If you’ve spent any significant time on River Road, and I’m not alone in saying I have, you’ve probably seen this sign with FMR on it. The sign and buildings nearby sit just north of Pioneer Park. As luck would have it, there’s a story behind it.

If you’ve been around Bismarck for twenty years or longer, you probably remember an older fella that used to drive around in these really cool little “Prince” automobiles. Actually, I think there may have been two such guys, since one lived near my south of Mandan as well. I was recently told that the other such man was none other than Fred Max Roberts, who at one time lived where the FMR sign still stands. Aha! But who was Fred Max Roberts? It turns out he had a story (or several) to tell.

Fred Max Roberts, Jr. was the first man to use the field now known as Bismarck Municipal Airport as an airfield. He started flying in the 1920s and had quite a few stories to tell. His son, Fred Marke Roberts, compiled some of those stories into the book you see above: “Tales of a Dakota Pilot: The Way It Was 1929-1937.” I have an autographed copy in front of me as I type this. In addition to stories and log book entries, the book also contains photos and scans of flyers for North Dakota air shows. Quite cool.

Fred Marke Roberts was born in 1931, and I’m not sure if he’s around any more. The book indicates it was published by “fmROBERTS Enterprises” out of Dana Point, California. It is available online if you’re an aviation enthusiast and don’t already own a copy. Its ISBN number is 0-912746-09-2. Here’s a link to more information.

Now when you drive past those brick buildings and that old FMR sign along River Road, you’ll have a little bit more background!

By the way, I was out on that old River Road last night and was amazed at how loud all the frogs were! Since I keep a handheld MP3 recorder in my camera bag, I decided to pull over and enjoy the sounds of nature. Click here for a brief MP3 of nature’s music along one of Bismarck’s finest and most scenic roads.