Minishoshe Chapter in Bismarck was organized in June of 1918 and is the oldest chapter in the state.  On November 1, 1994 Mandan Chapter was merged with Minishoshe to form Minishoshe-Mandan Chapter. Minishoshe is a corruption of the Unkpapa Sioux word for Smoky Water – the Missouri River. The Mandan are a Native American tribe that historically lived along the banks of the Missouri River and who once lived a few miles south of the city named after them.

The North Dakota State Legislature granted to Minishoshe Chapter the care of the Theodore Roosevelt Maltese Cross cabin which had stood as a derelict on the Capitol grounds in Bismarck. After needed repairs were completed, the cabin was open to visitors during the summer. Later, it was moved by the state and relocated to what is now known as the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota.”

Maltese Cross cabin

Bedroom

Kitchen

Living Room