History of Bismarck, North Dakota Dakota. Some Bismarck citizens raided Jamestown for the state records. After the state records were back in Bismarck, construction of the capitol was completed in 1884, and talk of moving the capital city of North Dakota to Jamestown stopped. The first hospital for the Dakota Territory, Saint Alexius, was founded in 1885. Like most of the country, the 1890s were hard times for North Dakota. The Panic of 1893 was the nation's worst economic hardship to that point, and North Dakota's strong agriculture-based economy was directly affected. To make things worse, Bismarck was struck by a severe fire in August
North Dakota State Library that point, the library moved this time to the Randal Building north of the city. The agency's name was changed to the North Dakota State Library in 1979, which is still its name today. In 1982, the State Library returned to the Liberty Memorial Building, its present location. The State Library specializes in information services to state agencies and to the general public. North Dakota State Library's departments include: Administration, Digital Initiatives, Field Services, Interlibrary Loan, Information Technology, Public Awareness, Public Services, State Document Depository, Statewide Catalog Development, Talking Books, Technical Services, and Training. North Dakota State Library staff produce