A new permanent exhibit curated and produced by students in NDSU’s museum studies program under the guidance of public history professor Angela Smith will open to the public on Saturday, May 10 at 1 p.m. at Bonanzaville in West Fargo.
The two-part exhibit, developed during the spring 2025 semester, traces the formation of Fargo from its frontier origins in the 1870s through the rise and fall of Bonanza farming in the Red River Valley. The project is the result of a semester-long collaboration between Smith and 21 students (14 undergraduates and seven graduate students) who conducted original research, proposed exhibit sections and helped shape the final layout and design.
“This project highlights the role of students in uncovering and interpreting our region’s history,” Smith said. “Together, we explored how railroads, land and agriculture transformed this area and how those changes still echo today.”
The first part of the exhibit, “Iron Rails/Prairie Dreams: The Early History of Fargo” tells the story of how the city developed at the junction of river and rail. Profiles of town founders and key industries illustrate Fargo’s transformation from a rough-and-tumble boomtown into a civic and commercial hub.
The exhibit’s second part is, “Empire of Grain: The Rise and Fall of Bonanza Farming, 1873-1930.” It focuses on the industrial-scale wheat farms that dominated the region from the 1870s to early 20th century. With massive acreage, modern machinery and business-like management, these farms marked the beginning of large-scale agribusiness in the United States.
Opening Day Schedule (Saturday, May 10):
- Exhibit viewing: 1-3 p.m.
- Program and reception: 2 p.m.
- Film screening: “Glacier, Prairie, Farm:” 3-4 p.m.
The opening event also features a screening of “Glacier, Prairie, Farm,” a documentary produced by Smith and her NDSU students that traces the environmental and cultural transformation of the Red River Valley from glacial retreat to Indigenous land use, early settlement and modern agriculture.
This event is sponsored by Bonanzaville, NDSU’s public history program and the Fargo History Project.
Bonanzaville is located at 1351 Main Ave. W, West Fargo, North Dakota. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.