Search results for

Herbert Fish was curator for the historical society from July 1907 until August 1915. He was a strong force, traveling the state to conduct field work, and collect documents and artifacts. When Fish resigned as curator, a number of applicants applied. One was Katherine Jewell, widow of the late Marshall Jewell, who was the second editor of the Bismarck Tribune, a position he held for more than thirty years.

In 1911, the State Historical Society of North Dakota had only one paid employee with an office in the capitol. In 1914, the first librarian was hired. And in November of 1915, Mrs. Katherine Jewell was hired as the first newspaper clerk.

The Ladies Historical Society formed in 1889, became the State Historical Society of North Dakota six years later in 1895. However, the new agency received no appropriations from the government, and it soon foundered.

North Dakota is definitely not in the mainstream of pop culture. Most people’s only reference point to the state is the film “Fargo.” But North Dakota is found in other stories too.

In 1916, Librarian Georgia Carpenter noted that in the past year, several visitors of national reputation had visited the library, including Miss Frances Densmore, known for documenting the music of indigenous peoples. She and Orin G. Libby had recorded Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan songs on wax cylinders.

In 1916, Librarian Georgia Carpenter noted that in the past year, several visitors of national reputation had visited the library, including Miss Frances Densmore, known for documenting the music of indigenous peoples. She and Orin G. Libby had recorded Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan songs on wax cylinders.

Are you familiar with bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)? It is a woody vine that can be found twining up trees and shrubs in woodlands and groves throughout North Dakota. It seems to go largely unnoticed during the summer months because it is buried in with the other green foliage. And there is not much that would catch your eye. But this time of year, particularly once the leaves have fallen, the bright orange fruits are much easier to spot.

Thursday, October 13, 2022 - Fargo’s Sawyer Anderson is one of 16 people to receive the 2022 International Young Eco-Hero Award. She won 2nd place in the 8-12 age group for her work raising money to build water wells in Zambia. She’s the author and illustrator of Water Works - An American Girl's Journey to Bring Clean Water to Africa. ~~~ Speaking of keeping the water clean, Chuck Lura discusses the benefit provided by beavers. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Shane Did Not Live in North Dakota.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with a “Main Street Eats” discussion about kitchen shortcuts, or hacks, – some that are good, and some that aren’t.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 - Matt Olien visits with Secretary of State candidate Jeffrey Powell. ~~~ The North Dakota Council on the Arts is holding an arts accessibility workshop on Thursday. We hear from Rhea Beto, the council’s accessibility coordinator. ~~~ Could autonomous tractors make farming more accessible? Maybe so. We have a report on the development of such tractors from Harvest Public Media. ~~~ And autonomous tools can also help wildlife researchers, as we hear in an episode of BirdNote.

North Dakota entered the country as a dry state, initiating an ongoing battle between state authorities and bootleggers. On this date in 1928, the Bismarck Tribune reported that four men found themselves in hot water, accused of running the largest still ever found in the state. To call the operation a “still” was an impressive understatement. Located on a farm seventeen miles north of Mandan, the operation more closely resembled a factory.