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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Are you ready for spring? March 1 is the first day of meteorological spring, while the spring equinox which marks the first day of astronomical spring is coming up on March 20. As that old saying goes “if March comes in like lamb it goes out like a lion” and vice versa. -
Mary Elizabeth Sabin, of LaMoure, North Dakota, was honored as North Dakota's Oldest Mother on this date in 1932, as part of a national program to find the oldest women living in each state. The program, led by the North Dakota Federation of Women's Clubs, was a project of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission, celebrating the 200th birthday of the first president. The winner from North Dakota would go on to represent the state at the national program in Washington, D.C., competing to be named the oldest mother in the country. -
Small towns in North Dakota reached their business and population peak in the 1920s. While cities like Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks continue to grow and draw shoppers from miles around, many small towns have struggled, losing businesses, schools, churches, and their reason for being.
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It's basketball tournament time! For over 100 years, basketball has been a cornerstone of North Dakota's sports scene—uniting players, fans, and entire towns in the pursuit of victory. Join us as we celebrate the history of basketball in the region through Dakota Datebook!
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On this date in 1918, Frederick Smith was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Eugene and Gladys Smith. He began his career in entertainment at the age of 12, ushering at three neighborhood theaters. After a stint in the US Naval Reserve, Fred became an associate of Al Sheehan’s Inc., a company that produced all types of stage shows.
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On this date in 1916, Wahpeton newspapers reported the arrest of a young couple on charges of fornication. Authorities suspected something far more sinister and began to question them further.
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On this date in 1906, according to City Attorney Aaron Bessie of Wahpeton, he filed papers that had been served on Ruby Weston the previous day. Bessie asserted that public records could be viewed by anyone in the register of deeds office and sheriff’s process docket, under the date of February 21, 1906.
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The first automobile in North Dakota sparked a wave of excitement when it appeared in Fargo in 1897, igniting the state's love affair with cars. In 1898, Samuel Holland’s homemade steam-powered jalopy became the first car manufactured in the state. North Dakotans didn’t wait for mass production; they started building their own vehicles. Some, like Holland, sold their creations, while others, like William Walton of Neche, built them for personal use. When Henry Ford’s Model T hit the market in 1908, it sold for four hundred dollars—equivalent to about eleven thousand dollars today.
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Einar Mickelson was born in York, North Dakota, in 1915 and died in China in 1944 at the age of 29. In between, Mickelson lived a life of adventure.
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When the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1788, the framers faced a challenge: how to balance the representation of large states with fair treatment for smaller ones. They designed Congress to ensure fair representation for all states, regardless of size. The House of Representatives allotted seats based on population, giving larger states more representatives. To balance this, the Senate gave every state two senators, regardless of size.
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.