Regan Centennial July 13-15
By Michael Johnson, Editor
When a group of Regan natives realized that the centennial of their hometown was fast approaching, they joked about making it a big deal. Who would want to come back to a town with only 33 residents remaining? Maybe a better question yet was, who was going to help make it happen? With no money and few looking to help out, John and Jean Hruby, Wilton, began working with a few others from Wilton, Wing, Regan and Bismarck to have at least a small gathering in July of 2012. The idea of the “Elusive Land Grab” really got the ball rolling. “It started as a crazy idea,” John Hruby said. The “Elusive Land Grab” was an idea John had to sell 3 square inches of “Original Dakota Territory” in town to anyone that would kick out $20. Those that pay in get a certificate and a spot on a granite monument that states that they have ownership in Regan. John made that monument of field rocks this year. Who would buy into the land grab? They don’t even tell you where your 3-square inches are. Of course, if you found out where they were, John said, “You’d have to pay taxes on it.” To date folks from 36 states, one Canadian Province, Indonesia and Australia have bought a piece. There are just 796 spots on the granite that can be sold.
