Tessa Sandstrom

11/24/2006: Jewish cemeteries and memorials are scattered across the continent of Europe from Prague to Barcelona, and many are found in the city centers to pay tribute to a people who lived through many hardships. North Dakota may seem far away from all of that history, but on the vast, bare plains of Ramsey County, North Dakota has its own memorial to a Jewish settlement. The Sons of Jacob Cemetery is little known to most in the state, but on this day in 1971, the Devil’s Lake Journal brought this unique history and land back into the present.

11/23/2006: Football season in North Dakota ended recently, with four teams earning the crown in their own separate divisions. In the past, however, there was only one champion in the state, and on this day in 1917, the Williston Coyotes, under the direction of Coach Joe Cutting, ran away with the state title.

11/22/2006: “Home sweet home” was not a term used to describe some of North Dakota’s newest homeowners today in 1921.

11/21/2006: Tom McGoey was a man of firsts. He was the first North Dakota aviator, built the first North Dakota airplane, and would later be the first aviator in several cities, including Duluth. Today in 1938, the state was celebrating the life of the accomplished aviator at his funeral held in Grand Forks. Tom McGoey had died at the age of 61 on November 17, 1938, but his legacy continued in the minds of North Dakotans who had witnessed his aerial feats.

11/20/2006: It was tough work being the breadwinner of the family in the 1930s, but due to a strike, this task was even more difficult. Bakers of Grand Forks went on strike, leaving six companies short of help; despite this, production continued. The bakeries also attempted to continue bread deliveries, but constant violence and harassment by picketers stopped deliveries until police protection for the truck drivers was guaranteed. Today in 1937, trucks again began deliveries, making it a little easier for consumers to “bring home the bread.”

11/19/2006: In the old days, lignite was often gathered and burned in stoves in North Dakota, but the Manidon Mining Company found it was more profitable to burn it in the vein.

11/18/2006: Energy drinks are commonly used today to jumpstart the day, but a Willis farmer might have found the recipe long before Red Bull hit the market. What he found, however, literally gave his pigs a “lift.”

11/16/2006: It had only been a little over a year since the end of World War II, and the world’s superpowers were already taking up arms. They were to invade North Dakota. Why not, after all? It was pheasant season.

11/14/2006: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” is a saying that was especially true following World War Two. Since tractors took over for horses in the fields, many farmers were left with horses they couldn’t get rid of. According to the Mandan Pioneer, North Dakota farmers had found an outlet for their extra burden.

11/11/2006: With winter fast approaching, we bid farewell to yet another summer–or road construction season, as native North Dakotans might call it jokingly. But, what few may know, is that there is some truth in that joke.