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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Hunter and fur trader Charles Bottineau ventured to the Red River Valley in 1787. His oldest child, Pierre, was born in 1817. Pierre was described as being well over six feet tall, “of manly instincts and gentlemanly deportment, polite, agreeable and of a kindly disposition, and always true to his word." -
The rivalry between Grand Forks and Fargo was especially fierce in 1906. An agreement had been reached that the State Fair would alternate between Grand Forks and Fargo, with Fargo scheduled to host the fair for the first time. But there was some annoyance that Grand Forks was holding a Red River Valley Exposition just prior to Fargo’s fair.
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Nina Farley and her family were McIntosh County pioneers, having moved from Michigan in 1887. In 1891 she married John Wishek, a lawyer, banker, and politician. He was also a partner in Wishek and Lilly, a land office, which helped pioneers file homesteads. Nina and John came to be known as “Mother” and “Father” Wishek.
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Located in Rolette County, St. John is one of the oldest towns in North Dakota, dating back to its 1843 origins as a trading post. The 1880s, saw towns springing up in that region as people gravitated to the area’s trading posts. Dunseith and Belcourt were organized in 1884. And the city of Rolette is a relative latecomer, incorporated on this date in 1930. -
In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Kenneth Jerome Hill, enrolled member of Spirit Lake Nation, talk about how it's important to be proud to be Dakota.
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The Metis are an indigenous group whose homeland is in Canada and the northern United States. They trace their heritage to North American tribes and mixed European settlers who were primarily French. The Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 legally recognized the Metis as indigenous people. In the United States, the Metis are considered part of the Chippewa tribe. The Metis developed a distinct culture and language that blended their French and Indian heritage that grew out of the fur trade.
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North Dakota’s political history is marked by several people who left their legacy on the state and the nation through years of service in elected office. Quentin Burdick and Mark Andrews are two such examples, but serving between them was Hjalmar Nygaard, whose legacy was cut short before he could achieve similar status.
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In America’s westward movement, new towns arose along rivers and railways, and townspeople had great hopes for their newly established communities.
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Farmers saw an economic boon during World War I. They bought more acreage and invested in farm machinery. In the aftermath of the war, crop prices collapsed when the sudden decrease in demand resulted in oversupply. Farmers needing government assistance subsequently became an important voting bloc in the 1928 presidential election.
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In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Dusty Olson, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation, talk about essential understandings in our schools.
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.