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4/13/2015: Thomas Jefferson once said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the dreams of the past.” There is no doubt that Jefferson was a dreamer. One of his dreams was the purchase of a massive area of land we know as the Louisiana Purchase. But not everyone shared his vision. There was strong opposition to his proposal, even among some of Jefferson’s fellow Republicans.

4/29/2015: On this date in 1910, census enumerators in North Dakota were hard at work, counting the population of every township, village, city, and unincorporated area before the May 15 deadline. In Minot, citizens were excited to see the official report on their population numbers, which were projected to be between 8,000 and 9,000 people.

4/30/2015: The 34th Infantry Division was an Army National Guard unit that participated in both World War I and II. The troops were from North and South Dakota, as well as Minnesota and Iowa. Known as the Red Bull Division, the unit continues to serve today.

5/1/2015: An outpouring of patriotism and good will accompanied North Dakota’s soldiers as they left on trains to fight in World War One. In communities across the state, townspeople gave banquets, speeches, band concerts, and farewell receptions for their departing soldiers. Flags, flowers, songs and oratory showed each draftee that he had the support and encouragement of the people.

5/4/2015: Sitting Bull is a familiar name to North Dakotans, having played a significant role in North Dakota history. His name struck fear in the hearts of white settlers, but members of the Standing Rock Reservation remember him quite differently – as an inspirational leader and a fearless warrior.

5/15/2015: In September of 1920, the Disabled American Veterans of the World War, a veterans advocacy and assistance group still in existence today, was officially organized in the United States. Local chapters formed quickly throughout the country. By this date in 1922, Bismarck had joined the ranks. The Bismarck chapter chose their officers and set their next meeting to decide if any delegates should be sent to the state convention in Grand Forks in June.

5/26/2015: Today is the birthday of Norma Egstrom, who was the seventh of eight children born into a Jamestown Scandinavian family in 1920. Her father worked for the Midland Continental Railroad.

6/1/2015: Blue laws are state or local laws that prohibit commercial activity on Sundays. It is difficult to trace the origin of the term.

6/8/2015: In the early 1900s, there was a growing concern about protecting prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts. These were primarily located in the west. Private collectors were removing artifacts at an alarming rate. John F. Lacey, Iowa Congressman and chair of the House Committee on Public Lands, traveled to the southwest in 1902 to see the situation for himself. He came to the conclusion that these valuable cultural resources needed immediate protection.

6/11/2015: Ben Corbin (1835-1912) was known as the “champion wolf hunter of the Northwest.” Others called him “Ben, the Boss Wolf Hunter.” Some referred to him as a “wolf charmer,” but there was nothing charming or disarming about how Ben Corbin sought to exterminate all wolves in North Dakota or how he relentlessly pursued wolves. In his lifetime, he claimed to “have caught and killed over 4,000 wolves.”