ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

BAUKOL-NOONAN LIGNITE, INC. RECORDS

COLLECTION: OGL #584

DATES: 1931-1971

SIZE: 10.25 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Baukol-Noonan Lignite, Inc. Records were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Robert W. Rovelstad, President of Baukol-Noonan, Minot, North Dakota on October 2, 1980 (Acc. #80-688).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

In 1928 Harris Baukol and Hugo Domrese formed a holding company to purchase coal lands near Noonan, North Dakota. They secured an option on Hought Coal Company land and leased an additional 900 acres. Investigations proved the existence of large coal resources. In 1929 Baukol formed Baukol-Noonan Lignite, Inc. Bucyrus steam shovels, loading shovels, trucks, wagons, and other equipment were brought to the site. By 1933, Baukol-Noonan had become the third largest mining company in the state with a production of almost 200,000 tons. The 1930s also saw the beginning of an environmental program designed to return the land to its natural state.

As the years passed, the company increased production, modernized its equipment and buildings, and expanded into new areas of industry. The company incorporated in 1949, selling all of its capitol stock to residents of North Dakota. In 1953 Baukol-Noonan established a plant for processing lightweight building material out of unused clay deposits, thereby providing year- round employment for the miners. In 1962, the mining operation was moved from Noonan to Larson, North Dakota, where extensive reserves of coal had been discovered. The main office remained in Noonan.

Expansion continued as the company opened another new mine at Center, North Dakota in 1970. Lignite mined as this site was shipped to the nearby Milton R. Young station, owned by Minnkota Power Cooperative. All mining at the original Noonan mine ceased in 1986. In 1988, Baukol-Noonan was purchased as a wholly owned subsidiary of Minnesota Power. The company's name was changed to BNI Coal, Ltd., and its headquarters were moved to Bismarck. BNI reached a major milestone in 2000, when the 100 millionth ton of coal was taken from the Center mine.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Baukol-Noonan Lignite, Inc. Records contain material relating to the daily operation of the company, including production statistics, employment records, financial papers, annual reports, equipment lists, charts and maps, advertising material, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The collection dates from 1931 to 1971. 65 photographs were separated and added to the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

1. Spudding in Ceremony, April 23, 1953 - June 3, 1953.
2. Argyle Royalty, Baukol-Noonan #1 - Test Oil Well, 1953.
3. Letterhead.
4. Equipment.
5. Price Lists.
6. Blueprints.
7. Contracts, 1965-1971.
8. Contracts, 1956-1964.
9. Mining Licences, 1931-1948.
10. Coal Mine Licence Applications, 1960-1971.
11. Explosive Licence, 1943-1945.
12. Bowbells Development, Oct. 23, 1951 to Feb. 7, 1952.
13. Bituminous Coal and Lignite Production and Mine Operations, 1952-1968.
14. Coal Reserves, November 8, 1948 to February 2, 1952.
15. Application for Gas Tax Refund, 1956-1960.

Box 2
Folder

1. Department of Interior - Gerde Land Lease, December 20, 1944 to March 31, 1956.
2. State Mine Inspector's Report, 1932-1957.
3. Cash Book Sheets, May 1, 1933 to April 30, 1936.
4. Comparative Statements.
5. Statements, 1961-1962.
6. Work Sheets, 1961-1962.
7. Federal Unemployment and Withholdings, 1961.
8. Income Tax Information, 1950-1959.
9. Withheld Taxes, 1954-1955, 1959-1961.
10. Social Security Returns, 1957-1960.
11. Wage Stabilization, March 5, 1950 to November 19, 1952.
12. Injury Report, 1960.
13. North Dakota Workmen's Compensation Bureau, 1950-1960.
14. Certificate of Merit, 1950-1951, 1952-1953.
15. Unemployment Compensation Reports, 1958-1960.
16. Internal Revenue Reports, May 25, 1934 to March 24, 1949.
17. Sales Tax Returns and Permits, 1948-1961.
18. Hartford Payroll Audits, 1934-1940.
19. Broker and Hendrickson-Auditors, April 19, 1950 to September 18, 1957.
20. Summary of Asset Distribution of Baukol-Noonan Inc. and Noonan Holding Company, April 10 1950.
21. Accounts Receivable Receipts, (undated).
22. Excise Tax Reports, 1957-1961.

Box 3
Folder

1. Omaha National Bank, March 8, 1950 to October 23, 1953.
2. First National Bank, March 1, 1950 to June 23, 1971.
3. Bucyrus-Erie Company, September 22, 1933 to October 30, 1952.
4. Crowe Coal Company-Shovel 225B, July 30, 1930.
5. Holland and Urist, March 1, 1950 to April 20, 1950.
6. Koppel Industrial Car and Equipment Company, April 26, 1932 to July 19, 1932, April 11-19, 1935.
7. Standard Oil Company, 1931-1942.
8. Dictaphone Time-Master, 1950.
9. "Mechanization" engineering magazine, 1950-1951.
10. Cavalier County, Republican, April 17, 1956 to March 1, 1963.
11. Divide County, 1939-1950.
12. McKenzie County, August 20, 1951 to July 17, 1936 (coal prospecting)

Box 4
Folder

1. President's Report to the Board of Directors, April 15, 1952.
2. Annual Report to the Stockholders, 1950-1960
3. Annual Report for Domestic Corporation, 1959-1969.
4. Directors, October 17, 1950 to May 5, 1971.
5. Valuations of Baukol-Noonan Inc. Property at time of organization of new company, 1950.
6. Miscellaneous Papers in connection with loan for move to Larson, 1962-1963.
7. Harris Baukol, 1947-1949.
8. R. W. Rovelstad, 1950-1962.
9. A. J. Rowland, July 2, 1936 to April 19, 1967.
10. Application Certificate of North Dakota Natural Gas Transmission Company (undated).
11. Midwest Gas Association Meeting, April 9, 1962.
12. Lignite Advisory Committee Meeting, 1961-1962.
13. Selected Bibliography of Foreign Activities in Brown Coal and Lignite Research, 1950- 1960.
14. Advertising.
15. Advertising Summary.
16. Newspaper Clippings.
17. Reports and Articles.
18. Miscellaneous, 1949-1980.

Box 5
Folder

1. Minnesota Business Corporation Act.
2. The Company Owner's Owner Profit Sharing Guidebook.
3. An Adaptive Program for Agriculture, July 1962.
4. Special Report to the North Dakota Economic Development Commission, Marc 12, 1962.
5. A proposed Long Range Power Supply Plan for Midwest Consumers . Ass'n, July 11, 1960.
6. Upper Midwest Agriculture: Structure and Problems, January 1962.
7. American Crystal Company.
8. Static Control.
9. Federal Information.
10. Memorabilia.
11. Baukol-Noonan Lignite Incorporated Capital Stock Used.
12. Baukol-Noonan Lignite Incorporated Capital Stock Used.
13. Baukol-Noonan Lignite Incorporated Capital Stock Unused.
14. Noonan Holding Company Stock Used.
15. Noonan Holding Company Stock Used.
16. Noonan Holding Company Stock Unused.

SEPARATIONS RECORD

Two oversize sales ledgers were placed on the shelves adjacent to the Baukol-Noonan Lignite, Inc. Records.

VOLUME I
Sales Record Ledger, May 1, 1933 to April 31, 1941.

VOLUME II
Sales Record Ledger, 1930 to 1947.

65 photographs were separated and added to the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection. Most of these pictures date from the 1960s.

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