Hanson has poured over 9,000 hours of his blood, sweat and tears into a dream others might call a nightmare, for all its work. But on April 19, when the school passed the North Dakota State Health Department requirements for bed and breakfasts, a goal at long last was realized.

The first guests spent their Mother’s Day weekend at the Old School Bed & Breakfast. Hanson welcomed the first of what he is most certain, to be many customers. Looking beyond comfortable beds, they will find glimmering maple wood floors, hand-polished handrails and a unique historic setting.It’s no Grand Opening yet, but Hanson promises there will be one."When I have a Grand Opening, the big school bell will ring and the flag will be run up the flagpole which is between the school and the nine hole par three municipal golf course," states Hanson.

"There have been times when it was fun to do the construction and remodeling work," reflects Hanson, who now manages the companionship of his three dogs, Simba, Butch and Fancy. "I always got satisfaction from the preservation of the meaning-filled school building, which far outweighs the bad times I’ve had here."The original bell will be hung and rung again. Other various pitched bells will call guests to meals.

The cupola was brought down last summer by crane and Hanson is rebuilding it by following the original for dimensions. That project is half done, located in his grandfather’s Watford City shop."The belfry’s look and pitch of the roof will be just like it," states Hanson, who follows the pattern of the old cupola.Hanson has waited for this year to apply to the National Historic Registry. In 2004 the big gym became 50 years old, meeting the age requirement for the historic registry.

Nearly six years of restoration have tried Hanson in more ways than he could have foreseen. About six weeks ago, though, he suffered the only home repair-type accident in which he needed emergency care. He severed the back of his left hand at the chop saw. Medical staff at McKenzie County Memorial Hospital sent him on to a special surgeon in Bismarck. Within eight hours, his tendons were reattached and therapy has his mobility returning.

"Just one other time did I have a mishap, and that was a tumble off the ladder!" reflects Hanson, who has supplemented his income by doing farm labor and repairing musical instruments through Uncle Milty’s Band Instrument Repair. "I was fortunate to land flat and suffer no injury."So much for the planning, blood and tears involved in a colossal undertakings. On the other hand, the sweat part of a dream can go on for what feels like forever.

This was true for Milt Hanson, who thought like many weekend warriors and do-it-yourselfers that a year or two would suffice. Home builders and lumberyard carpenters will tell you to triple your estimated time and money, and the more realistic estimated costs will emerge.

Hanson obtained the Arnegard Public School building and its attachments of the Big Gym and the Little Gym including rooms above the Little Gym from a committee of five dedicated to saving the Old School, accepting responsibility for 25,000 square feet.

"Ada was the catalyst for this preservation of history and the B & B business effort," commends Hanson

At the head of the Committee was retired school teacher Ada Murie of Arnegard. Also on the committee was Laurie Evanson Driggs, Carmella Monsen Renbarger, Bud Thompson and Joyce Hayford.

"Some wanted to burn the old school, except for the gymnasium, after the school closed in 1963, serving over 1,162 students," recalls Murie. "For a few years the building served as a school for the overflow elementary students from Watford City."

"The Committee kept it from destruction after the city gave it over to us and used the school as a recreation center, a meeting hall for civic groups and elections, a center for the rural library and a school reunion hall," adds Murie."

The Christmas visit to Hanson’s parental home in 1997 provided time to tour the school with his wife, Leann. Together they admired it and saw the potential for a B & B, which they had been studying in South Carolina. The season behind them, they traveled 2,000 miles back home to the East, pondering the new year and its potential with questions like "is it homesickness, or is it euphoria about a Big Adventure ahead, or do we really want to commit to actually doing the task of remodeling and starting a business?" Hanson remembers.In the course of a few phone calls and a few weeks, the deed worked out.

The Committee gave them a Quit Claim Deed in March of 1998 on the school, with several requirements, according to Hanson. They must renovate and never destroy. The effort can not change the exterior, unless they consult the committee and it endorses the change. No bar establishment can be tolerated. The memorabilia must be kept accessible to the public and the gyms must remain available as rentals. The large gym must always be open for the July 4 city celebration as a back-up location for the picnic in the event of rain.

In early October 1998 Hanson sold his instrument repair shop, divested himself of his house and investment property and started construction work on the ‘Old School Bed & Breakfast.’ Without a written plan, but with ideas forged thanks to videos and measurements his parents, Fern and Duane Hanson sent to him in South Carolina, the work progressed in phases.The first phase of the heat and exterior walling took two years, according to Hanson.

Two complete heat systems were installed to replace the old boiler system, covered with asbestos. The new system includes 610,000 btu’s plus a hanging gas furnace in the gym."The engineer designed it and a contractor installed the large system so correct pipe dimensions were run the length needed according to the engineer," comments Hanson.

"Every exterior wall had to have a new 2x4 wall inside before the heating system could be put in," states Hanson. "So the walls are 16 inches thick, with 3½ inches of fiberglass insulation. They make the building warm with the exception of the original large windows that are cold and irreplaceable."

Along with the walls came improved electrical wiring at over one mile in length, bringing the building up to code, recalled Hanson. Nearly one mile of new copper tubing was run to the accommodate bathrooms. Sheetrock went up with baseboard hot-water heat.

Helpers were Grandfather Irvin Noftsker (recently deceased), parents Duane and Fern Hanson, father-in-law Swede Erickson and Milt’s brother-in-law, Ray Trumpower of Fairview. Grandmother, Evelyn Noftsker provided inspiration and encouragement."If I were 40 years younger, I’d be doing this myself," Evelyn would eagerly suggest to her grandson, Milt, as Hanson reflects. "As it so happens," he would make an answer to her, "I am 40 years younger than you, so I am the one to do this!"With skinned knuckles, small cuts, and bruised shins along the way, Hanson went to the task in bursts of work.

"Almost all the work I did myself, though," states Hanson. "I hung 350 to 400 sheets of Sheetrock in 12 foot squares by myself. All the ceilings were dropped two inches in order to deaden the noise between the guest’s floor and the owner’s residence above them. I used sound board."Notably, Hanson says not much demolition was needed for it was mostly covered up by the new walling.

Phase Two included the mudding, taping and texturing. Most of that work was contracted out. That work ended around February 2003.

"By this time I was feeling pretty burnt out, for I was feeling I had done so much by myself," says Hanson.

No longer feeling able to take on the task alone, Hanson went to the bank, First International Bank & Trust for assistance. He had spent all his money and was tired. But he believed in the business concept, which to him was more of a dream-in-the-making, and found the bank willing to make the loan.

He drew up a business plan. He and Leann formed a Limited Liability Partnership. In early summer of 2003 they signed the bank papers and contracted for a new roof.

Phase Three included the new roofing, removal of the cupola for restoration, refinishing of the maple wood floors in the areas reserved for the B & B guests entertaining and furniture and bedding was purchased.

Guests are meant to enjoy the rooms upstairs, too, remodeled and polished into the Media Room, Library, Game/Trophy Room, Living Room and Dining Room.

Artifacts include trophies, including the proud 1961 State Class C Championship Trophy, a hand-drawn soda-acid fire truck whose twin is in Alexander’s Lewis & Clark Museum which gleams bright paint and school book reader series like ‘Dick and Jane’ amid a full library.Graduating Class photos, except for the missing years of 1941, 1945 and 1947, run both sides of the staircase for Classes 1935 through 1963.

"Some obvious items are missing, and I’d welcome a chance to bring them here by loan or purchase," states Hanson. "No original school regulator clocks are here and there used to be five. The cornerstone was probably taken by well-meaning people with thoughts to preserve it years ago, but it would be a great time to bring it back for many to enjoy. The corner it was taken from had been neatly patched with rock and mortar, so responsible people probably have it and would be willing to return it."With western hospitality, Hanson whips up breakfast either traditional or gourmet, as his guests may prefer. Fortified, they are prepared to venture out into the countryside and visit all it has to offer.

Nearly six years ago Hanson made a commitment to the community of Arnegard, sending a form letter to every household on the 58835 zip code.

"I told them what the goal was by converting the old school into a Bed & Breakfast. I confronted their fears that I might pillage the place and promised to make a business and home here," states Hanson. "That promise has kept me going over the past year which was the hardest of hardships. I don’t like to fail and I won’t."The Old School Bed & Breakfast remains available to the public for tours in addition to its services as a Bed & Breakfast. You may check out its website at www.oldschoolbb.com.