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

North Dakota Highway Patrol responded after truck crash caused hazardous materials spill that closed part of Highway 25, troopers say driver was not injured

North Dakota Sen. Cramer applauds review of Biden-era rule, claims it gave way too much power to the bureaucracy, urges farmers and landowners to make their voices heard

Interchange Avenue to close east of State Street for one-day roadway repair project

City of Bismarck opens two temporary tree branch drop-off sites for residents with small quantities of storm debris

22-year-old man dies after targeted shooting in Bismarck, police investigating

NDHP K9 teams assist search for missing hiker after vehicle found at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Follow us on News Break

Categories

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

Related posts

Fishermen saw something odd stuck on an iceberg, soon realized the unimaginable truth!

Surgeons were shocked and Ieft speechIess after they removed this from a man who had troubIe going to the bathroom since birth!

Mom had no idea why doctors ask dad to leave, ‘then mom realized what they’ve done’!

Jamestown Amusement Park approved by ND House

Identical twins married identical twins and both got pregnant, ‘but wait until you see what the doctor found’!

Black boy has become a viral star simply for liking something and saying so publicly

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

North Dakota Highway Patrol responded after truck crash caused hazardous materials spill that closed part of Highway 25, troopers say driver was not injured

North Dakota Sen. Cramer applauds review of Biden-era rule, claims it gave way too much power to the bureaucracy, urges farmers and landowners to make their voices heard

Interchange Avenue to close east of State Street for one-day roadway repair project

City of Bismarck opens two temporary tree branch drop-off sites for residents with small quantities of storm debris

22-year-old man dies after targeted shooting in Bismarck, police investigating

NDHP K9 teams assist search for missing hiker after vehicle found at Theodore Roosevelt National Park