September 21, 2013
Summer’s clean up; for fall — forward!
As the seasons changed this weekend, so did the landscape at the Stone Bank Project.
Responding to complaints from the Bottineau City Council, workers cleaned up the construction site at the back of the bank building. First they used a skid loader to move all of the pallets of disassembled stone from the back lot to a nearby space, then they plowed under all of the weeds that had grown among the stones this summer. Ultimately, they moved more than a dozen pallets of concrete block off of 6th Street and onto the Stone Bank’s property.
In October, stone mason Joe Whetter says, he and his crew will install those concrete blocks on the footings they poured last month. The blocks will form the interior wall onto which Whetter will re-assemble the stone facade next spring.
Whetter admits that progress on the Stone Bank Project has come in fits and starts this summer, partly because of all the early rains and partly because larger projects elsewhere kept him and subcontractors preoccupied. But now that it’s fall, he is finishing those summer projects and promising to harvest his groundwork at the Stone Bank.
If he does, it won’t be the building’s first season of change. After all, Bottineau’s pioneers built the entire Stone Bank in the final six months of 1900.
The Stone Bank as it looked in 1901. It’s a swell building, isn’t it? Good bone structure makes it very good looking.
September 8, 2013
Looking Back … Looking Forward
Before they worked the land, settlers had to remove the stone. Photo from Westhope, ND in 1902. Teams of horses were essential to removing rock and plowing the prairie.
Pioneers faced many hardships when they settled the area around Bottineau. Beyond the grasshoppers, the relentless wind and the remote location there were a lot of rocks in the way of successful farming.
Rock picking — and lots of it — came before planting the crop, and it is still a task for many farmers.
But all that backbreaking work had a payoff. The stalwart and clever pioneers knew that those stones made great building material. All around the Bottineau area, there are some very nice stone structures, including our favorite — the Stone Bank.
By the time the picture, above, was taken, the Stone Bank had been standing for about two years. Completed just before Christmas in 1900, the Stone Bank has stood the test of time. (Our nonprofit bought the building and began making repairs in late 2011.)
Now, we need your help bringing this historic structure back to life — and putting it back to use. We’re on our way, but we need additional funding to rebuild the back section and get the roof on in 2013. Can you help?
Buy one of our T-shirts. Dedicate a stone. Or make a donation. We really can’t get this done without community support.
Architect Bobbi Hepper Olson discussed a plan to put a new foundation at the back of the bank, for Sharon Kessler, Fred Kainz and Joe Whetter. Work is currently underway.
The Stone Bank looks much the same as it did when it was built in 1900. We are adding a handicap entrance and new foundation at the back of the building in 2013.
Please share our blog with your friends and family. Make a donation today. We aren’t asking for any heavy lifting — just a contribution. Any amount can really make a difference. Our PayPal link and mailing address are on this page. Let’s have someone in all 50 states wearing a Stone Bank T-shirt. We can make this happen like the pioneers did — one stone at a time.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all funds go toward repairing the building. There are more photos and information on our website: StoneBank.org.
Thanks for reading the Stone Bank blog.
September 2, 2013
Happy Labor Day!
We hope that Labor Day finds you taking a break from work and enjoying the long weekend. Enjoy.
At the Stone Bank, we are enjoying the weekend, but we never stop “working” on finding the money to push our project along.
How can you help? But a T-shirt. Dedicate a stone or just make a contribution.
We have new T’s — red in a women’s cut and blue for men. Only $15.
We recently rolled out our new Stone Bank T-shirts and all the really cool people have them. You are SO cool you need one, too. These are 100% cotton T’s and the colors are really great.
Linda Heidbreder loves her T-shirt and wears it on “casual Friday” to work.
You don’t have to wear your heart on your sleeve, but you can show your support of the Stone Bank restoration by wearing one of our T-shirts. They really look great with jeans.
The Stone Bank T’s were made in Bottineau by Echoe Shriver. Get yours today!
You can order your T-shirt online or stop by 4J’s Sporting Goods on Main Street in Bottineau. Echoe Shriver has the T’s on hand and can even make one to order in minutes.
Of the $15 for the shirt, $10 goes to Stone Bank restoration work. We have T-shirts from petite to 3xl for women and from medium to 3xl for men.
It’s a little thing, but your support means a lot to the project. Our goal is to raise the back of the building this fall and get the roof on. That takes money. Every donation moves us closer to that goal. Can you help?
Send an order by email, by mail or gives us a call. Our contact information is in the right column of this page. You can also use our handy PayPal site to order your T-shirt. If you don’t like wearing a T-shirt, why not dedicate a stone to a loved one? All the details are on our website.
Thanks for your support!
(Subliminal message … Get the T!)
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