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9/22/2017: The war caught America unprepared, not only by an inadequate military establishment, but in a source of revenue to fund it. It soon became apparent that to be a good, patriotic, American citizen, one had to be a “giving” citizen. Slackers were not only those who failed to serve, but were also those who failed to contribute monetarily to the many causes.

9/26/2017: Florence Crittenton was the daughter of prominent New York businessman John Crittenton. Florence died of scarlet fever in 1882 when she was only four years old. Her father was heartbroken. Looking for meaning in life, he began attending prayer meetings. At one such gathering he met evangelist Smith Allen, who invited Crittenton to tour the red-light district of New York City. Crittenton was appalled at the condition of young girls living on the streets. He was dismayed when he realized the women had no alternatives in life. Even if they had wanted to leave the streets, there was nowhere for them to go. Crittenton immediately felt that something had to be done.

9/27/2017: It was September 22 when Lance Koenig was driving near Tikrit, an Iraqi city about 100 miles north of Baghdad. He pulled over to inspect a suspicious roadside object, only to discover too late that it was a roadside bomb. It exploded, making him the third member of the 141st Combat Engineer Battalion to be killed in Iraq. He was only 33 years old.

9/28/2017: On this date in 1917, the Second Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard prepared to leave for Camp Greene, North Carolina. Among them was Joseph Jordan, a Sioux of the Standing Rock Reservation, who had enlisted in Company I, Second Infantry of the guard on July 22 that same year. He was anxious about what lay ahead for him.

10/5/2017: Budd Reeve first platted the land for what would become Buxton, North Dakota in 1880, about halfway between Grand Forks and Fargo. At the time, the only sign of life there was a Norwegian family on a sod shanty homestead.

10/6/2017: Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship models, or “QSAR” models, are ways of analyzing data used in biology, chemistry, and engineering. It first sums up the relationship between a molecule’s chemical structure and biological activity, then it uses that information to make predictions about chemical reactions and help analyze biological effects. For instance, if a new drug had horrible side effects, a QSAR model can help scientists investigate how to chemically change the drug to help alleviate side effects while still retaining the helpful qualities. This model has been revolutionary in the field of molecular chemistry, and its creator was born right here in North Dakota.

10/10/2017: Within a few years of its organization, the Nonpartisan League was overwhelming North Dakota’s political landscape by the time war was declared in 1917. It quickly denounced the US entry into the war, stating it was a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight. It found a sympathetic ear among the rural population of North Dakota that had seen its sons and husbands march off to war, while war profiteering significantly increased the costs of farming.

10/13/2017: Here is a true North Dakotan horror story for Friday the 13th

10/24/2017: The Second Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard had been quickly assembled with volunteers having little or no military experience. Most of the officers had not seen any extensive military service since receiving commissions during the Philippine Insurrection, so it was difficult to obtain approval from the Federal Government. Many hurdles had to be overcome, but the “Smashing Second” as it was known, was eventually called to the colors to join the First Regiment at the end of September.

11/6/2017: On this date in 1914, most news took a back seat to election results as North Dakota newspapers were full of articles about the vote held the day before. The Washburn Leader reported that two more states had voted for prohibition, bringing the total of dry states to thirteen.