Sarah Walker

12/22/2015: On this date in 1922, children in North Dakota knew exactly where Santa Claus was – he had arrived by train in Bismarck that afternoon on the No. 8 train, having abandoned sleigh and reindeer for the modern convenience.

12/18/2015: The nature of the Christmas gift has changed over time. In the 19th Century novel "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit only wanted some extra coal and food for his family.

12/3/2015: On this date in 1912, residents and visitors to Valley City, and students throughout Barnes County, had corn on the mind. Today marked the opening of Valley City’s big Corn Show, which included a Teachers’ and Boys’ Short Course in Agriculture.

This date in 1910 marked the conclusion of a three-day, annual firemen’s tournament. This event had a long history stemming from the 1880s, and rotated through different cities, over different dates, drawing many participants and spectators. In 1910, the event was hosted by Bismarck.

12/1/2015: On this date in 1916, Bismarck and Mandan were working to join forces to bring their cities closer together – travel-wise. They were trying to make the Red Trail a better highway and a more effective method to get from one city to the other.

10/26/2015: On this date in 1928, area residents of Bismarck and Mandan prepared for the imminent arrival of Major General Charles Summerall. The general was on an army camp inspection tour. Upon arrival he was met with a fair amount of pomp. He toured the city, inspected Fort Lincoln, and spoke at a banquet thrown in his honor.

9/24/2015: North Dakota’s Golden Valley County wasn't officially formed until 1912; however, Beach, which would become the county seat, was established and settled some years earlier. In 1881, the Northern Pacific Railroad built a section house in Beach. Nine years later, settlement really began. In 1902, the post office was established. In 1908, the village was incorporated, and in 1909, Beach became a city.

9/16/2015: North Dakotan architect and inventor George Bugenhagen died in 1953. Originally from New York, he came to North Dakota via Saskatchewan in 1916, beginning an architectural practice in Minot. He planned and built numerous buildings in Minot and in neighboring towns, but he was also busy with new inventions.

9/14/2015: Wahpeton, county seat of Richland County, was one of the earliest established sites in North Dakota. The settlement was founded in 1869 as Richville and later renamed Chahinkapa, which was the early Native American name for the site, meaning "end of the woods." Wahpeton adopted its current name July 24th, 1874. It is derived from a word meaning "village of many leaves" or "dweller among the deciduous trees." Wahpeton incorporated as a village in 1881, and became a city in 1884.

9/7/2015: In 1999, Ford's Model T was voted Car of the Century. It won out over the Mini of Britain, which took runner up, followed by the Citroen DS, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Porsche. The pick was made by a board consisting of 126 auto experts from 32 different countries, calling themselves the Global Automotive Elections Foundation, and they also included a public vote online. It was a close race, though as the New York Times reported, the decision was the logical choice, because the Model T “did, after all, find 15 million buyers; put the motorcar within reach of the common man; made America a mobile society; set the stage for modern assembly-line manufacturing; and cemented Detroit's place at the center of the auto universe."