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12/12/2017: North Dakota is known as an agricultural state, a leader in the production of canola, corn, wheat, sunflowers, soybeans, and sugar beets. Beef cattle are also an important commodity, with the state home to more than 950,000 head. So, when it comes to North Dakota agriculture, chickens are not the first thing to come to mind.

12/15/2017: One of the shortest tenures of a North Dakota Supreme Court justice came to an end after less than five months and a nasty election. Governor Elmore Y. Sarles appointed thirty-eight-year-old Stutsman County Judge John Knauf in August of 1906 after Justice Newton Young resigned after eight years on the bench.

12/19/2017: Edgar Allen was born in Kansas and flew as a bomber pilot during World War 2. When the war ended, he stayed in the Army Air Force and was assigned to the 6th Ferry Group in Long Beach California. Allen spent his time flying various planes around the country, mostly surplus aircraft being disposed of by the Air Force.

12/21/2017: On this date in 1904, two men were standing trial for burglary. Albert Kemper and Joseph Frantz were accused of committing the crime near Overholt. The Ward County Independent had no doubt that the men would be found guilty. The accused were being ably defended by two lawyers, but the newspaper reported that the members of the jury were “on their guard” and were paying close attention. The jury frequently questioned witnesses, a procedure that seems unusual to us today.

4/20/2017: On this date in 1922, the Ward County Independent reported on an enthusiastic reception for Minot native son Captain Howard Huston. More than 1,500 people gathered in the high school auditorium to greet him on his return from Switzerland. Dr. F.J. Brugman, the commander of the local American Legion Post, was chairman for the event, and Governor Ragnvald Nestos was in attendance.

4/26/2017: Only two weeks after the Declaration of War, the military machine was progressing quickly. The prospect of raising an all-volunteer army was unrealistic, so Congress was expected to pass a draft bill by the end of April. However, North Dakotans had been quick to answer the call.

5/9/2017: On this date 100 years ago … in 1917 … the effects of the Great War were beginning to become a reality.

5/12/2017: Spring starts in March, but full-fledged springtime really begins when the fragrance of lilacs is in the air. Assuredly, spring is more than just lilacs, for the landscape comes alive, as wild plum thickets flower, prairie roses bud, and dormant rhubarb awakens. May’s soft southern breezes and bright sunshine bring a welcome warmth.

5/31/2017: In the early 1900s, the country ran on horsepower. It was real horsepower, as horses were the primary source of transportation. Farmers used horses to plow, seed, cultivate, and harvest. Horses also pulled the wagons that transported goods to market. Snow was cleared with plows pulled by horses. They also pulled carriages for personal transportation. The horse was vital to North Dakota.

6/5/2017: It was a critical day for many young men on this date in 1917. America had entered the War, but it was lacking the manpower to sustain the type of warfare that had evolved in the trenches of Europe. While many believed America’s entrance into the conflict would bring a quick end to the war, the current military strength was not enough. With the enlistment rate inadequate, a draft was initiated.