Most North Dakotans are familiar with the Skyscraper of the Prairie, the North Dakota State Capital. When the original capitol building burned down in 1930, depression-era workers were hired to build this 17-story structure for $9-million. It is a tribute to North Dakotan’s pragmatism and practicality. No gilded domes or greek columns adorn the main building. However the legislative wing has the columns. But in 1930, this is what North Dakotans said the state needed to house the work of governing the state.