When settlers arrived on the Great Plains, communication was slow. Mail was delivered by stagecoach and took days to arrive. Mail arrived faster by Pony Express than by stagecoach. Riders galloped from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, making the journey in ten days. The Pony Express did not do well on the northern Great Plains. In 1860, the route ran from Grand Portage in Minnesota through Fargo and out to Medora. It came to a quick end when severe winter weather made the journey virtually impossible.
The next advance in communication came with the railroad. While mail moved more quickly, there were still drawbacks. Mail was delivered to towns along railroad routes, but it still had to reach residents living on farms and ranches. Newspaper subscriptions were delivered by mail, but the papers might be days or even weeks old by the time they arrived.
In 1902, Nathan B. Stubblefield gave a demonstration of wireless transmission that was received by seven stations in different locations. It was reported that “music, songs, and whispered conversations could be heard with perfect ease.” Stubblefield predicted that his invention “will be used for the general transmission of news of every description.” On this date in 1908, he was granted a U.S. patent for what he called a “wireless telephone system.” Although Stubblefield was unable to turn his invention into a successful business, he is widely recognized as a father of radio.
By 1922, there were about thirty radio stations across the country. WDAY in Fargo went on the air in 1922. It was joined by other stations in Bismarck, Mandan, Devils Lake, Grand Forks, and Minot. It was not long before most households included a radio, and the world opened up for North Dakotans. Few national political figures came to the sparsely populated state, but North Dakotans could listen to their speeches thanks to radio. Radio allowed people to listen to major league baseball games as they happened. The news kept folks up to date on national and international events. The long winter nights were now filled with music and drama programs. Housewives tuned in to daytime soap operas like “The Guiding Light.”
Radio continues to keep North Dakotans connected with the outside world. WDAY, the first North Dakota radio station, is still broadcasting today.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- ND Studies. “Radio.” https://www.ndstudies.gov/gr8/content/unit-iv-modern-north-dakota-1921-present/lesson-3-building-communities/topic-4-communications/section-2-radioAccessed 4/22/2026.
- Murray Ledger and Times. “The father of radio broadcast – Nathan B. Stubblefield.” https://www.murrayledger.com/community/the-father-of-radio-broadcast---nathan-b-stubblefield/article_c3a128a2-56e1-11eb-87b9-3b8e10159292.htmlAccessed 4/22/2016.
- The Dakotan. “100 years and counting.” https://mydakotan.com/2022/09/100-years-and-counting/Accessed 4/22/2026.
