1872

First buildings are constructed, commissioned by Doctor Walter Burleigh. The town is named Edwinton after Edwin Johnson of the Northern Pacific Railroad

Camp Greeley, later called Camp Hancock, is established, which served as a warehouse and supply depot, in addition to an infantry post, and later the US Weather Bureau

John Yegen opens Bismarck's first business, a bakery and restaurant he operated out of a tent.

1873

Edwinton is renamed “Bismarck” after German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (July)

Bismarck Tribune publishes first issue (July)

Burleigh County is organized and Bismarck named its county seat

The first school is opened at the Congressional Church by Linda Slaughter (September)

1875

Bismarck is incorporated, electing John McLean as the first mayor

1876

Bismarck Tribune staff writer Mark H. Kellogg is first to report on the Battle of Little Bighorn

St. Mary's Church is established

1877

The first schoolhouse is opened, a two-room building constructed at the southwest corner of Thayer Avenue and Sixth Street.

St. Mary's Academy and Boarding School is established (April)

1878

Saint Mary's Cemetery is established

1879

First National Bank opens at corner of 4th Street and Main Avenue, the second bank in Dakota Territory 
 

1880

Pacific Hotel opens (later named Grand Pacific Hotel)

1882

Northern Pacific completes construction of the bridge connecting Bismarck & Mandan, it opens on October 21

1883

Territorial capital of Dakota Territory is moved from Yankton to Bismarck.

Dakota Block is completed, Bismarck's second oldest building (October)

1884

New territorial capitol is completed

Webb Brothers Department Store opens

The North Ward School is completed, replacing the original schoolhouse constructed in 1877. The school houses 364 students its first year.

1885

Saint Alexius Hospital opens, the first hospital in Dakota Territory

Territorial prison is opened, now known as the North Dakota State Penitentiary

1887

A ten-day blizzard buries the region (January)

First graduating class consists of two students

1889

Bismarck assumes role as capital of North Dakota upon officially entering statehood 
 

1898

Fire devastates Bismarck on August 8, destroying most of the city

Saint Mary's Church is completed (September)

1899

A.W. Lucas & Company opens

1900

Webb Brothers Building is completed

Sheridan House Hotel is relocated and renamed Northwest Hotel

1901

Northern Pacific Train Depot is completed at a cost of $33,601, replacing the original depot destroyed in the 1898 Fire

1902

Doctors Quain and Ramstad open a clinic

Partnership between Arthur Lucas and William O'Hara is dissolved, leaving Lucas sole owner of A.W. Lucas & Company (June 30)

Soo Railroad reaches Bismarck (August)

1904

State-owned streetcar line is completed connecting downtown with the State Capitol; it was disestablished in 1931

1905

Construction begins on the Will School (closed in 1951)

The International Harvester Building is completed (now L.J. Anderson Building)

1906

New building for Grand Pacific Hotel is completed (demolished in 1974)

1907

Quain & Ramstad's clinic is reorganized to become Bismarck Evangelical Hospital, the precursor to Medcenter One

1909

New Bismarck Evangelical Hospital officially opens

Custer Park opens, the first municipal park in Bismarck
 

1910

Sakakawea Statue is erected on the grounds of the state capitol

1911

McKenzie Hotel opens on January 1

New fire hall constructed on Thayer Avenue, building would also house city hall and police headquarters for several decades.

1912

First high school building is completed (replaced in 1935)

1913

Federal Building opens (replaced in 1964)

1914

Belle Mehus Auditorium opens (January)

1915

New facility for Saint Alexius Hospital opens 

1916

Van Horn Hotel opens, later renamed Prince Hotel

1918

North Ward School is renamed William Moore

Wachter School is constructed, named for Charles Wachter

Carnegie Library opens (replaced in 1963 by Veterans Memorial Library. Building demolished in 1980.)

1919

The Yegen Family expands into the dairy business 

Bank of North Dakota is established (June)
 

1920

The original Richholt School is constructed, named for F.H. Richholt

1922

Bismarck High School introduces the Demon mascot

The Liberty Memorial Bridge completes construction and holds a 3-day dedication ceremony beginning September 18 with over 12,000 attendees

Alexander McKenzie passes away (June 22)

McKenzie Hotel is renamed Patterson Hotel

1923

The original Roosevelt School is constructed

1924

Liberty Memorial Building is completed on grounds of State Capitol

Fleck Motors opens (September 1)

1925

KFYR Radio signs on the air; first public broadcast in February 1926

1927

Will School adds three additional rooms

1928

Montgomery Ward arrives in Bismarck

Riverside Park opens (now Sertoma Park) 

1929

J.C. Penney opens its Bismarck location, upon purchasing store and liquidation inventory from local retailer McCracken. The company previously had a location in Mandan (opened in 1920).
 

1930

Wachter School expands, adding three rooms and a gymnasium

Pioneer Park opens

State capitol is consumed by fire on December 28, started by spontaneous combustion from a collection of rags covered with turpentine and varnish

J.C. Penney builds a new store

1931

First commercial airplane lands in Bismarck

State-owned streetcar line is disestablished

Buttrey's opens Bismarck store

1932

Ground is broken for new state capitol on August 13

Elk's Swimming Pool is constructed, Bismarck's first swimming pool

1933

Capitol construction laborers strike, resulting in Governor William Langer to declare martial law

1934

Capitol completes construction

Schultz Creamery is founded

Governor William “Wild Bill” Langer is found guilty on two felony convictions, and forced from office.

1935

New facility to house Bismarck High School opens on September 10, and the junior high is moved into the former high school building.

Vantine Paint & Glass opens at 313 E Main Avenue

1937

Shark's Men's Store opens

Federal Building receives addition

1938

Bismarck Tribune wins Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles called "Self-Help in the Dustbowl"

1939

Bismarck Junior College opens, occupying the top floor of Bismarck High School

Piggly Wiggly opens in Bismarck (becomes SuperValu in 1949)

Speed limits implemented for first time in Bismarck, but only on certain streets - Main Avenue listed at 25 MPH between 9th & Washington Streets and range between 30 & 40 MPH between 12th & 26th Streets

First traffic signal is installed at 9th Street & Main Avenue
 

1940

Underpass completed at 9th Street and Northern Pacific Railroad

1941

Buttrey's relocates Bismarck store to southwest corner of 4th Street and Broadway Avenue (February)

Fort Lincoln Internment Camp is established (April); first prisoners arrive on June 2

Logan's Grocery closes

1942

700 additional Japanese detainees arrive at Fort Lincoln Internment Camp, bringing total to 1,500 prisoners (February)

Gold Seal Company is founded by Harold Schafer

1945

Webb Brothers Department Store closes after 61 years in business (December)

1946

Last detainees leave Fort Lincoln Internment Camp (March 6)

Webb Building renovation is complete, and Sears occupies building (September)

1947

Pioneer Family Statue is erected on grounds of state capitol

Mary College opens

1948

Major construction is completed on Main Avenue from Washington Street to 9th Street, and also on 6th Street between Rosser and Main Avenues - both streets in turn widened by 8 feet to allow parking on both sides. A new lighting system was also installed with 264 new lamp posts.

Traffic signals installed at six intersections, including one at 4th Street & Broadway Avenue; intersections listed included those at 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Streets at Main Avenue; and 4th & 6th Streets at Broadway Avenue. Another location considered was 6th & Avenue C, however this was never done.

1949

Roy Rockstad & Eugene Leary purchase local Piggly Wiggly and rename it Bismarck SuperValu 

Fleck's Garage is constructed on corner of 3rd Street & Main Avenue (destroyed by fire in 1977)

A.W. Lucas begins remodeling project, which adds nearly half an acre of additional space.

KFYR completes a major remodel of its building

Dairy Queen opens first Bismarck location, at 230 W Broadway Avenue. Second location to open was along State Street in 1961. Today, there are 4 Dairy Queens in Bismarck.
 

1950

Ground is broken for St. Mary's Central High School (opens February 1952)

1951

Will School closes, in service since 1905 (December). The building went onto serve as office space until demolished in 1954.

Construction begins on Cathedral Grade School

1952

Will-Moore Elementary opens (January)

St. Mary's Central High School opens (February)

Widespread flooding seen when Missouri River crested at 27.9 feet. The Flood of 1952 was the worst flood ever in Bismarck, topping the previous record set in March 1881. (April)

Fleck Motors opens new showroom at Broadway Avenue & 1st Street, replacing old structure destroyed by fire on same site (April)

1953

Bismarck was the sight one of the most significant recorded UFO sightings, witnessed by at least 45 people and Air Defense System personnel. (August 5)

KFYR begins testing television broadcasts. The station's first network broadcast was the World Series on September 28, 1956.

Mandan Oil Refinery is constructed by Standard Oil Company (now Tesoro)

Arrowhead Shopping Plaza opens as Bismarck’s first shopping center (November)

Rockstad and Leary open first Dan's SuperValu at Arrowhead Plaza (November)

1954

Garrison Dam completed, forming Lake Sakakawea (Dam closure occurred in April 1953)

Big Boy opens, Bismarck's first drive-in (July)

Provident Building opens (October)

1955

Bismarck Junior College moves to its own facility at 900 Boulevard Avenue

Mary College begins offering 2-year programs

Conlin's Furniture arrives in Bismarck upon purchasing Reff Furniture

1956

Bismarck's telephone system converted to the traditional dial system (February)

KXMB TV begins broadcasting (November)

1958

Hughes Junior High is constructed

1959

Bismarck Junior College relocates to its present location on land donated by Harold Schafer 

Northbrook Mall opens with a Red Owl Grocer as its main anchor. It is North Dakota’s first fully enclosed shopping center.

Mary College begins offering 4-year programs
 

1960

Current governor's mansion is completed

1961

Dakota Zoo opens

Hillside Park Junior High opens (Now Simle Middle School)

Former junior high facility, which had been built in 1912 to house the high school, is torn down

Schafer Hall is completed at Bismarck Junior College

1962

Hillside Park Junior High is renamed Simle Junior High after Bismarck school superintendent T.E. Simle

Holiday Inn opens on Memorial Highway near the Liberty Memorial Bridge (demolished in 2006)

1963

Veterans Memorial Library (aka Bismarck Public Library) opens, replacing Carnegie Library opened in 1918

First Federal Savings & Loan completed construction of its new headquarters (now American Bank Center headquarters)

1964

Tom O'leary Golf Course opens

William Guy Federal Building opens, replacing original Federal Building built in 1913 (September)

1965

Grant Marsh Bridge opens, completing Interstate 94 through Bismarck

Scotty’s Drive-In opens

1966

Bismarck is hit by its largest and most memorable blizzard, which lasted three days and buried the city (March)

1967

Wachter Junior High opens

Bismarck Civic Center is approved, and construction begins

General Sibley Park opens

1968

Department of Transportation Building is completed

1969

Woodhouse Restaurant opens as King's Food Host

Civic Center opens

1970

Dan's Supervalu opens south location near Kirkwood Mall

Town House Hotel opens (now Kelly Inn)

1971

Kirkwood Mall opens in April with anchors Woolworth's, Herbergers, and Montgomery Ward. A grand opening celebration is then held on May 14.

Kmart is first modern-day discount department store to open in Bismarck, and one of the first businesses to open along the State Street Corridor (October)

YMCA building opens

1972

Village Inn Restaurant opens (now Denny's)

1973

Set of one-ways is established in downtown Bismarck on Broadway Avenue and Thayer Avenue

First annual Downtowner's Street Fair is held

1974

Kirkwood Motor Inn (now Ramkota Inn) opens across from Kirkwood Mall

Grand Pacific Hotel is demolished

Basic Electric Headquarters completed

Melroe Manufacturing (Bobcat) opens its Bismarck plant (closed in 2009).

1975

Dan's Supervalu opens north location (replaced in 2003)

1976

Century High School opens

Downtown Wells Fargo Building is completed on former site of Grand Pacific Hotel

First-annual McQuade Softball Tournament

1977

Major winter fire destroys several buildings in downtown Bismarck

1978

Downtown U.S. Bank Building completed

Fiesta Villa opens inside former train depot

1979

King's Food Host becomes The Woodhouse

Gateway Mall opens with original anchors White Mart, Sears, and A.W. Lucas & Company

BEST Products opens a showroom in south Bismarck 
 

1980

Kirkwood Mall expands with two new anchors, Target and JCPenney

Cash Wise Foods opens.

Carnegie Library is demolished

1981

State Heritage Center is completed

1982

Renovation is completed on the Liberty Memorial Building

1983

Papa's Pumpkin Patch opens

1985

Woolworths closes, and is replaced with Daytons

1986

White Mart closes, and is replaced with Menards

Mary College is granted university status and begins offering Master level degrees

Wilhelm Buick opens (closed in 2007)

Kirkwood Motor Inn (now Ramkota Inn) foreclosed on

1987

Bismarck Junior College becomes Bismarck State College.

1988

Town House Motor Inn (now Kelly Inn) foreclosed on  (March)

Eagle Statue dedicated at Custer Park (October 1)

30,000-acre Wachter Ranch is foreclosed on

1989

Bismarck and Mandan host Women's International Bowling Congress Tournament, drawing 44,000 bowlers from around the country 

Centennial Elementary opens

Veteran's Memorial Library undergoes major expansion and renovation
 

1990

Wal-Mart opens in Bismarck (relocated in 2005)

1991

Wachter becomes first school in North Dakota to convert to the middle school format

Simle Junior High begins construction of south wing

1992

McRock N Roll Cafe opens.

1994

Herbergers expands Kirkwood Mall location and closes Gateway location

Gateway to Science Center opens at Gateway Mall

1995

Dan's Supervalu relocates its south location (July)

Rex TV & Appliance and TJMaxx open inside former Kirkwood Dan's Supervalu building; TJMaxx relocated to Pinehurst Square in 2006, Rex closed in 2008

The Walrus Restaurant opens at Arrowhead Plaza

1996

Belle Mehus Auditorium undergoes major renovation

1997

Best Products closes and is replaced with Office Depot and Big Lots!

Biggest snow storm since 1966 hits Bismarck (April)

Staples opens

Space Aliens Grill & Bar is established by Mort Bank

A&W Restaurant/Long John Silver's opens at Front & 3rd (now "The Pitch")

1998

Montgomery Ward closes, leaving an empty anchor spot at Kirkwood Mall not filled until 2002

1999

Pebble Creek and Hawktree golf courses open 
 

2000

A string of tornadoes touch down on November 2, the latest recorded tornadoes ever in North Dakota

2001

Horizon Middle School opens for classes, replacing Hughes (January)

Bismarck is hit with a major hail storm on June 9, causing millions of dollars in damage - the most insurance claims ever filed in the state of North Dakota

2002

I. Keating Furniture fills former Montgomery Ward anchor, left empty since 1998

2003

Dan's Supervalu relocates is north location (March)

Bismarck's largest public graduating class to date consists of 826 students

Aakers College (now Rasmussen College) opens satellite campus in Bismarck

Bismarck approves a busing system, known as Capital Area Transit, with service beginning in May 2004.

Corwin Churchill's downtown location destroyed by fire (November)

Highway 83 Diner closes (December)

2004

North Dakota approves a state lottery, with ticket sales beginning March 25

DiDonna's Restaurant opens (December)

Conlin's Furniture relocates to Gateway Mall

2005

Bismarck experiences massive retail growth, with the construction of Pinehurst Square, two Wal-Mart Supercenters, Sam's Club, Family Dollar, and a relocated Target.

Home Depot opens in June (closed in 2008)

Marshall Fields (formerly Dayton's) closes, and the space is immediately torn down to house a new, larger Target store that opens in early 2006

Palace Arms Hotel (opened in 1962 as Holiday Inn) is demolished to make way for construction of the new Bank of North Dakota headquarters.

Former Highway 83 Diner building destroyed by fire (November)

2006

Eckroth Music relocates into new building

Johnny Carinos opens. (December)

MDU relocates is corporate headquarters

Miracle Mart (formerly Econofoods) sells to Grand Central, in turn becoming Central Market

2007

Furniture Row opens (January)

Bismarck breaks world record for most snow angels made in a single place, with 8,962 participants on the grounds of the state capitol.

Green Mill closes its Bismarck location - the second restaurant at this location to close (Houlihan's being the other).

Wilhelm Buick-Olds-Cadillac officially closes

Scheels Sporting Goods relocates into the adjacent former Target location at Kirkwood Mall, after Target relocated its store in 2006.

Golden Corral opens (May)

Cash Wise undergoes minor expansion, including the installation of its Little Dukes Convenience Store

Washington Street construction project is completed, with the widening of the stretch between Rosser Avenue and Avenue D, and the addition of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Avenue C.

Ruby Tuesday opens

2008

Hooters opens

Home Depot closes its Bismarck location, less than four years after opening

The State Street McDonald's is demolished, to be later replaced with a new, larger McDonald's

The new Bank of North Dakota facility opens on the site of the former Palace Arms Hotel

The Hillside Park Waterslide is demolished due to safety concerns

Gold's Gym opens inside former TJMaxx location

Scotty's Drive-in changes ownership and sees several major changes, including the opening of a drive-though, and renovation. The restaurant also began to serve breakfast for the first time.

Classic Yard closes after eleven years

Cedric Theel relocates its showroom

Little Caesar's Pizza returns to Bismarck, years after its former locations were converted into Papa John's (June)

Ground is broken on BSC Aquatic and Wellness Center (June)

The first annual Rip-Roaring Rib Fest is held

Los Amigos Restaurant & Kirkwood Tesoro close, and are quickly demolished to make room for a new CVS/pharmacy store (August)

The New Liberty Memorial Bridge opens (August), and demolition on the original bridge begins immediately thereafter. On October 6, the first section of the old bridge was imploded, followed on October 29 with the remaining section.

American Bank Center Headquarters at corner of Rosser Avenue & 5th Street completes extensive remodel

Hoskins-Meyer Floral closes, after more than 100 years

Olive Garden opens after years of anticipation (November 24)

The former Bank of North Dakota facility undergoes demolition (December)

Bismarck receives the most snow ever in a single month, with a total of 33.3 inches, beating the former record set in March 1975. Prior to this achievement, Bismarck had already broken the record for the most snow received in December, beating out the former record set in 1916. At the time, Bismarck was also on track to beat the all-time season record. (December)

2009

Bismarck hits -44^oF, the coldest recorded temperature since January 18, 1950; and only one degree away from tying the lowest temperature ever recorded - the high temperature the following day was 80 degrees warmer. (January 15)

CVS/pharmacy opens a new north location upon relocating from Gateway Mall, where it had been an original tenant (February 22)

Ice jams and excessive snow melt cause widespread flooding and the mandatory evacuation of 1700 residents - the worst flooding since April 1952 (March)

Bismarck State College unveils new logo, replacing current logo in use since 1991 (April)

Rex TV & Appliance closes its doors. The company was purchased by Appliance Direct, who chose not to convert the Bismarck location. Rex came to Bismarck in 1995, and once had 3 locations in North Dakota. (April)

Gateway Fashion Mall completes its renovation

Simle Middle School completes its renovation

Cedric Theel drops the Dodge line; Corwin Churchill in turn picks it up as part of Chrysler's reorganization

A large section of River Road and the adjacent walking trail closes upon discovering the ground has become unstable and shifting.

Construction begins on a Sunrise Elementary in northeast Bismarck, the first grade school built in twenty years.

Conlin's Furniture & Joy's Hallmark announce that they were vacating Gateway Mall (June)

A new ride is added at Superslide Amusement Park called The Runaway Train (June)

A half mile stretch of River Road is closed upon discovering the road and trail have become unstable and begun to sink (June)

Former Wilhelm Buick building is demolished, business closed in 2007 (July)

Renovation begins at Hillside/Lions Park - expected to be completed in 2012

Little Caesar's announces intentions to open a north location, expected to open in October. The national chain made a comeback to the region when it opened a restaurant near Cash Wise Foods in 2009 after a near 10-year absence.

Subway relocates its South 3rd Street location into the former Sherwin Williams building, also on 3rd street.

Meriwether's Landing Restaurant closes (September 5)

Gateway Mall owner, Raymond Arjmand, is accused of fraud by the owner of former tenant, Joy's Hallmark. (October)

Easter Seals Goodwill Store opens inside former Kirkwood Hardware Hank/Ace Hardware building (October)

Hansen's Menswear relocates from Gateway Fashion Mall to Interstate Avenue. (October)

Blarney Stone Pub opens inside the former Golden Dragon Restaurant (October 21)

Bill Barth announces its Saturn dealership will become a Kia dealership after Saturn's discontinuation. (November)

Doctor Paul Johnson resigns as Bismarck School Superintendent upon accepting a position in Bulgaria, effective at the end of the school term (December)

Fowler Photography closes after 30 years (December)

Bobcat Manufacturing closes its Bismarck plant after 35 years, affecting 475 jobs (December 23)

Conlin's Furniture relocates to the corner of Broadway Avenue & 18th Street (December)

2010

Vlana Vlee closes (January)

Tuesday Morning closes (January)

Kia replaces Saturn at Bill Barth's secondary dealership (January)

A&W Restaurant/Long John Silver's changes format to become "Reza's Pitch" (January)

CVS/pharmacy relocates Kirkwood Mall location, after 38 years at the shopping center (January 24)

Minot-based Ryan Chevrolet announces purchase of Corwin-Churchill Motors (February 3)

Construction on a new parking ramp between 5th & 6th Streets on Broadway Avenue begins (est. Summer)

La Quinta Inns & Suites opens (est. Summer)

Brides By Maxine closes (February)

BSC Aquatic & Wellness Center opens (February)