Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily
    • Home
    • Advertise
    • About us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    29 Oct 2025
    • Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily Bismarck Daily
    • Local News
    • State News
    • Politics
    • Crime News
    • Coronavirus
    • Sports
    • Community
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    Ward County Historical Society moves the late Ervin Erickson’s pianos to Minot
    Community

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

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    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.

    State News

    Proposal would give money to North Dakota coal plants by taxing wind power

    Coronavirus

    How Minot became the COVID-19 capital of North Dakota

    Related posts

    Community

    Job Service of North Dakota asking employers to report job refusals

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    Community

    Customer faced up to 10 years in prison over what she wanted to buy at WaImart!

    Ally Dillinger, 1 year ago
    Community

    Dad found letter from míssing daughter, the last line had him ṣcreaming in tears!

    Ally Dillinger, 2 years ago
    Community

    Docɬoɾs put baby next to her dyíng sisteɾ, what the newboɾn did next Ieft the doctoɾs in dísbeIief!

    Ally Dillinger, 1 year ago
    Community

    As pandemic winds down, students venture out of the classroom

    Ally Dillinger, 5 years ago
    Community

    Dog barked at the babysỉtter, so mom instaIIed hỉdden camera and reveaIed the troubIing truth!

    Ally Dillinger, 2 years ago

    Follow us on Google News

    Follow us on Flipboard

    Trending Slider

    Bismarck police recognize Red Ribbon Week to promote drug-free living and community awareness
    11 hours ago
    Federal disaster declaration approved for August storms in North Dakota following Governor Armstrong’s request
    11 hours ago
    Bismarck police investigating vehicle-pedestrian crash near high school
    11 hours ago
    North Dakota Highway Patrol investigating fatal rollover crash following police pursuit in Ward County
    1 day ago
    Bismarck Police Department welcomed two new officers to the force
    1 day ago
    Man who kiIIed his famiIy member because he was angry at him for Ieaving his famiIy and being unempIoyed, then cIaimed the sibIing came at him and raised his hand to hit him after previously threatening to kiII his spouse and chiId, is charged
    2 days ago

    Follow us on News Break

    Categories

    • Bismarck (1)
    • Community (595)
    • Coronavirus (232)
    • Crime News (309)
    • Local News (600)
    • News (15)
    • Politics (260)
    • Sports (215)
    • State News (488)
    • Trending (335)
    • Uncategorized (1)
    • Login
    • Register

    Forgot Password

    Registration is closed.