Construction and Contractors
In August 1920, ground was broken for the Liberty Memorial Building (LMB) and construction officially began. The building was designed by the Keith & Kurke architecture firm of Fargo and Bismarck. Over the next 4 years, construction of the LMB progressed. Updates on the building's progress would periodically appear in the Bismarck Tribune, and notable incidences were reported:
Between 1920 and 1924, the Bismarck Tribune also reported on the contracts awarded to firms for various jobs. Some of the contractors and work mentioned include:
Additional Funds Needed
Money was a frequent obstacle during construction. By early 1921, it was clear that the LMB would need additional funds.
By the time the Seventeenth Legislative Assembly convened for its regular session in January 1921, the political battle in the state between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and its rival the Independent Voters Association (IVA) had reached its height. The NPL maintained its majority in the Senate, but the IVA had gained control of the House. With control of the legislature split between the IVA and the NPL, the session was full of strife.
On January 27, 1921, Senator A. A. Liederbach, a prominent member of the NPL, introduced a bill (Senate Bill 51) to provide an additional $200,000 to the LMB project. Specifically, the bill was for the:
The bill passed the NPL-controlled Senate, but the IVA-controlled House cut the funds in half. In March 1921, the additional funds appropriated by the Legislative Assembly were approved, and the LMB received $100,000, bringing the total cost up to $300,000.
Two years later, in 1923, additional funds were needed again. In March 1923, the Legislative Assembly approved an additional appropriation of $130,000 for the building:
However, Governor R. A. Nestos partially vetoed the appropriation, and the $15,000 for furniture and fittings was rejected. The remaining $115,000 was approved, bringing the total cost of the building to $415,000 (roughly equivalent to $7 million today).
Liberty Memorial Building (LMB) under construction, circa 1921-1924. The LMB is on the right, and the original Capitol building is on the left. [Courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota 2005-P-027-22].
Portrait of Gov. R. A. Nestos, 1920s. -- The political battle between the NPL and IVA reached a turning point in October 1921. By this time, the IVA had gained enough support (and the NPL had lost enough support), and the IVA called for a special election, which removed the Governor (Lynn J. Frazier), Attorney General (William Lemke), and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor (John N. Hagan) from office. The NPL men were replaced with IVA men, like R. A. Nestos. It was not a complete victory for the IVA, however. Voters decided to uphold certain NPL programs, like the Bank of North Dakota and the Industrial Commission.
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