3682 search Results for: datebook
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The First Printing Press on the Prairie
On this date in 1639, the first printing press was set up in the American colonies. Brought to Cambridge, Massachusetts from England by the Rev. Joseph Glover, a Puritan Minister, the press was transported to the fledging colony to become a part of a new college that would soon be known as Harvard. Printing presses […]
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Books for Soldiers
The war caught America unprepared, not only by an inadequate military establishment, but in a source of revenue to fund it. It soon became apparent that to be a good, patriotic, American citizen, one had to be a “giving” citizen. Slackers were not only those who failed to serve, but were also those who failed […]
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Little Shell Protest
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa is comprised primarily of three bands: the Pembina Band, the Red Bear Band, and the Little Shell Band. Whether the Little Shell group is properly included has been a legal problem that has its roots in the late 1800s. On this date in 1892 the North Dakota Government held […]
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A North Dakota Nuisance
There are many signs of fall in North Dakota. The days get shorter. The leaves start changing color. And the boxelder bugs make an appearance. On this date in 1900, the Griggs Courier warned that boxelder bugs were on the march. Over 100 years later, the bugs continue to make an annual appearance. An article […]
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First Lutheran Church of Bismarck
Scandinavians have a long and rich history in North Dakota. It is no surprise then, that one of the oldest churches in Bismarck was started by a group of Swedish immigrants. The First Lutheran Church formed in Dakota Territory in 1883, and the territorial government granted the members a charter on October 18th. The congregation […]
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Undesirables
On this date in 1917, many of the state’s young men were in military camps around the state, having been mobilized through the draft or as members of the National Guard. Consequently, an increase in crime was seen as the absence of so many young men made it harder for the citizenry to counter criminal […]
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Alexander Burr
Due to the new popular hit musical Hamilton, the story of Aaron Burr shooting Alexander Hamilton has been refreshed in our collective memory. What is far less know, is that with 40 years of judicial service, there was an Alexander Burr … no connection whatever to the shooting … who was the second-longest serving judge […]
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North Dakota Sure Looked Good
The Federal Highway Act of 1921 established the Bureau of Public Roads, in charge of mapping plans for a national highway system, but those improvements would take time, and travelling any distance by automobile remained a challenge. There were few paved roads. Even roads listed as “good” were likely unpaved, making mud a constant hazard. […]
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Lost Treasure At The Mouth Of Heart River, 1863
The year was 1863 and the Civil War raged, far away in the East. The Sibley and Sully military expeditions had driven Dakota tribespeople westward out of Minnesota in a number of battles following the 1862 Indian uprising. And in Dakota Territory there was a day when the Missouri River, near present-day Bismarck, ran red […]
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Draftees Mobilization
Until the end of summer in 1917, the war was still somewhat impersonal for most North Dakotans. Many young men seeking adventure had joined in the early months of the war, but most communities were not affected and deaths were few. Those who enlisted over the summer had departed as individuals or in small groups […]
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Lifesaving Whiskey
North Dakota is home to many types of snakes. The largest is the bullsnake. It averages 83 inches long. The record length is 93 inches. They would rather escape than attack. If cornered, a bullsnake will open its mouth, hiss, vibrate its tail, and appear ready to strike. Fortunately, bullsnakes aren’t venomous, but they’re often […]
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Portable Lungs
The polio virus attacks nerves in the spinal cord, causing paralysis. Of crucial importance was the diaphragm, a muscle above the stomach that controls the lungs, which don’t have their own muscles. As the diaphragm moves up, it pushes air out, and when it moves down, air is sucked inward. If the polio virus attacks […]
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What the Birdman Saw
When tractors were first introduced in the beginning of the twentieth century, farmers regarded them with healthy skepticism, but acceptance grew with the labor shortage of World War I. By 1915 there were 25,000 tractors on American farms. By 1920 that number had grown ten-fold, to 250,000. And by 1930, the number reached a million. […]
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Hale-ing a Mother’s Advice
The 2001-2002 season was a rough one for the UND hockey team. It was the first time since 1994 that they played a losing season, and the first time in five years that they did not make the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s final five tournament. Many factors played into this, such as a large number […]
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The Lewis and Clark Bridge
The Missouri River was a formidable obstacle to travel in North Dakota. Travelers were thrilled when the situation was resolved. On this date in 1916, traffic in the Williston area saw a most welcome improvement. The Grand Forks Herald announced that both the old and the new channels of the Missouri River had been crossed […]
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German Nationals
At the beginning of the war, German nationals in the US without citizenship were monitored. In North Dakota there wasn’t any wide-spread mistreatment, but US District Attorney Melvin Hildreth, of Fargo, advised German nationals to “obey the law and keep your mouth shut.” Facing harsh censorship, some German newspapers elected to cease publication. However, the […]
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The Baking Powder War
On this date in 1899, the Oakes Republican ran an advertisement for Calumet Baking Powder, touting it as “the only high quality baking powder at a moderate price.” But from the 1880s to the 1920s, there was a vicious feud between two different schools of thought in the baking powder business. The established manufacturers utilized […]
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Little Leeds
A stretch of U.S. Highway Two in North Dakota has a string of towns with English names. York, Norwich, Surrey and Leeds. Leeds, dates back to 1886. The Great Northern Railroad founded the town at the site of a community previously known as Barker. It’s about 30 miles northwest of Devils Lake. On this date […]
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Goodrich, Clark and Dudley
Quite some distance from North Dakota’s two least-populated counties of Slope and Billings is Sheridan County, the state’s third-least populous county. Sheridan is at the very center of the state, home to the centermost city of McClusky, which is also the county seat. In east is Goodrich, born along the railroad, but with a story […]
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A Ruckus in Pasco
The soldiers of the First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry had acquitted themselves well in the Spanish American War and the Philippine American War in 1898-1899. At that time, it was considered unconstitutional to utilize the National Guard outside the United States. North Dakotans resigned from the Guard so they could enlist in the Volunteers. Nine […]