Wells Fargo Bank has had ties to Mandan for 125 years, and bank officials are celebrating that longevity on Thursday.

Wells Fargo is hosting a 125h anniversary celebration open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at its Mandan store, 111 Second Ave. N.W. The event is open to the community. Birthday cake, ice cream and refreshments will be served, and guests will have a chance to receive prizes throughout the day.

On Nov. 14, 1881, the First National Bank of Mandan opened just nine months after the city of Mandan was born. The bank was the predecessor to Wells Fargo in Mandan. Today, Wells Fargo is one of only two Mandan businesses started in 1881 still serving the city.

"Our close connection with the community of Mandan and its rich history are vitally important to all of us at Wells Fargo," said Todd Steinwand, community banking district president for Mandan. "The history of Wells Fargo Mandan is, in large part, the history of Mandan and Morton County."

According to Wells Fargo Bank, wWhen it was organized in 1881, First National Bank of Mandan became the first bank west of the Missouri River in what was then Dakota Territory. In 1974, the bank was renamed First Northwestern National Bank of Mandan, which later became Norwest Bank. With the merger of Norwest and Wells Fargo in 1998, it became Wells Fargo Mandan.

Nationally, Wells Fargo & Co. has been in business for 154 years. Henry Wells and William Fargo founded the company to meet customers' express and banking needs as gold fever created commerce in California.

Bank expands

Gate City Bank broke ground recently for a fourth Bismarck-Mandan office in the Country West development area, at 1725 Golf Drive in northwest Bismarck. The new full-service location is scheduled to open in January 2007.

Norm Clark will manage the new office and also will retain his manager duties at the Mandan office.

The 4,000-square-foot building will feature four drive-up lanes, including an ATM lane. The building will be visually distinctive, with a pitched roof and clear story glass. It also will take advantage of its location by including a patio on the west side of the building with a view of the valley to the west.

The addition of the Country West office will bring the total number of Gate City Bank offices to 28. It currently has two offices in Bismarck-downtown and Gateway-and one office in Mandan. Gate City Bank employs more than 340 people across the state of North Dakota and in Moorhead, Minn.

Alien invasion

Space Aliens Grill and Bar now has a location in Minot and has plans for restaurants in Grand Forks and Minnesota.

The restaurant franchise, owned by Galaxy Investors Inc., also has locations in Bismarck, Fargo, Albertville, Minn., and has plans to open one in Grand Forks in 2007 and in Blaine, Minn., in December. The Minot restaurant opened in June.

Brad and Kassie Bender, former Mandan residents, will be the franchisees of the Albertville location.

Galaxy Investors was started in 1996 by Bismarck partners Mort Bank, Gene Holwegner and Dave Glaser. The Bismarck location opened in January 1997.

Bank, Holwegner and Glaser also have started a new company, Galaxy Properties, LLC, which currently has a strip mall under construction on State Street between Space Aliens and First Security Bank. The 7,800-square-foot strip mall will have four tenants and will be ready for occupancy in October.

Day care center planned

A new childcare center is planned for north Bismarck. Good Shepherd Children's Center will be in the lower level of the church's new building on Washington Street north of Horizon Middle School. It will serve 76 children, infant to 6 years old. It is planned to open in 2007.

The cost of services is on a sliding fee scale. The center will work with Head Start to provide services for children with special needs.

It also will have an observation room and a space for multimedia presentations to provide observation opportunities and workshops for childcare workers.

"We hope to serve as a model site" for education, said Barb Tengesdal, an assistant professor at the University of Mary who is involved with the children's center. There are laboratory schools in the eastern part of the state, but not in the western end of the state, she said.

(The Business Beat column is generated weekly by the Tribune staff. Submit business news and column tips to businessbeat@;bismarcktribune.com or 250-8247.)