The last wolverine recorded in North Dakota was “M56,” identified in 2016 after it was killed by a McKenzie County rancher. M56 had been radio-collared in Wyoming, detected in Colorado, and then its signal was lost. Wolverines had not been verified in the state for 150 years.
Red River fur traders at Pembina included wolverine pelts in their inventories through the early 1800s, taken from a large territory that included parts of Canada. In what is now North Dakota, the species was found in the Pembina Hills and other areas with heavy snow cover, including Turtle Mountain.
Although thought to be extirpated by the mid-1800s, various sightings or kills were reported into the early 1900s at Turtle Mountain. Newspaper advertisements aimed at attracting land buyers, fishermen, and hunters listed wolverine as late as 1906.
In December 1905, an advertisement for lots at Lake Upsilon stated, “Five years ago Dr. Thor Moeller told people that Lake Upsilon had all the natural advantages to make the finest summer resort in the world. Experts from the East declare that if it were in the Adirondacks, every lot could easily be sold at $1,000.”
The ad said lots were selling for $10 but would cost $25 the following year, adding, “The nearest railroad station is in St. John, seven miles away, but as this branch is now being extended into Canada, it will be less than three miles to the railroad, and there will probably be a spur built right into the lake.”
Picking up the pace, the ad continued, “There is birch, ash, oak, and poplar. There is the clear, fresh air of 2,500 feet. There is deer, bear, wolf, wildcat, lynx, and wolverine. There is sable, otter, mink, fox, muskrat, badger, woodchuck, rabbit, and several varieties of squirrel. There is partridge, grouse, and ducks in abundance. There is the softest, clearest, and most palatable water in the world. There is fishing for black bass, pickerel, and lake trout. There is bathing on the finest gravel shores. What more do you want?”
One year later, the same ad was still running, but at a more sedate and grammatically dignified pace, employing a poetic, therapeutic overhaul of the original language. It ended by urging readers, “Now is the time to investigate and select your lots. Before long it will be too late. Plats shown by, and lots can be purchased from, Dr. Thor Moeller.”
Dakota Datebook by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- Great Opportunity at Wye. Do Not Miss Your Chance. It is in the Nick of Time. Everyone Can Afford it at Present Prices. Lots Still Selling for $25, but will be $50 after NEW YEAR'S. Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.), December 29, 1905, .Page 2
- "WYE" -- A Resort. Boating, Bathing, Fresh Air, Pure, Soft Spring Water, Hunting and Fishing. Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.), January 26, 1906, Page 10
