From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, a great population boom was happening in North Dakota. Many settlers had begun to put down roots in the Rendezvous Region, with homesteads and towns popping up all over present-day Pembina, Walsh, and Cavalier counties. As more and more people called this area home, the need for schools and churches was paramount.

In 1908, a school with a special purpose was constructed in Bathgate, North Dakota, near the banks of the Tongue River. It was called the North Dakota School for the Blind. A residential educational institution, the school served the visually impaired between the ages of 3 and 22. When the first bell rang, the school welcomed 25 students. The large, brick building served as the State School for the Blind for over 50 years, when the decision was made to relocate. The new school, adjacent to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, opened in the fall of 1961. Now known as North Dakota Vision Services and School of the Blind, to this day it serves the visually impaired.

After closing, the old facility in Bathgate was leased to Pembina County for local use. For a time, the building was converted into a rest home for nearly 60 residents. Today, it is occupied by a publishing company, Bethlehem Community, who produces books for homeschool families.