Norene Roberts Papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss 190

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Norene Roberts Papers is divided into two series: North Dakota Cities Series (arranged alphabetically by city), and Post Office Series (also arranged alphabetically by city). The North Dakota Cities Series also includes a special Courthouse sub-series. The North Dakota Cities Series has been organized alphabetically by the name of the town. It includes files for the following towns: Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, Grand Forks, Hillsboro, Jamestown, Mandan, Minot, Minto, Park River, Pisek, Portland, Valley City and Wahpeton. Also integrated into this collection are several files on courthouses, as well as the Icelandic State Park near Cavalier, N.D., and St. Joseph’s Chapel in Walsh County. The most extensive files are for Devils Lake, Fargo, and Grand Forks. Within each town the files are arranged alphabetically by title. The Bismarck section contains only a National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form (NRHP), of 12 pages, for the Cathedral Area Historic District. The Courthouse section consists of NRHP forms for the Griggs and Stutsman county courthouses in Cooperstown and Jamestown, respectively. There is also a NRHP form (1980) for courthouses designed by Buechner and Orth: Traill County, Hillsboro; McHenry County, Towner; La Moure County, La Moure; Pierce County, Rugby; Foster County, Carrington; Sargent County, Forman; Dickey County, Ellendale; Richland County, Wahpeton; Pembina County, Cavalier; Grand Forks County, Grand Forks; Mountrail County, Stanley; Divide County, Crosby; McIntosh County, Ashley. The Devils Lake section includes NRHP forms for the Locke Block and the downtown business district. Also included are histories, maps of Devils Lake, a cultural resources survey prepared by Kurt Schweigert of the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks The Fargo section contains NRHP forms, research notes, and other data for 17 different locations as outlined in the box and folder listing. Also included are two folders of biographies of prominent people in Fargo around 1900, taken from printed sources. There is a copy of An Historic Sites Inventory from 1979 prepared by Ronald L.A. Ramsey. There are also histories of Fargo which include pictures of contemporary buildings, incomplete copies of street maps from 1896, 1901 and 1916 and copies of newspaper clippings from The Forum in the 1920s. The two files regarding North Dakota State University include Roberts’ notes and the NRHP form. The Grand Forks section is the largest set of town files, containing NRHP forms for twelve locations, and North Dakota Cultural Resources Survey (NDCRS) forms for thirty-six locations, some of which correspond to the NRHP forms. There is an in-house copy of their 1981 Grand Forks Survey Report, plus a statement by Roberts regarding the scope of her work and the methodology she employed in the Grand Forks project. There are a number of files regarding the St. Anne’s Guest House and St. Michael’s Hospital. Consult the container listing for specific buildings. The Hillsboro section contains material dealing with the Ellingson farmstead including a NRHP form, contract, handwritten notes and photocopied photographs. The Icelandic State Park files includes preliminary notes and texts for a historical exhibit developed regarding the region. Also included are various notes and material concerning the exhibit, such as on outline for a children’s activity. The Jamestown files contain material concerning the Elizabeth Apartments, including notes, correspondence and a NRHP form. The Mandan section includes histories of Mandan, photocopied photographs of early 20th century postcards, and a NRHP form for the commercial district. The Minot file contains a NRHP form for sites within the original townsite.. The Minto School files contain correspondence, notes and a NRHP form for the school. The Park River files include correspondence, notes and a NDCRS form. The Pisek School files contain correspondence, notes and a NRHP form. The Portland file contains only a NRHP form for the Lucken Farm. The St. Joseph’s Chapel (Walsh County) files contain a NRHP form, correspondence and notes. The Valley City section includes notes, histories, ordinances concerning zoning, and photocopied photographs. The Wahpeton Hospital files contain a contract, correspondence, notes and a NRHP form. The Post Offices Series covers twenty-two cities and is broken down alphabetically. Each city file contains generally the same items with minor variances: NDCRS, NRHP forms, correspondence, notes, a postal survey documenting the property for the Post Office, and a questionnaire prepared by Roberts for the postmasters in the individual cities to fill out. In the New Rockford file is information about the mural artist. Also included in this series is the phase I study completed by Roberts and a list of expenses incurred by Roberts, including lodging, film developing, etc. There is also are copies of the applications for conducting research in North Dakota and the criteria that is to be followed.

Dates

1974-1995.

Creator

Roberts, Norene A. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Biography

Norene Roberts received her Master’s and Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Minnesota in 1972 and 1978, respectively. Following her doctoral work, she was employed by the Minnesota State Historical Society as an architectural historian. In 1979 she established Historical Research Incorporated, for which the projects in this collection were completed. Some of her work includes those in this collection as well as numerous projects in Minnesota. In 1995 she moved from Minneapolis to Massachusetts.

Extent

2.5 Linear Feet (2.5 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

President of Historical Research Inc., Minneapolis, Roberts conducted a number of surveys for North Dakota National Register of Historic Places nominations.

Provenance

Donated by Norene Roberts, 1995 (Acc. 2412).

Separation Record

Publications (Cataloged into the Institute publications collection) 1. Devils Lake/Ramsey County Historical Society, 1983 2. Walsh County Historical Society Newsletter (v.3 no.1, Dec. 1976) (Jan 1990, Jan 1992) 3. Final report on the 1986-1987 National Register Reconnaissance and Intensive Survey of Devils lake, North Dakota, 1987 4. Final report on the 1986-87 Reconnaissance Survey of Valley City, North Dakota, Sep. 1987 5. Cultural Resources Investigation of the Grand Forks/ East Grand Forks Urban Study and East Grand Forks Flood Control Project, April 1981 6. Cultural Resources Investigation of Homme Reservoir Walsh County, North Dakota- Popular Report, 28 October 1981 7. Cultural Resources Investigation of Homme Reservoir Walsh County, North Dakota, 28 October 1981 8. Cultural Resources Literature Search and Records review of Grafton, North Dakota Flood Control Project-Popular Report, 26 May 1981 9. Cultural Resources Literature Search and Records review of Grafton, North Dakota Flood Control Project 10. Historical Research report; Summer 1981 Historical and Architectural Survey of downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota, Historical Research, Inc., 1981 11. History of the City of Grand Forks to 1889, by Alexander Aas, 1920 12. Social History of Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1880-1914, by Robert S. Anderson, 1951

Photographs (Institute Photograph 2015) Circa 200 of Roberts’ projects in North Dakota

Maps (Added to Institute map collection) Map of the City of Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota, City Engineer Dept., Jan. 1, 1932 Downtown Fargo, N.D. National Register District, with Norene Roberts’ color-coded legend Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, compiled by H.G. Lykken, E.J. MacIlraith, corrected to March 1914; published by E.J. Lander & Co., Grand Forks, N.D. Grand Forks Quadrangle. United States Geological Survey, 1963; photo verified 1979 Newspapers (Added to Institute newspaper collection) Grand Forks Herald, 100th Anniversary Edition, 1979 Grand Forks Herald, Souvenir Edition, 29 Mar 1974 Morton County and Mandan News, Centennial Edition, June 1981