famed war leaders and hunters.
At the time it was not known that the 50,000 buffalo grazing here were the last remnants
of an estimated 60 to 75 million bison that once ranged across the western plains of North
America. The southern herd was gone by the mid 1870s. The northern herd, which had left
Dakota Territory 15 years earlier, split in southeastern Montana. Half went north of Miles
City and were soon killed by white hide hunters.
The other half returned to this part of Dakota Territory, then reservation land. Indian elders
said the buffalo returned to fulfill their destiny to once again provide food, clothing and shelter
for their starving Indian brothers and sisters, rather than be slaughtered for their hides alone,
by white hunters.
Reprinted from the booklet "The Last Great Buffalo Hunts"
by Francie Berg, available at the Chamber Office for $5.00
(plus $2 for shipping & handling).
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Birding
Several locations in and around Hettinger offer opportunities for productive birding. Over 230 species have been recorded around Mirror Lake which is adjacent to the town of Hettinger. A local birding booklet "Griffiths'' Guide to Western Dakota Birding" is available at the Chamber Office for $5.00 (plus $2 for shipping & handling).
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Along the Yellowstone Trail - from "Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound"
A feature article in the Bismarck Tribune September 13, 2010 written by Lauren Donovan,
shares a bit of the history of this trail as is wound through Adams County of North Dakota.
Permission granted by Lauren Donovan and Bismarck Tribune
On April 23, 1912, Joe Parmley of Ipswich, South Dakota, held a meeting that he had had in mind for years. He gathered influential men from five nearby counties to implement the first step in his long-range plan to get a transcontinental route built across the northern tier of states - 3700 miles, give or take. This group grew into a formal organization, the Yellowstone Trail Association, on October 9, 1912 at Lemmon, South Dakota.
Why was there a need for groups of private citizens to form to get roads built? Because neither state nor federal governments had any interest in building roads. The federal government was supporting railroads, not auto roads, and many states had constitutions that forbade “internal improvements.” As a result, roads were mere wagon paths, and mud was everywhere. In the East, roads were better because of higher traffic and greater choice of route. But they, too, suffered. There were many trail associations but only three were transcontinental - National Old Trails Road (1912), Yellowstone Trail (1912) and Lincoln Highway (1913).
The Yellowstone Trail Association accomplished many forward-looking things. They did not actually build roads; they badgered county boards and state highway commissions to create one long, connected road through counties instead of supporting roads that “went nowhere.” Long, connected roads were their passion. They sponsored Trail Days, (a day when all Trail towns would actually help the county build a road), set up travel bureaus, held races on the Trail for publicity, supplied the traveler with maps, weather conditions and lists of facilities in Trail towns.
The Association also encouraged towns to provide campgrounds for tourists.
The less obvious result of this transcontinental route was its “uniting” aspect. One Trail running the length of the country caused folk to feel connected and anxious to keep their part of the chain in shape. The Trail opened the vast, beautiful Northwest to the tourist, be he rich or poor.
The Yellowstone Trail Association Now
The new Yellowstone Trail Association was formed in October, 2003 to: increase public knowledge about the Trail, to acquire information about the Trail and its historical context to preserve artifacts along the Trail, to provide a medium of communication and support among members, to promote heritage tourism and to sponsor Trail-related events.
The Yellowstone Trail Centennial Year is 2012
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Thanks to Bob Hall for the pictures - Click on Pictures to enlarge
Pictures show only a glimpse of what is displayed at Dakota Buttes Museum located at 400 11th St S
Open Sun. Tues. & Thurs afternoons Memorial Day thru Labor Day - Admission is a donation
Stop by for a Visit!
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Keeping the Buffalo Dream Alive - Mount unveiled on July 3, 2010
In September of 2008, interested persons from the area and from outside the area were invited to
become part of a dream to honor the American bison by donating to the Dakota Buttes Museum’s Buffalo
Heritage Project.
Spearheaded by a committee from the county and the trade area, the goal of this project was to have
on display in the museum, a full-sized buffalo bull mount. This mount represents the legendary creatures
of the Northern Great Plains who once roamed the area in numberless herds. Through direct donations
and through the “Trophy Hunt of a Lifetime” won by a Grafton, ND, hunter, by December of 2008 the
financial goal set by the committee was surpassed.
Local buffalo ranchers Jim Strand and Don Archibald were instrumental in locating and donating the
2,000 lb animal.
After the hunt in early January, Dakota Packing Company of Hettinger salted and cured the hide.
Later, with the help of local national award winning taxidermist Randy Holler and others, it was packed
and shipped to the tanner. Randy purchased the necessary forms, cast the hooves completed the mount
which is displayed on a movable, naturalized
base.
Unveiling of the mount took place on Saturday July 3, 2010. A contest was held to choose a name
with the winning name being "Prairie Thunder". Photos of various steps of the project will be archived at
the museum and displayed here following the unveiling.
The committee is also working on historical display boards to complement the mount and on the
presentation of the donor list.
To all who have helped so far on any of the steps of this project, thank you. To any who would still like
to donate, please send your earmarked donations to Dakota Buttes Historical Society, Betty Svihovec,
Treasurer, PO Box 565, Hettinger, ND 58639.
Let’s keep the dream alive.
pictures compliments of Becky Qualls of Adams County Record
March 18, 2012 Soup Wars was enjoyed by all in attendance
Many people turned out for the Soup Wars event held at the former Reeder School. The carnival atmosphere included theme related booths set up by those providing soup, games for the children, clowns, face painting and the display in the entrance advertising the upcoming Smithsonian display.
Overall THEME prize was won by Dakota Western Bank: Lori Privratsky, Shelly Froelich, Dorothy Becker and Michelle Steen.
Overall SOUP prize winner was West River Health Services: Arlene Walch and Juana Gross.
Pictures taken by Heather Ebert
