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7/11/2017: Clement A. Lounsberry was born in 1843 in Indiana. Like many people who gained success as adults, Lounsberry overcame great hardships during his youth, including being orphaned.

7/12/2017: Cities, civic organizations and businesses throughout North Dakota hold many yearly “fests.” These fests bring people together to share in a variety of interests and activities. For example, Hankinson’s Polka Fest, the North Dakota Country Fest in New Salem, or the Norsk Hostfest in Minot.

8/1/2017: There was a sailor from Rolla named George Raasakka who served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. It was on this date in 1943 that the Navy launched the Callaghan, a brand-new destroyer, near Long Beach, California. George Raasakka became a coxswain on the Callaghan, helping steer the ship in every major battle in the Western Pacific from Palau to Okinawa, providing fire-support for troop-landings.

8/10/2017: In the late 1800s, the New York Children’s Aid Society routinely rounded up homeless children and sent them west on trains that came to be known as the orphan trains. The children were usually placed with farmers. Sometimes they found good homes where they were loved, but sometimes they were considered free labor and subject to abuse.

8/18/2017: On this date 20 years ago, the management of the Falkirk coal mine decided they needed better roads. Unfortunately, the road improvement project led to the death of an employee.

9/4/2017: At the beginning of the war, German nationals in the US without citizenship were monitored. In North Dakota there wasn’t any wide-spread mistreatment, but US District Attorney Melvin Hildreth, of Fargo, advised German nationals to “obey the law and keep your mouth shut.”

9/6/2017: The 2001-2002 season was a rough one for the UND hockey team. It was the first time since 1994 that they played a losing season, and the first time in five years that they did not make the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s final five tournament. Many factors played into this, such as a large number of rookies. However, there was also the rough patch for two of the players – brothers Ryan and David Hale.

9/11/2017: North Dakota is home to many types of snakes. The largest is the bullsnake. It averages 83 inches long. The record length is 93 inches. They would rather escape than attack. If cornered, a bullsnake will open its mouth, hiss, vibrate its tail, and appear ready to strike. Fortunately, bullsnakes aren’t venomous, but they’re often killed because they appear dangerous. Bullsnakes are most common in the western part of the state.

9/14/2017: The Federal Highway Act of 1921 established the Bureau of Public Roads, in charge of mapping plans for a national highway system, but those improvements would take time, and travelling any distance by automobile remained a challenge. There were few paved roads. Even roads listed as “good” were likely unpaved, making mud a constant hazard.

9/20/2017: There are many signs of fall in North Dakota. The days get shorter. The leaves start changing color. And the boxelder bugs make an appearance. On this date in 1900, the Griggs Courier warned that boxelder bugs were on the march.