Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoephla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history.
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Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
You can find all Dakota Datebooks from 2018-today below. Our archive of Datebooks from 2003-2017 can be found here.
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North Dakota Agricultural College opened on January 3, 1892, with 123 students. Farmers were initially skeptical that "college boys" could help them improve their farms. However, they were pleasantly surprised as professors took students out into the field to consult with farmers through the extension service, offering in-person courses and consultations. -
April Fools' Day has been around for centuries, with pranks and practical jokes ending in the cry of “April Fool!” Many historians trace its origins to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
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On this date in 1909, an incredible story was going to press. The Wahpeton Times reported that Farmer Olson, who lived three miles north of Jamestown, had spotted a man skipping across his fields in a hurry. Olson had never seen anyone so far off the beaten path and gleeful outside of hunting season. He concluded it must be the patient who had escaped from the insane asylum at Jamestown a few days earlier.
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Actively investing in the stock market can be intimidating for most people. There's a steep learning curve and the constant fear of losing money. But a group of women in Bismarck faced that fear head-on, pooling their resources and knowledge to take on the stock market. On this date in 1999, Fargo newspaper readers learned about the Big Time Operators Investment Club in Bismarck. Known as the BTO Club for short, the twenty women met monthly to discuss stocks they were researching and vote on what to buy and sell.
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Howard and Edna Stout were thankful for their new baby girl, born in 1949. They named her Linda. But soon, they became worried because baby Linda wasn't thriving. She was “very weak” due to being born with a hole in her heart—a ventricular septal defect between the lower chambers.
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There was a hint of panic when three cases of polio were reported in Fargo in 1921. The Ward County newspaper warned, “It is certain that the disease will spread over the state at an early date.” Polio was the most feared disease in the United States, and for good reason.
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On this date in 1863, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton awarded the first Medals of Honor to the six surviving members of Anderson’s Raiders.
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On this date in 1917, newspapers across the country reported that heavyweight contender Jim Barry was shot and killed. He was in Panama for a title fight against Sam McVey, who later brought the news back to New York. Many differing stories have circulated about Barry’s life, death, career, ethnicity, year of birth, and origins.
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As the summer of 1902 ended, three brothers left their home in Minnesota and headed west. The oldest brother had worked for several years on a farm near Courtenay during harvest season. In 1902, he was joined by his two younger brothers. Raymon, Harold, and W.C. Sweet left Fargo one August evening and walked to the Milwaukee Crossing, where they planned to camp while waiting for a train to Valley City.
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Today's Dakota Datebook is about Charles Alexander Reynolds. Charles was born on this date in 1842 in Illinois. The son of a doctor, Reynolds attended prep school before moving to Kansas with his family at 17. Seeking adventure, he left his family to work as a teamster on a wagon train. A year later, he joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War.
Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.