1997 Red River Flood Drive/Walk Tour
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Description
This tour highlights sites in Grand Forks that were affected by the 1997 flood. Certain sites require driving though most can be walked.
1. Riverside Park
Riverside Park has provided the people of Grand Forks with recreational opportunities for over a century. The main attraction of the park is the swimming pool and bathhouse, first created in 1911. Before it was a cement cast swimming pool, the Riverside Park swimming pool was a naturally formed pond called “the mudhole” by the local population. The park also provides amenities such as tennis courts, frisbee and footgolf course, a seasonal hockey rink, cross-country skiing in the winter, and restroom facilities.
2. St. Michael's Hospital and Nurses' Residence
St. Michael's Hospital and Nurses' Residence is a property in Grand Forks, North Dakota that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It was also known as St. Anne's Guest Home and denoted 32GF14, it was built or has other significance in 1907 and in 1913. It was designed and by George Hancock and constructed by the Dinnie Brothers. It includes Classical Revival architecture. The property is now "Riverside Manor;" St. Anne's relocated to North 17th Street in the early 1980s.
3. Grand Forks Central High School
Last remodeled in 1985, the Grand Forks Central High School is one of the two main public high schools in Grand Forks, alongside Red River High School. The current building serves to accommodate the ever increasing attendance at the school as well as provide facilities for activities, such as the Olympic size swimming pool on the northern side of the property. Being in the packed downtown Grand Forks, the expansion of the school has been requiring more land and forcing businesses to relocate ever since its inception in 1882. Most of this article will discuss the current architecture of the school and its facilities, but will also take a look into previous iterations of the school and its history relating to the greater Grand Forks area.
4. Fire Hall Theatre
What was once the first Fire Department in Grand Forks North Dakota is now a theater. It was built in 1905 and acted as headquarters when the second fire department was built and occupied in 1908. The fire department was then bought by the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre in 1982 and produced its first show Dracula in 1983 after some remodeling. The theater is rumored to be haunted.
5. Grand Forks Herald Building
Serving Grand Forks since 1879, the Grand Forks Herald is both one of the oldest papers in North Dakota and the state's second largest circulation. Beyond the city of Grand Forks, the paper also serves northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Although the paper's headquarters was destroyed by the 1997 flood and fire, the paper still won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the same flood and fire. The building was rebuilt, this time with a clock tower and symbols dealing with the flood.
6. Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
The Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a historic post office and federal office building located at Grand Forks in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. Also and historically known as U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name. This 1905 building has been remodeled and expanded many times during its over 100 year history. Although suffering damage from the 1997 Red River flood, it survived enough to not have to be demolished. The building is named after Judge Ronald Davies. He was instrumental in 1957 in essentially overriding the decisions by Pulaski County's (Arkansas) Court by nullifying their injunctions and demanding the Little Rock School Board integrate their schools.
7. Telephone Co. Building (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
Constructed during the "building boom" that took place in Grand Forks during the 1890s and early 1900s, this building was a replacement for a previous telephone company building. Built in 1904, this larger building was able to be more suffiencent in its accessibility and containment of its equipment, since the previous building was too small. Being to small the large telephone pole and wires stuck out in the skyline like a sore thumb.
8. First National Bank (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
Originally home to the Scandinavian-American Bank, this 1915 structure was one of the largest in Grand Forks at the time. Over 2 decades later the building changed hands to the First National Bank and was still connected with that bank until 2000. Now it is home to Alerus Financial. During the 1997 Red River flood, this building was almost destroyed by the waters and subsequent fire. However, it was one of a handful not selected for demolition (and the only one in its block). From the outside is appears the same as it did when first constructed.
9. 1997 Security Building fire
The Security Building was constructed in 1890 by a man named George Clifford. Its pink color made it unique to Grand Forks downtown. During the building's early days, it housed businesses such as the Northwestern college of commerce, an architect's office, the Knights of Pythias, Wholesaler C.H. Robinson, UND school of law, the YMCA, and early Grand Forks city offices and federal courts. At the time of its demise the building contained a Barber shop as well as a boxing organization. In 1997, a major flood in Grand Forks caused devastation in the town; during the flood, a catastrophic fire started in the Security Building and spread to 11 other downtown buildings, causing incredible damage. How did the fire start and what actions were taken to fight the horrible fire that caused the demise of many buildings in downtown Grand Forks?
10. St. John's Block
St. John’s Block, also been referred to as the Commercial Exchange, is a beautiful five story brick and stone building standing in downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota. It stands tall near the Red River to be seen by many; it is known for its unique stone work and rows and rows of windows. It was completed in 1891 by H. H. St. John, an agent for the Great Northern Railroad company. This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, almost exactly 100 years after its construction. As of 2021, the building is used for apartments, private offices, and retail spaces.
11. 1997 Red River flood hits Grand Forks
Following six snow storms and blizzards hitting this part of the country throughout the 1996-1997 winter, then followed up with extreme high temperatures in April and May of 1997, the Red River flooded, cresting up to over 54 feet in height, and devastated a few miles inland of the city. This 100-year flood cost millions in damage and destroyed most of Grand Forks's historic structures that were located near the river. Dikes and flood walls were soon established in preparation for future flooding, some constructed where the city's oldest buildings once stood. The flood and subsequent fire not only affected Grand Forks, but also northern and eastern North Dakota, some of western Minnesota, and lower halves of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
12. Whitey's Café and Lounge
Whitey’s Café and Lounge served food, drinks, and entertainment to the local East Grand Forks community for over eighty years. The restaurant and bar survived Prohibition, several local floods, and multiple changes in ownership for nearly nine decades, but permanently closed its doors in 2010. The building is currently home to a new local restaurant, but distinct architectural pieces from the Art Deco movement, including the original stainless steel horseshoe bar, remains a focal point of the property. Serving as a visual reminder of the city’s foundation and its scandalous economic successes, as well as its resilience against adversity, Whitey’s Café and Lounge represents both the history of East Grand Forks and the possibility of its future.
13. Sacred Heart Church and School
Sacred Heart Church and School have been located at their present 4th St. location since 1893 and 1912, respectively. While buildings have come and gone over Sacred Heart’s existence, the site that the current buildings sit upon has been property of Sacred Heart Parish for over 120 years. Sacred Heart Church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in East Grand Forks and Sacred Heart School is not only the oldest Catholic school in East Grand Forks, but the only Catholic school in northwestern Minnesota that teaches Kindergarten through 12th grade.
14. Empire Arts Center
This landmark movie theater turned multipurpose arts center in the heart of Grand Forks has been a local cultural institution for a century. Originally constructed in 1919, this theater showed movies each year until 1995, before a brief hiatus that ended with the theater’s transition to the home of a multifaceted arts organization. After the 1997 Red River Flood and the subsequent fires that devastated downtown, the Empire became a point of unification for the community. Today, the Empire Arts Center offers a variety of venues and events.
15. Clifford Annex Building
The Clifford Annex Building was built in 1906 on Grand Forks' original townsite. It was built and originally owned by George B. Clifford, and designed by architect Joseph Bell DeRemer. It takes its name from an adjacent, larger building also owned by Clifford. In 1914 the building was purchased by Joseph Clifford. Over the next eight decades, the building would trade owners, until the flood of 1997. Following the flood, the building was destroyed and replaced by a new corporate center and its adjacent parking ramp. The demolished building was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
16. Odd Fellows Building (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
Located in the southwestern corner of Grand Forks's historic downtown, this building was constructed in 1888 and was home to many civic organizations in addition to the Odd Fellows fraternal order. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Urban Stampede coffee shop, but most of the building has not been restored. The building was home to the Odd Fellows as well as the Daughters of Rebekah, the lodges of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of the Maccabees, the Order of Foresters, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Royal Arcanum. When not used by these civic organizations, the building was also used to host civic and social events during the 19th century. This 1888 structure survived the 1997 Red River flood and fire with only minimal damage.
17. The City Center Mall
The City Center Mall was a quick attempt to create an area that would attract people and encourage them to stay in the downtown area of Grand Forks. Construction finished in 1978, and the Mall was full of trendy stores then. Costing $3.1 million or $22 million in today's money, the Mall was a much cheaper construction as they added a roof over the street connecting existing buildings.
18. New Hampshire Apartments
On this spot once stood the New Hampshire Apartments, a complex destroyed by the 1997 Red River Flood and subsequent fire. Designed by New Jersey architect, Joseph Bell DeRemer and constructed by the Canadian Dinnie Brothers, who owned a businesses in Grand Forks. Opened in 1904, the complex was used until its demise in 1997. A marker sits where the apartments once stood.
19. Metropolitan Opera House (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
The Metropolitan Opera House (or The Met) is located in the downtown area of Grand Forks. The building, constructed in 1890, faces the Red River of the North and sits between the BNSF Railway tracks and a parking structure. At one time, the Opera House was considered the best opera house between Minneapolis and Seattle. Today, the building has been converted into an apartment building called the Opera House Lofts
20. Flood Memorial Monument
The Flood Memorial Monument in Grand Forks, ND was built following the flood of 1997. The flood forced evacuation of the city. Afterward, President Bill Clinton signed an order that granted the community money to rebuild after the natural disaster. The Flood Monument shows the years of the greatest floods and references the height that the flood water rose to. The monument was built to signify 12 of the building that were lost during the flood. It is built on the site of the former Security Building in Grand Forks. This was the first of the 12 buildings that were lost in the downtown fire due to the flood. The flood displaced thousands of people and caused millions of dollars in damage throughout the community.
21. Viets Hotel
On this spot where a dike now stands, the old Viets Hotel was located here when it was first completed in 1876. The hotel was Grand Forks's oldest retail establishment until its destruction in the 1997 Red River Flood. The hotel over the 120 years of its existence was also known by many other names, such as the Richardson House, Hall Hotel and Hall Apartments, to name a few. Known for its vernacular Greek Revival architecture, the hotel would suffer in types of neglect before its destruction.
22. United Lutheran Church (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
United Lutheran came to existence in 1926 after three of Grand Forks's Lutheran synods (congregations) decided to come together. After series of these congregations splitting apart, others banding together or minor ones existing based on ethnic backgrounds, it was announced, over the radio, that all Lutheran congregations would come together. A church building was then needed to hold them all. This building was constructed in 1932. The building was lucky to survive the 1997 Red River flood largely intact. The church is still active today.
23. Lincoln Drive Neighborhood (now Lincoln Drive Park)
When the Red River Flood of 1997 hit Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, there is no question about the sheer extent of damage both cities underwent, especially their downtown areas and neighborhoods near the river. Among these, Lincoln Drive Neighborhood was one of the first places in Grand Forks to flood, due to its location nestled at a bend in the Red River. A working-class neighborhood and home to Lincoln Elementary School, Lincoln Drive Neighborhood was decimated in the flood’s aftermath. Today, the area is home to a prominent park of Grand Forks’ Greenway, built upon the bones of the old neighborhood to prevent flood waters from ever wreaking such destruction ever again.
