Seasons Greetings, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that, from Red Oak House.
Huh? Red Oak House? What’s that?
Well, we’re glad you asked.
Red Oak House is home to Lillian Crook and Jim Fuglie. It’s located at 920 Arthur Drive in Bismarck. Arthur Drive is a long winding block of about 20 houses, officially known as Torrance Addition to the City of Bismarck. It’s the eastern boundary of the better-known Highland Acres. Both are part of the Highland Acres National Historic District, recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of Bismarck’s most historic neighborhoods. We love living here.
But what about the name Red Oak House?
Well, on December 29, 2017, we received a certificate in the mail from Glenda Fauske, State Coordinator for the North Dakota Register of Champion Trees, declaring the giant Red Oak tree (Quercus rubra) in our front yard as a State Champion Tree. The largest Red Oak tree in North Dakota.
Well, we were pretty excited about that, and decided right then that our house would officially be known as Red Oak House. And we designed a plaque, which sits on a pedestal in our front yard, under the tree, to tell passers-by that the tree they are looking at is a State Champion.
And then, Lillian, the tech expert in our house, which sits behind the tree, designed a website to share our story with the world.
Well, most of the world hasn’t visited our website. You probably haven’t either. So, we thought we’d take this Christmas opportunity to share the news of it with you. You’ll find it at redoakhouse.com.
If you visit the site, you’ll see Lillian has put an amazing amount of material there—hours, maybe days, of reading enjoyment. Perfect for long winter nights with a fire in the fireplace and a cup of eggnog beside you. It’s more than just the story of Red Oak, House (although that story is there). You’ll find links to our blogs, Wild Dakota Woman and The Prairie Blog. You’ll find the story of how the State Champion Red Oak Tree came to be.
You’ll find a link to the website Lillian built in honor of Col. Paul Southworth Bliss, the North Dakota poet whose biography we’ve written, and which is set to be published in 2026 by NDSU Press. We think you’ll like him as much as we do.
You’ll be amazed at Lillian’s skills as a self-taught web designer (Jim’s writing the first draft of this, so he can brag about Lillian), and you’ll enjoy the photos and some of the other stories she’s included.
There’s even a map to our house, so you can come by next spring (well, June—it’s an oak, after all, and they leaf out late) and see it in all its splendor. And stop in for a visit and a glass of wine on the patio out back, where you’ll see our own gardening skills on full display, including Lillian’s hundreds of hostas and daylilies, and Jim’s tomatoes—not quite a hundred, but a lot. Enough to provide Bloody Mary’s for the boys in the boat and the ice house all year long.
And so, we’ll close this with wishes for a wonderful Christmas, a party-filled New Year’s Eve, and many blessings in 2026.
Jim and Lillian
P.S. Highlight of the year 2025:
We traveled, far and wide, without leaving America. To the southeasternmost point in America in the Virgin Islands in Winter and the northwesternmost part of America in Alaska in the Summer. They are about 3,500 miles apart as the crow files. And Lillian did a couple trips south to visit family in Tennessee and Mississippi, while Jim relaxed at home, as is his preference these days. We’re thinking of staying closer to home next year.
The Prairie Blog 