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Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force Records

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 163-Cassette tapes 331-337

Scope and Contents

The Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force Records consists of the office records maintained by the task force executive director and the office manager. This collection emphasizes the work of the group rather than the architectural plans. Whenever possible, the original filing of the task force has been maintained. However, much of the collection was loose rather than in files, so file titles were established when processed. There are five series: Business Records, Planning, Grants and Donors, Public Relations, and City and State Government Correspondence. The arrangement of the first series is chronological. The remaining series are alphabetical. The Business Records Series includes legal documents needed to establish the task force as a legal entity, the task force meeting minutes and related correspondence, financial statements, and correspondence and lists of the task force’s advisory committee. Also included in this series are the many letters of endorsement written by area leaders. These letters were used when pursuing support for the bridge. The task force minutes are complete, but the related correspondence is not. Correspondence has been filed with the meeting minutes because it often relates to the meetings. There is a complete check register of financial transactions of the task force. The Foss Englestad Foss architectural bills paid file offers the researcher a picture of how the project progressed. The correspondence and lists of the advisory committee indicate the individuals who were asked by the task force to serve as advisors to the group. This committee broadened the scope of the group and offered a variety of perspectives to the task force. There are no minutes or correspondence of that committee as a group, so it does not appear that the group met separately from the task force. One item of note is the correspondence to and from Joan Mondale. The task force tried unsuccessfully to convince her to take an official stand in support of the bridge. The Planning Series has four sub-series: Preliminary Planning, Local Architects, National Architects, and Planning and Design. The Arts Development Associates (ADA) of Minneapolis files especially illustrate the preliminary planning process. The ADA files appear to be complete. There is a report file for ADA that seems to be the preliminary final report. Statistics differ between this and the final report. The other files in the Preliminary Planning Sub-series are not as complete. This perhaps is because all firms involved except ADA were retained by the Heritage Interpretive Task Force after the cooperative FargoMoorhead group disbanded. Both the Local Architects and National Architects Sub-series contain correspondence and information regarding the architect selection process. Both also contain general correspondence of Foss Englestad Foss and Michael Graves, which occasionally overlap. The files do not include actual designs or drawings but do contain programming information. Several bills are also located in the Graves’ file. The planning and design sub-series indicate the various groups that were involved in this process. The files do not seem complete, but still suggest the progress of the project. The working papers toward a building program, while unsigned, are likely the work of Michael Graves. The Grants and Donors Series features files of contributors such as Dayton Hudson Foundation, Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Bicentennial Commission, and North Dakota Council on the Mss 163 Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force Records Page 4 of 7 Arts and Humanities. The files from the Dayton Hudson Foundation and the Minnesota Historical Society appear complete. While processing, indexes were prepared for these files: Grants and Donations to Bridge Funds and Various and Unsuccessful Grant Applications to Various Foundations). The Public Relations Series contains the incomplete Publicity Committee minutes. Related correspondence is also included. The clippings file, also incomplete, provides background information on the progress of the “Bridge” project. The City and State Government Correspondence Series reflects the regional base of support that the task force sought and received. Correspondence to the Fargo and Moorhead City Commissions has been filed with the corresponding mayor’s file.

Dates

  • 1974-1979

Creator

Access

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

Copyrights

The Institute holds the copyrights.

History

Looking ahead to the Fargo-Moorhead centennial celebration in 1975, the two cities were searching for an appropriate cooperative project to commemorate the centennial. A bridge between the cities was developed as part of that project. The bridge idea came from Clyde B. Schroeder, a fifth year architecture student at North Dakota State University. But the Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural “Bridge” plan included not only a bridge, but also a Red River Valley interpretive center and facilities for a symphony orchestra, opera company, and public radio and television. In January, 1975, Richard Hentges and Dwaine Hoberg, mayors of Fargo and Moorhead, announced plans for the Heritage and Cultural Bridge. A task force was incorporated in February under the name FargoMoorhead Heritage and Cultural Interpretive Center Task Force (FMHCIC). Original members were Charles Bailly (chair), Al Bloomquist, Dr. John Jenkins, Vince Lindstrom, Gerry Haukebo, Keith Burkholder, Willis Kingsbury, Ken Larson, and Roger Young. The group changed its name to the FargoMoorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force as of June 13, 1975. In July, Col. E.G. Clapp, Jr., long-time Fargo resident, was named the interim executive director. He soon hired Tess Lundby as the organization’s office manager. Lundby remained the manager until the group disbanded in 1979. Col. Clapp was hired with the understanding that he would serve only four months. Therefore, in November, Vince Lindstrom, Cultural Resource Coordinator for the Fargo School District, was named executive director. Funding sources for the bridge were tapped almost immediately. Donations from various agencies were received as early as July, 1975. Three of the major contributors in the beginning were the North Dakota Bicentennial Committee, the North Dakota Housing and Economic Development Committee, and the Dayton Hudson Foundation. Dayton Hudson continued to be a major contributor throughout the project. The task force pursued a variety of funding sources, primarily from regional agencies. Local government agencies were generally supportive, with Minnesota government, corporations, and agencies leading the way. National contributions came from two different programs of the National Endowment for the Arts. The search for a local architectural firm began soon after the task force became active. In December, Foss Engelstad Foss was selected, with Royce A. Yeater serving as project architect. The search then began for a nationally known architect who would design the actual bridge. Five national architects/firms were selected for interviews conducted in June, 1976. The five were Michael Graves, Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer, Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker (MLTW), Stanley Tigerman, and Malcolm Wells. In July, 1976, the task force announced that Michael Graves was chosen as the bridge architect. Graves’ presentation of his unique design was made to the public more than a year later—in December, 1977. The design was critically acclaimed and was named a winner in the 26th annual P/A Awards of January, 1979 (sponsored by Progressive Architect magazine). Ironically, in the same month that the P/A Awards were announced, the bridge task force was forced to disband. That followed the November, 1978, referendum, in which 53 percent of Fargo voters voted against public funding of the “Bridge” and other arts programs and projects. Although the cooperative task force was unsuccessful in building the “Bridge,” Graves continued to work on an interpretive center for the Heritage Interpretive Task Force, a new group of Moorhead residents. That project proved unsuccessful as well. While neither of Graves’ projects for Fargo and Moorhead were ever built, both are well known and widely publicized.

Extent

1.4 Linear Feet (1.4 linear feet.)

7 Audio Cassettes (7 audio cassettes.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Civic group organized to develop plans for a cultural bridge spanning the Red River between Fargo and Moorhead. Although never built, the award winning design was by renown architect Michael Graves.

Provenance

Donated by Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force, April, 1982 (Acc. 2070).

Separation Record

The following non-manuscript items were removed from the Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force Records and placed in the section indicated. Cassettes (Institute Cassette Collection)

7 cassettes of Michael Graves, 331; Hardy Holzman Pfeifer and Associates, 332-333; Moore Lyndon Turnball and Whitaker, 334-335; Stanley Tigerman, 336; and Malcolm Wells, 337. Broadsides (Institute Broadside Collection)

Book jacket of The Architect’s Eye: American Architectural Drawings From 1799-1978, featuring colored rendition of Michael Graves’ F-M Heritage and Cultural Bridge. Photographs (Institute Photograph Collection, Photo Mss 163)

30 photographs of Michael Graves, 163/1; Clyde B. Schroeder, 163/2; Dayton Hudson Foundation, 163/3; Task Force Personnel, 163/4; Brad Morison, ADA, 163/5. Slides (Institute Slide Collection)

Slides used by architects in their presentations, including of Moore, Lyndon, Turnball, Whitaker; Stanley Tigerman; Malcolm Wells; Michael Graves; and Hardy, Holsman, Pfeifer and Associates

Property rights

The Institute for Regional Studies owns the property rights to this collection.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding Aid to the Fargo-Moorhead Heritage and Cultural Bridge Task Force Records
Description rules
Appm
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository

https://library.ndsu.edu/ndsuarchives/collections/institute-regional-studies-archive-collection
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States

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