Sarah Walker

2/26/2015: As the United States entered World War II, everyone on the home front was called upon to help. The Schools at War program was organized on September 25, 1942, by the War Savings Staff of the Treasury Department and the U.S. Office of Education. The program was set up to garner the interest and participation of students in public and private schools, grades kindergarten through 12th. Students were asked to save, serve and conserve – by giving money through the purchase of war stamps and bonds, conserving money and materials for the war effort, and by saving for personal security.

2/25/2015: In 1916, a very special car was turning heads: a Studebaker gold chassis. The car was constructed with more than 250 ounces of pure gold. It was built at a cost of more than $25,000 dollars. The car proved a sensation at the New York automobile show in January of 1916.

2/20/2015: There are 53 counties in North Dakota today, but early on, the map of the state changed frequently. The first counties were established when region was still a territory. Additional counties were added, carved up or divided, which was often a point of contention. Have you ever heard of Burbank County? How about Stevenson? Both existed at one point.

2/19/2015: On this date in 1953, citizens of Rolla were thinking about jewels – to be more precise, they were thinking about a jewel bearing factory. The new Turtle Mountain Ordnance Plant in Rolla was under construction. It would produce synthetic rubies, sapphires and ceramics -- critical components in highly sensitive instruments used by the military during the early and middle years of the Cold War.

2/17/2015: If you were listening yesterday, you heard about the dire winter weather conditions that the Williams County area suffered in the first few months of 1936. Paths of communication were cut as telephone lines fell, roads were blocked by snow, and temperatures dropped to new record lows. It was one of the worst winters ever in Williston. Business and travel slowed. Foremen laid off WPA workers who did not have the clothing to stand out in the cold.

2/10/2015: In 1917, as World War I loomed, Americans prepared for war. Among the challenges was aviation. Aircraft were relatively new, with Orville and Wilbur Wright having just flown in the first recorded controlled, powered flight in December 1903. But the field had developed quickly, becoming an important wartime priority. To meet the demand for pilots, the Aero Club of America pledged to concentrate efforts until the U-S had "one thousand trained aviators."

1/30/2015: If you were listening to Datebook on January 26, you heard about the Red River Dog Derby organized for the Outdoor Sports Carnival in Minnesota. Eleven dog teams were running from Winnipeg along the old Pembina trail through North Dakota and into Minnesota, to take their finish at Como Park during the carnival. However, cold weather and illness delayed and even knocked some participants from the race.

1/28/2015: In 1908, the North Dakota we know and love today was different. There were no cars, no phones, no computers. There were lanterns and letters home. There was hard work. Sometimes, there was just a claim, a farm, and a man.

1/26/2015: In January of 1917, plans for the annual Outdoor Sports Carnival in Minnesota were underway. There were many sporting events of interest, including a national ski tournament, world's championship speed-skating races, curling, and fireworks. However, a new event was being organized, one that would make history: one of the longest dog team races ever held in the United States.

1/23/2015: Anyone passing through Bismarck today is able to go to the 17th floor of the capitol building, the observation deck, and view the landscape of the city from above. Tiny people, cars, trees, and buildings can be seen in every direction. There weren't 17 floors in the original Capitol, but at the time it was built, there was much less to look at. The building was quite some distance north of the developing city.