Buford-Trenton Pumphouse - Williams County

The Old Buford-Trenton Pumphouse contained pumping equipment used for the Buford-Trenton irrigation project. The project began in far western Williams County using water from the Missouri River to irrigate over 4,000 acres of land. The Old Pumphouse operated from 1908 to 1913 and was the first irrigation project in North Dakota.

At first, the soils were deemed poor, and then a period of rainy years led to indifference among the local farmers, who abandoned attempts to irrigate. However, after the drought of the 1920s and 1930s, the project was revived and a new pumphouse was constructed at an alternate site.

The solidly built concrete shell of the Old Pumphouse still remains just east of the State Historical Society of North Dakota’s Missouri Yellowstone Confluence Center, where dredging from
the river has substantially filled in the area around the Old Pumphouse.

Photo Credits:
Buford-Trenton Pumphouse
Susan Quinnell

Viking Bridge - Traill County

The Viking Bridge spans the Goose River in Traill County. It is an example of a pin-connected Pratt through-truss bridge, which was popular in the United States at the end of the 19th century. Built in 1885 to connect Mayville and Portland, the Viking Bridge is the oldest bridge still standing in North Dakota. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is not in use, which currently poses the greatest threat to the structure. North Dakota’s Department of Transportation is studying how to stabilize the bridge, and actual work is scheduled to begin in 2010.

Photo Credit:
Viking Bridge
Susan Quinnell

Brittin Grain Elevator - Morton Township, Burleigh County

Grain elevators, once the economic engine of rural North Dakota towns, are now often aban- doned and lost to the ravages of time and weather, torn down or allowed to burn in the name of safety.

Built in the early 1900s, the Brittin Elevator is a prime example of this ongoing problem. No longer in use, the elevator receives neither ongoing maintenance nor protection against fire or vandalism.

The Missouri Valley Historical Society has created a plan to save the Brittin Elevator. If suc- cessful, the elevator will be moved to Buckstop Junction, where it can be properly maintained and its history properly interpreted.

Photo Credit:
Brittin Elevator
Doug Alm, Missouri Valley Historical Society