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In 1889, the Ladies Historical Society of Bismarck was formed for the purpose of collecting and preserving “the records and relics pertaining to the early settlement of the city and territory in correct and permanent form” and to promote “friendship and goodwill among the early settlers” of Bismarck and North Dakota.

Monday, October 10 - NDSU professor Ross Collins is the author of “Chocolate. A Cultural Encyclopedia.” No food in the world can offer as storied a history as chocolate. The book is a comprehensive look at cocoa’s history from ancient Mesoamerican beginnings to its omnipresence in Europe, North America, and the rest of the world. ~~~ Today is Columbus Day, but the second Monday in October is also observed as Indigenous Peoples Day. Today we acknowledge the latter by sharing a profile of Juanita J. Helphrey, one of the 2022 inductees into the North Dakota Native Hall of Honor. ~~~ How Will We Know When the Pandemic is Over? That question is discussed in an excerpt from Conversations on Healthcare as hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter visit with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, head of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. ~~~ Two thirds of farmers say the pandemic affected their mental health. The U-S Department of Agriculture has funding available to help with mental health, and as Kendall Crawford reports for Harvest Public Media, some Midwestern states are distributing the resources not only to farmers, but also to business and community members they interact with.

In North Dakota, the state archives are managed by the State Historical Society. In early 1907, the society received welcome funding and some office space in the Capitol for the collections. However, by December, the Bismarck Tribune reported that the archives already needed more room and more funds, saying: “The [Society] has a good start, but we are far behind our sister states, and much of historical value that ought to be in our possession has already gone to enrich the treasures of other states.”

Today, we recognize Georgia Carpenter, who came from out east in 1915 to become the second librarian for the North Dakota State Historical Society.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 - As we approach the November elections, we visit with candidate Tim Lamb, who’s running for Attorney General of North Dakota. ~~~ Speaking of the election, we hear from Josh Askvig, North Dakota state director for AARP, about the issues of importance for senior citizens.

Whynot was the name of a general store and post office from the 1880s through the 1940s. It originated in the creative brain of Erik K. Larsgaard, a Norwegian immigrant, who came to America in 1881.

In March 1907, Jesse A. Tanner took “temporary charge of the museum and library of the State Historical Society” which the Tribune reported had “quarters in the new wing of the Capitol.” The acting Curator was a graduate from the Valley City normal school and the University of North Dakota, and he delved into his work, which at that time was soliciting historical documents and artifacts, travelling to sites, and working with the museum and library housed in the Capitol building. He operated under a salary of $100 a month.

Jesse A. Tanner briefly worked as a temporary curator for the Historical Society in 1907. In July of that year, the Bismarck Tribune published this note: “Few people realize the magnitude and value of the work being done by the Curator Tanner … Day by day the work of receiving and arranging the different and various matters pertaining to the work of the society is being carried on by this man.” One of those tasks involved the newspaper collection, which was required by a 1905 law. It took a lot of time, effort, and space.

In July of 1907, Herbert C. Fish became curator of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, with an annual salary of $1,200. Newspapers reported that he was “full of enthusiasm for local history work, and that his “qualifications and energy” would be a boon to the job and the state.

In December of 1914, Miss Marie Simpson, who had recently been a substitute librarian at Mayville Normal School, started working for the society. According to newspapers at the time, Simpson had “a broad training in library work and also in history work, which makes her services invaluable to the society.”