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.
—
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.
-
Ragnvold Anderson Nestos was born in Voss, Norway, on April 12, 1877. His name highlights his Norwegian heritage. “Ragnvold” is a traditional Norwegian name. “Anderson” comes from his father’s name, indicating he is the son of Anders. Nestos was sixteen years old and spoke no English when he came to the United States. He received his education at the Mayville Normal School and the University of Wisconsin. In 1904, he earned his law degree at the University of North Dakota and opened a practice in Minot. -
“The Black Death” swept Europe in the mid-14th century and killed millions of people. Hundreds of years later, North Dakota also grappled with plague. The first cases were detected in dozens of ground squirrels shot at a golf club and on ranches in the Crosby area in 1941. The rodents carried dozens of fleas infected with plague bacteria.
-
William Gardner was a Turtle Mountain Chippewa from North Dakota, born in 1884. He attended Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania and excelled in academics and athletics. He was on the famed "Carlisle Indians" football and track teams with Jim Thorpe, future Olympic legend. From 1904 to 1908, Carlisle defeated top football teams including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Pennsylvania State.
-
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, which took place from 1804 to 1806, was only the beginning of the exploration of the vast wilderness acquired through the Louisiana Purchase.
-
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell spoke nine momentous words: "Mr. Watson, come here. I need to see you." It was hardly an earthshaking statement, except for one fact. Bell had spoken the first words ever communicated by telephone. It wasn't much. Thomas Watson, Bell's assistant, was only in the next room. But Bell immediately saw the exciting possibilities. He began working right away to get his invention noticed by the public. The telephone was awarded a medal at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Later that year, at an exhibition in Salem, Massachusetts, Bell spoke with Watson, who was in Boston.
-
Republican William McKinley was considered a strong presidential candidate in 1896. He had a long record of public service. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861, rising to the rank of brevet major. He also served two successful terms as governor of Ohio. His politics appealed to Republicans, but he also attracted a broader range of voters. He was seen as a self-made man who radiated competence and reliability, qualities that appealed to voters during the turbulent 1890s.
-
On this date in 1928, sliced bread was introduced to consumers. Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the first machine for commercially slicing bread. The first commercial sale was made by a bakery in Chillicothe, Missouri. It was billed as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry.”
-
The late nineteenth century was the golden age of the exposition, often referred to as a “world’s fair.” Exhibits sponsored by foreign countries and displays of new modern conveniences were viewed with amazement.
-
Aviator Chester Jacobson was one of North Dakota’s earliest flyers who earned himself the reputation of a daredevil.
-
In 1946, a surplus World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane was purchased by the Aeronautics Department of Montana State College for $1 and placed on display on the university campus in Bozeman, Montana. In 1965, the Mustang was sold and hauled away, eventually ending up in a junkyard in Billings, Montana.
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.