Sarah Walker

There was a ghost haunting the streets of Bismarck in 1892. At least, that's what the Bismarck Tribune reported as Halloween neared, stating: "Bismarck does not claim for itself anything out of the ordinary, but it does, just at present, rejoice at the possession of something which does not fall to the lot of every city; it owns a real, live ghost, with the white robe and all other appendages of dress, the possession of which is absolutely indispensable to the fashionable personal appearance of a well-dressed ghost."

In December 1930, when the original Capitol building burned, many people turned out to watch. Some, however, came to save what they could. Secretary of State Robert Byrne was one of those who joined in the heroics. He broke a window into his office, cutting his hand on the glass and singeing his hat. Inside, he opened the storage vault and rescued the original state constitution, which luckily suffered no damage. Without his efforts, the constitution might have been lost or damaged, as happened to records from some other state agencies. His quick thinking saved this founding document.

October is Archives Month, when archives around the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

October is Archives Month, when archives around the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

In 1889, men met at the Constitutional Convention in North Dakota to work on framing the state’s foundational document. They met from July 4, 1889, until August 17. There were various topics of interest under discussion, and while they debated, the public watched and voiced their own opinions and concerns—such as in the case of the establishment and location of public buildings, including government offices, universities, and the state hospital.

For years, many residents in Dakota Territory wanted to split it into two halves, but it wasn’t until the Enabling Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Grover Cleveland in February of 1889, that Dakota Territory was allowed to split into the separate states of North and South Dakota.

In late August, 1911, a horrible fire in Topeka, Kansas did more than one hundred thousand dollars damage in the business district. The reports noted that the J. C. Gresser furniture company, and the Grebbs clothing company were hit the hardest, but what caught readers’ attention in North Dakota was the news that photo studio also burned, killing a man named Evans, who lived in the studio.

Steamboats and ships were an important means of transportation in early years, and newspapers frequently reported on the shipping activity. In 1911, Williston papers published a number of interesting reports.

In August of 1930, men who had fought for the Union during the Civil War and were able to make the trip to Cincinnati were at a convention for the 'Boys in Blue' who marched home with a Union victory in '65.

On this date in 1916, citizens of Fargo were reading about an attempted escape from the Cass County jail. According to the local papers, "Only the eternal vigilance of Sheriff John Ross and his force of deputies" prevented the escape from happening.