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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The Roaring Twenties were definitely roaring in 1922. The United States was marked by postwar recovery and economic growth. Mass production made consumer goods more available to Americans. Innovations like automobiles, radios, and airplanes led to the development of new industries. There was a sense of optimism about the future, and the sky seemed to be the limit. It wouldn’t last long. But in 1922, no one knew the Roaring Twenties would crash into the Great Depression. Life was good. -
Between 1825 and 1925, it is estimated that 750,000 people left Norway to emigrate to the United States. About 15 percent of those emigrants came from Trondelag. People from Trondelag are known as “Tronders.” Today, more than 450,000 Americans are descended from the original Tronder immigrants.
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As settlers arrived on the Great Plains and towns began to spring up, music became an important source of entertainment. Neighbors living on isolated homesteads gathered for barn dances, and traveling musicians performed for contributions from the audience.
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Printed in large quantities on cheap paper, dime novels were wildly popular. Costing just a dime, and sometimes only a nickel, they were aimed at a broad audience. The first recognized dime novel was published on this day in 1860.
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Iceland is about 2,500 miles away from North Dakota. That seems very far away indeed. It is difficult to imagine that an event in far-off Iceland could have a direct effect on North Dakota, but in 1783, that is exactly what happened. -
The challenges farmers faced during the “Dirty Thirties” took a U-turn with the outbreak of World War II. The rains returned, crops were good, and land was cheap. The American military’s increased demand for crops and meat drove up prices for those commodities. While the state lagged behind in war-specific industrial production, North Dakota’s contribution in the form of agricultural products should not be underestimated.
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It took many years for Theodore Roosevelt National Park to become a reality. When Theodore Roosevelt died in 1919, proposals were immediately put forward to create a national monument in his honor.
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By 1911, North Dakota was looking less like the Wild West and more like eastern civilization. Education was a big part of the state’s progress. Even small communities had elementary schools, but high school was a more expensive undertaking. Education often ended after sixth grade. Many families sent their children to larger towns to earn a high school diploma. Reflecting the state’s farming culture, the 1911 Legislature provided financial support for communities that approved high schools with an emphasis on agriculture.
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The Fourteenth Amendment conferred citizenship on those born in the United States, but one group was left out: Native Americans. In 1884, a case challenging that position made its way to the Supreme Court. John Elk brought a case against a registrar in Omaha for refusing to register him to vote because he was not considered a citizen. In a 7–2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment did not apply to Elk because, as an Indian, he was not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
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The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1865 by former Confederates to obstruct the extension of voting rights to Black Americans. Strong Reconstruction Acts were passed by Congress in 1867 and 1868. By 1870, the Klan had chapters in almost every Southern state. Members waged a campaign of intimidation against Black citizens and their white supporters. Klan participation gradually declined and was largely inactive by 1890.
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.