Northern Great Plains: Fred Hultstrand History in Pictures Collection

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The Fred Hultstrand History in Pictures Collection consists of some 550 images documenting the settlement of the northern Great Plains, particularly northeastern North Dakota. In addition, approximately 300 of these images were later hand-colored, adding a unique flavor to the collection presented here. Throughout his life, Fred Hultstrand exhibited the good sense to take note of the ways in which life went on about him and to record his impressions by means of a camera. He spent over sixty years photographing the people and events of his region.

The subject content of the collection is very diverse, ranging from early sod homes, to farming scenes, to small town life, to social events, and to education on the prairie. Subject strengths include: sod buildings, farming, one-room schools, women, children, and stores & shops in small town America. There are images of plowing, threshing, steam engines, and horses. Weather, always a major concern, includes blizzards, snow, and winter. Other images contain scenes of eating & drinking, hunting, celebrations, and women's organizations. The ethnic diversity of the region is evident with the numerous images of Norwegian Americans, Icelandic Americans, Canadian Americans, British Americans, and others. Through this collection you will witness the transformation of a part of the American frontier in the short span of forty years, from the early 1880s to the 1920s.

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