The day is nearly here: the reopening of what used to be the Pioneer Mutual Building, redesigned as Richard H Barry Hall, a part of NDSU’s ambitious downtown expansion. In case you didn’t know, I worked in that building from 1998 until 2004, and in that time I became more interested in the building’s history and the history of the A.O.U.W., including acquiring some films, documentation, receipts and policy paperwork. Don’t tell anyone, but I even grabbed a brick from the demolition of Pioneer East. The original building — a large office building for its time — is now a tiny, tiny part of a huge structure, and I’m becoming more impressed as time goes on to see its stature continue to grow and dominate the western edge of downtown Fargo. I plan on going to the dedication next month, and I intend to take pictures.
