Once separated by much more than just a river, the cities of Mandan and Bismarck were in different times. (Dustin White photo)

Dustin White
Editor

Separated by the mighty Missouri River, the cities of Bismarck and Mandan once found themselves dealing with a larger split. Traveling across the bridge from Bismarck to Mandan, one could gain an experience of time traveling. With Bismarck firmly in the Central Time zone, and Mountain Time reigning supreme in Morton County, two cities which were nearly touching, faced a much larger gap in time.

The separation would eventually lead to an intense controversy in Mandan. For many of the older residents, Mountain time was just how the city had always operated. But as an increasing amount of individuals began to work in Bismarck, but continued to live in Mandan, the way it had always been was no longer a good way.



By 1960, the issue had finally came to a tipping point. Given the option to adopt Central Standard Time on a year-round basis, residents of Mandan voted to pass a measure, 1,820 to 890, to make the switch.

On May 15,1960, the residents of Mandan, who had fallen asleep still in Mountain Time, lost an hour of sleep, and woke up in Central Time. Not all were happy with the change though, and the fight was far from over as the controversy continued to smolder just right beneath the surface.
“The feeling about it is still running pretty high,” one downtown business owner had said in an interview with the Bismarck Tribune. “I don’t want to antagonize anyone unnecessarily.”

Those taking the largest issue with the change were the local bar and tavern owners, who faced the fear that their business would suffer. While Mandan had made the switch to Central Time, the rest of Morton County remained in Mountain Time, including The Strip, the stretch of highway which connected Bismarck and Mandan.

I’m against it,” one tavern owners said in a May 14, 1960, interview with the Bismarck Tribune. “So I open up an hour earlier and how much more business do you think I’m going to do? There’s very little business in the morning anyway. It’s that hour at night that makes the difference.”

Grumblings
Just five years after the Central Time zone won the voter’s choice in 1960, the issue would once again find a place on the ballot.

Appearing at a number of city commission meetings, several business men in Mandan had initiated a movement to change the time back. At the front were owners of liquor establishments. They would eventually circulate a petition, which successfully got the measure placed on the ballot in 1965.



A counter movement had also formed though. Other businesses felt that changing back to Mountain Time would be more of a detriment. Jack Helbling, owner of L&H Electric, at the time, said that if that time change was approved, he would have to consider moving his business over to Bismarck. His main concern was that the amount of overtime he would have to pay his employees, making service calls to Bismarck, had the possibility of becoming far too steep.
Out of the controversy, another group of individuals would also emerge. They would also begin to circulate a petition of there own. Their goal was to create a special time: Mandan Time.

Those backing the proposal insisted that it was a compromise, as it would situate Mandan halfway between Mountain and Central Time. If it was 3 p.m. in Bismarck, and 4 p.m. in Morton County, it would be 3:30 p.m. in Mandan. The proposal was introduced largely as a response to those who supported moving back to Mountain Time.

“If the persons supporting Mountain Time submit their petitions, we are going to submit ours,” a Mandan Time backer said in an interview with the Bismarck Tribune on Aug. 12, 1965. “It may sound like a joke, but is no more a joke than moving the clocks in Mandan back to Mountain time.”

Legal challenges
Before the vote could be brought before the people of Mandan, the legality of the time change began to be questioned. Whether or not the vote would make a difference was up in the air.

A definite answer was difficult to find. However, as the vote came closer, it became clear that many would not see it as being authoritative. For a number of businesses in Mandan, the change would have been rejected regardless.

Making their intentions known, the Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Heskett generating plant made the announcement that they would continue to observe Central Time regardless of the measure passing. The Mandan Refinery, while not voicing an official position, had also pointed out the problems with moving back to Mountain Time; a suggestion that they would follow along with the Heskett plant.

The discussion would eventually become moot, as on Nov. 2, 1965, an above average number of voters turned out to defeat the measure with a vote of 2,368 to 381, making their voice well heard. Mandan would be able to continue to be one of three North Dakota communities, west of the Missouri River, that operated on Central Time.