Carole Butcher

As World War I raged, urgent pleas for help came from Jews in Eastern Europe. They were suffering not only from food shortages but also from discrimination and oppression. An estimated two million Jews were entirely dependent on charity. In response, the Orthodox Union in the United States established a relief committee in 1914. When fundraising efforts fell short, they asked President Wilson to designate Jewish War Relief Day. Wilson approved the measure in 1916, noting in his proclamation that Americans “have learned with sorrow of this terrible plight of millions of human beings and have most generously responded to the cry for help whenever such an appeal has reached them.”

Black patriots played an important role in the American Revolution, with about five thousand African Americans serving the cause of independence. From the first shot at Lexington and Concord to the final shot at Yorktown, Black recruits fought side by side with their white comrades. By the time of the Civil War, the American military was segregated, with nearly 200,000 African Americans serving in the Union Army and Navy.

In October, 1918, World War I was winding down, and would concluded in less than a month. Newspapers were still full of war news, with maps and details of troop movements dominating the front pages. However, on this date in 1918, the war was pushed off the front pages of North Dakota newspapers by news of devastating fires that afflicted Minnesota. While readers could still learn about President Wilson negotiating the end of the war and German forces retreating, the headlines focused on the death and destruction caused by the massive fires in Minnesota.

For thousands of years, American Indian tribes lived in what is now North Dakota with their own systems of government and economy. They were pushed out of their traditional lands as Euro-Americans began to arrive. The Homestead Act of 1862 attracted new immigrants with promises of cheap land, while tribes were confined to reservations as new settlers established their homes.

1912 promised to be a banner year for North Dakota farmers, with predictions of a bountiful harvest for virtually every crop. North Dakota had never seen such a promising harvest. However, there was one big snag, and for a change, it wasn’t the weather—it was a shortage of farm laborers.

As Europe edged toward World War I in 1914, armies still relied on horsepower of the four-legged kind. Sir Douglas Haig, a British cavalry officer said, “Airplanes and tanks are only accessories to the man on a horse.”

Before the invention of the electric refrigerator, preserving food was a challenge. Most homes on the frontier had a cold cellar, an underground space that stayed cold but not freezing. Cabbage, carrots, and other crops could be stored for months without spoiling.

President Franklin Roosevelt was on the move in the fall of 1937, embarking on a cross-country railroad trip to assess the needs of the nation. Scheduled to make several speeches during his trip, his staff described the journey as “more intake than outage.” Roosevelt aimed to meet local officials and assess the needs of the American people as the Great Depression persisted.

1902 saw the introduction of a new sport in the United States when a turtle race took place in Chicago. This so-called sport became very popular in the 1920s. Gangster Al Capone took note of the popularity and realized he could introduce them into his speakeasies as an indoor betting event. In 1930, he bought 5,000 racing turtles for his saloons.

In June 1917, fourteen steamships and three Navy transports gathered in New York Harbor. They were accompanied by four cruisers, thirteen destroyers, two armed yachts, and two fuel tankers. By the end of the month, the flotilla had reached France, delivering fourteen thousand fresh American troops to join the Allied forces in World War I.