Team digs into storage unit containing 30,000 antiques and artifacts
Right now, the only place in the world where you’re likely to find an iron lung, a wagon buggy and a replica military cannon all in the same room is inside Cass County North Dakota Historical Society’s sprawling Building 16.
Closed to the public and tucked away in the southeast corner of Bonanzaville’s Pioneer Village, the soccer field-sized storage unit contains an estimated 30,000 additional treasures, antiques and historic artifacts—mostly left uncataloged over the years due to a lack of funding.
Until now.
Cass County Historic Society recently received $86,000 in funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services over three years to begin combing through the thousands of artifacts containing the treasures of our local history.
It’s financial support CCNDHS Executive Director Beth Jansen calls a
“game changer” for the nonprofit, which is responsible for collecting, preserving and celebrating Cass County’s cultural heritage.
“The IMLS is one of the top organizations that provides funding opportunities for museums, and Bonanzaville has frequently applied for grants through this organization without success,” Jansen said. “When we found out that we were awarded the grant in September 2025, it came as a welcome shock.”
Among the items they know exist in Building 16 are artifacts that were once on display in Pioneer Village but were moved to storage due to structural damage or age. Surgical chairs, stacks of community cookbooks, empty hat boxes and church pews.
Even a six-pack of Killian’s Irish Red beer dangles off a shelving unit, still partying like it’s 1999.
“Something as mundane as a button can say a lot about the owner and what kind of life they may have lived,” museum Curator Charlotte Stoddard said, explaining that most of what exists in Building 16 was donated by old farming families and rural businesses.
Casey Young, museum project manager, said a variety of items come from the Thue-Brink Store, a two-story general store that was demolished in 2019 due to extreme structural damage.
“That building’s lower level contained store furnishings and stock, and the upper level contained a vast collection of artifacts related to medical history,” Young said. “When it was determined that the building could not be saved, staff rushed to clear out the building’s artifacts and with no other space large enough to accommodate these items, moved them to Building 16.”
“We do know many items are part of larger collections from single donors that were bequeathed or donated to the organization before we developed a formal collections policy,” she said.
Stoddard added that this work of cataloging is an important contribution to historical preservation.
“The preservation of historic objects and documents provides tangible links to the past, aids in the shaping of communal identity, and functions as a unique method of storytelling that simply cannot be found elsewhere,” she added.
The grant also supports the work of Susan Curtis, collections manager of the Emily Reynolds Historic Costume Collection at NDSU, who will serve as a consultant for the project and help navigate relocating and reorganizing artifacts.
“Susan has served as collections manager for a wide array of collections, making her the perfect person to help us address the eclectic mix of artifacts currently stored in Building 16,” Goddard said. “Additionally, as a member of our collections committee, she is already familiar with our organization’s history and collecting scope.”
So, what else might they find in Building 16?
“Honestly, we have no idea,” Jansen joked. “But there’s a lot of amazing historical artifacts to go through and we’re very excited about what we might find.”
What the team does know, however, is that collecting and preserving Cass County’s history isn’t just a matter of having a heart for the region—it’s about having space for it, too. Space they’re about to gain.
Work towards clearing out Building 16 will continue for the next few years. Meanwhile, the museum invites community members to visit Pioneer Village and check out their calendar of events for updates. Visit Bonanzaville’s website for more info.
About Cass County North Dakota Historical Society
CCNDHS is the cultural institution responsible for telling the county’s story and preserving and collecting artifacts related to it. Bonanzaville has been an iconic part of the Red River Valley since 1968.
