This photo shows an outdoor display at the Logan County Museum in North Dakota, featuring a bright red and yellow Soo Line railroad caboose marked with the number 162. A vintage railroad crossing sign and circular “RR” marker stand in front of it, enhancing the historic rail setting. To the right, an old piece of farm machinery rests on the grass, while the wide-open prairie stretches into the background, giving the scene a strong sense of North Dakota’s rural heritage.

Here at the Logan County Historical Museum you will find a country school that looks just like it would have back in the 30’s and 40’s with maps and a chalkboard on the wall. There’s even a bell to ring to let the kids know lunch is ready.

Because of the strong Germans from Russia heritage in the area, the majority of children referred to their country school as “the English School” because at home, German was most often spoken. There were religion schools in the area too, but those were called, “die Deutsch School,” as religion schools were all in German. To convince the kids of the importance of learning two languages, they might have been told the story of the momma mouse and her baby mice that ran into a cat. The momma mouse barked at the cat, which of course ran away terrified, to which the momma mouse turned to her mice saying, “See, it pays to know more than one language!”

You’re invited to explore the rest of the property and discover a blacksmith shop with everything but the blacksmith, as well as an old barber shop, a fully stocked country store, a doctor's office, dentist office, and old ag equipment galore--like an old stationary baler, a hay loader, thrashing machines, corn planters, an old John Deere tractor and a John Deere combine from the fifties. There’s a covered wagon, and a train depot with a caboose that the kids can climb into and become a conductor. The original post office from Burnstad is on site, as well as the first framed house in Logan County, where John Kroebar (Kray-bar) and his family of four resided. The main house features a military room with artifacts from brave World War I and II veterans from Napoleon, as well as a study, a living room with a phonograph, and wild game mounts like a stuffed peacock, and geese can be found in the entryway.

We’re proud of our small county museum, and if you make the trip, you will leave understanding why--our rich heritage isn’t something we plan to forget anytime soon. The museum is open every Sunday and on holidays from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon.