Ward County Historical Society moves the late Ervin Erickson’s pianos to Minot

MINOT, N.D. – A Bismarck piano man’s legacy and dream of establishing a piano museum has been rescued by the Ward County Historical Society after his death last June.

Ervin Erickson could never bear to see a piano – especially a player piano – sent to the dump and collected as many as 70 of them, said his sister, Enid Bachman.

“He fell in love with pianos,” said Bachman.

Erickson’s lifelong affinity began when he was in grade school and took piano lessons, said Bachman, and he had a dream of one day starting a piano museum.

When he passed away, his family tried to find a museum or historical society that would accept the pianos or an individual or business who might want to buy them.

Submitted Photo The Ward County Historical Society moved about 60 pianos that had once belonged to Ervin Erickson of Bismarck, who died in June 2020.

“We weren’t really having any luck selling them,” said Bachman. “It’s not a good market right now.”

It would also have cost the family to have the pianos taken to the dump, said Dan Caswell, a Ward County Historical Society board member, and Bachman said her family would have hated to see her brother’s lifelong work go to the local dump. The family put out some feelers in search of a historical society that might be willing to take possession of the pianos and the Ward County Historical Society answered the call.

The pianos they rescued are currently in storage in semi-trailers owned by Gary Price, said Caswell.

Caswell said one day the museum hopes to raise money to construct a separate building at its pioneer village in Burlington that would house only the pianos. There are only three museums devoted solely to pianos in the United States in Michigan, Maine, and New York. The Ward County Historical Society’s museum would make a fourth and would also complete Erickson’s dream.

Caswell said the historical society also hopes to construct another building that would house a collection of old TVs and radios and another building for its antique cars. The historical society has applied for grants and done some fundraising since the museum was relocated to Burlington from its former site at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot. Donations are particularly appreciated.

Ward County Historical Society moves the late Ervin Erickson’s pianos to Minot

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

Trending Slider

Sen. Cramer says Senate Democratic Leader Schumer is “willing to punish servicemembers” over President Trump’s Iran actions by blocking the NDAA

North Dakota trooper arrests driver accused of DUI and marijuana possession after admitting they were still intoxicated from the night before

Bismarck announces overnight traffic signal changes at Centennial Road and 43rd Avenue North

Tyler Parkway detour begins as Bismarck construction project moves forward

Bismarck Fire Department rescues ducklings after they fall into storm sewer on north side of city

North Dakota Gov. Armstrong celebrates major technology project opening, says “this is how you do business in North Dakota”

Follow us on News Break

Categories

Ward County Historical Society moves the late Ervin Erickson’s pianos to Minot

Related posts

Mac Daddy’s dishing up gourmet mac and cheese in downtown Fargo

ChiId drank mother’s meth-Iaced bong water, but what her famiIy did after made matters even more slckening!

Surğeons were shocḵed and knew the cause of death immediateIy when they puIIed this out of man’s body!

Facilities will be closed all of Wednesday, April 5 though 12 noon on Thursday, April 6 – due to forecasted weather conditions

Mom was told by doctors to have an abortion because her baby wouldn’t live, ‘but she gave birth to this’!

Mother was dying right after giving biŕth, then nuŕse did the unthinkabIe with her newboŕn!

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

Sen. Cramer says Senate Democratic Leader Schumer is “willing to punish servicemembers” over President Trump’s Iran actions by blocking the NDAA

North Dakota trooper arrests driver accused of DUI and marijuana possession after admitting they were still intoxicated from the night before

Bismarck announces overnight traffic signal changes at Centennial Road and 43rd Avenue North

Tyler Parkway detour begins as Bismarck construction project moves forward

Bismarck Fire Department rescues ducklings after they fall into storm sewer on north side of city

North Dakota Gov. Armstrong celebrates major technology project opening, says “this is how you do business in North Dakota”