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

Caregiver knew diabIed woman had the cognitive capability of a 2-year-old child and relied entirely on caregivers for assistance before he indcently assaulted and lmpregnated her; sentenced

Gov. Armstrong addresses revenue forecast adjustments while maintaining tax relief and infrastructure commitments

City of Bismarck Roads & Streets Department begins annual street sweeping program and reminds residents and motorists to take safety precautions

Bismarck Fire Department urges residents to properly extinguish smoking materials to prevent fires

City of Bismarck’s Assessing Division sends 2025 valuation increase notices, outlines appeal process

Bismarck citizens academy participants tour public health facility, learn about city programs

Follow us on News Break

Categories

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

Related posts

Mama pear pleads to fisherman to save her drowning cubs, ‘then this happened’!

Bismarck Gears Up for 2025 Legislative Session

In 2021, Let’s Stop Being Offended So Much

10-year-oId kept arriving Iate and tìred to schooI, poIice checked dad’s vehicIe and made dìsturbing dìscovery!

Pets That Are Illegal To Have In North Dakota

This cop saw baby in hot car and broke the window, ‘then realized he made a huge mistake’!

Follow us on Google News

Follow us on Flipboard

Caregiver knew diabIed woman had the cognitive capability of a 2-year-old child and relied entirely on caregivers for assistance before he indcently assaulted and lmpregnated her; sentenced

Gov. Armstrong addresses revenue forecast adjustments while maintaining tax relief and infrastructure commitments

City of Bismarck Roads & Streets Department begins annual street sweeping program and reminds residents and motorists to take safety precautions

Bismarck Fire Department urges residents to properly extinguish smoking materials to prevent fires

City of Bismarck’s Assessing Division sends 2025 valuation increase notices, outlines appeal process

Bismarck citizens academy participants tour public health facility, learn about city programs