North Dakota's historic sites will finally have toilets that flush

BISMARCK, N.D. | Lawrence Welk didn’t have a flush toilet where he grew up, but visitors to his childhood home in rural North Dakota now do.

The bandleader’s childhood family home marks the latest step in the State Historical Society of North Dakota’s nearly completed goal of installing flush toilets at its dozen most popular, staffed sites. The most recent success, with the final three planned to be completed soon, came before the unveiling of a statue of Welk at a site that draws fans who recall “The Lawrence Welk Show,” which ran on TV for decades starting in the 1950s.

The North Dakota group’s goal of replacing pit toilets with flush units may seem like a humble aspiration to some, but it’s an important milestone, said Chris Dorfschmidt, a historic sites manager.

“A lot of our site