Riverdale, North Dakota is located about
60 miles north of Bismarck. It is a town that had to be built for the people who built the Garrison Dam. In 1947
contracts were drawn on the initial dam embankment work. With that came a town for workers to call home during the next
nine years of construction, a town that was later named RIVERDALE.
Unlike other midwest
towns, Riverdale did not just evolve; did not expand haphazardly; did not look toward expansion. Originally planned
for up to 1,000 residents, the name of the game for Riverdale was - TEMPORARY. The town was destined for a major influx
of workers, followed by a marked decline.
Riverdale was unique. There were no slums,
no old people, no single people for the most part, no bars except for the American Legion, no main street, no politics and
very few businesses. The only life-style a child growing up in Riverdale came into contact with was middle-class working couples
with children.
Oaks Construction of St. Paul, Minnesota received the $2,312,262.60 contract
for the initial stage including 50 residences in 5 different styles and 82 temporary buildings. After reaching a peak
of around 5,000 people in 1954-1955 the population began decreasing. The fathers left when their work on the dam was
finished. In 1954 Jack Case noted in his Bismarck Tribune column, "Browsing Around." "This
dam town is suppose to be dying, but if it is, it's the liveliest corpse we ever saw."
During this time the school still boasted 1,049 students. Today the school stands in the middle of town and no longer
operates as a school since 1994 when it had a graduating class of three!
Riverdale was
strictly a government-owned town. Houses were assigned according to RANK. The top engineers lived on First Street
and Second Street, otherwise known as 'SNOB HILL' to those on Third Street and up. Rent in 1948 was $29.36 for a one-bedroom
home and $42.00 a month for a 3-bedroom home. If the color of the walls clashed with the cushions of the couch - tough!
Painting was done on a schedule - with colors selected by government officials. The grass could be cut, but no planting
of shrubs, trees, or flowers was permitted without government approval.
Riverdale had
a hospital operated by Benedictine nuns with two doctors. Dr. Lester D. Shook and Dr. D.D. Shannon were the original
doctors in Riverdale in 1948. Riverdale had a jail that housed 13 prisoners and a theater with 1,124 seats which boasted
the largest ground floor seating capacity of any other theater in the state. The single church building was shared
by different denominations, and still is today. At one time there were 16 denominations in the membership. They
proudly professed: "A church where our differences are respected and our similarities are emphasized."
There was a clothing store, a beauty shop, and a drug store. Retail businesses were required to submit
bids to operate in the new government-controlled town. Not all people were happy after locating to Riverdale. Since
there was no bank, many took their shopping out of town.
Residents
who no longer had jobs associated with dam construction and maintenance were required to move within 48 hours after quitting
or being fired. Not until the town was sold to the residents in 1986, was private ownership of homes permitted. Although rentals
to non-government personnel working in the area had begun earlier. An emphasis on quiet, clean, country-style living
kept lot sales going as new residents replaced government workers.
The Garrison
Dam is one of six mainstream dams located on the Missouri River. Construction of the dam began in October 1947.
The last load of dirt was placed on the dam in November of 1954. Construction of the powerhouse was completed in 1956.
The last of the five hydropower generators went on line in October 1960. The cost of the project was $300,000,000!
