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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On this date in 2009, a rather unusual event occurred in North Dakota when residents in the Minot area felt the earth tremble. The earthquake measured 4.2. An earthquake of this magnitude is considered light to moderate and often goes virtually unnoticed. -
Society columns were once a popular feature in newspapers. Here are some examples from this date in 1892 from the Fargo Society column of the Wisconsin Afro-American.
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Wolves once thrived in North Dakota. Early settlers considered them a danger to livestock and to the settlers themselves. In the late 19th century, eradication efforts largely drove them out of the state. Local governments began offering bounties on wolves. In 1893, the Emmons County Record reported that the county board approved paying wolf bounties.
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North Dakota experiences frequent thunderstorms, averaging 25 to 35 storms each year. The storm season usually runs from late spring through early fall. The state is located in the path of winds that bring warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The flat terrain allows those winds to move freely, with little to impede the formation of storms.
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In August 1921, a wave of bank robberies swept through small towns across North Dakota. The first targets were banks in Honeyford and Niagara in Grand Forks County. On this date, the criminals struck again, this time at the Farmers State Bank in Lunds Valley, Mountrail County.
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On this date in 2003, the United States Navy announced that a contract had been awarded for a new vessel. The Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, would build a Virginia-class submarine. Virginia-class submarines are designed for a broad range of open-ocean missions as well as operations closer to shore. They were developed as a less expensive alternative to the Cold War-era Seawolf-class submarines.
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Buffalo Bill Cody had an astute talent for both business and self-promotion. He turned his experiences as a Pony Express rider, Army scout, and buffalo hunter into a successful career as a major celebrity. Ned Buntline wrote dime novels about Cody, and Buffalo Bill starred in a Broadway show about — who else? — himself.
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Chief Giles Goose, also known as Joseph, was an Arikara scout, soldier, and mail carrier whose life reflected the rapid change on the Great Plains. Between 1870 and 1882, Goose served as a scout for the U.S. Army while military posts lined the Missouri River. During this time, he guided and protected settlers and traders traveling along this route, the primary transportation and trade corridor.
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Prunus virginiana, commonly known as chokecherry, is a remarkably adaptable plant that thrives in diverse growing conditions and climates. It is a member of the rose family, blooming with clusters of white flowers in the spring, followed by dark red cherries. The plant is extremely hardy, able to survive both harsh winters and drought.
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The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. Fourteen thousand troops of the American Expeditionary Force landed at Saint-Nazaire, France, on June 26. More than 35,000 North Dakotans served in World War I, with approximately 28,000 deployed overseas.
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.