Daniel Sauerwein

The middle of December, the people of North Dakota are filled with anticipation for Christmas and the New Year. With winter in control, opportunities for recreation help people face the cold and longer nights. Winter sports are a wonderful pastime in North Dakota.

On September 17, 1787, one hundred and two years before statehood, the North Dakota area was part of British and Spanish territories. The United States Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, marking the beginning of the ratification process. Called Constitution Day, the anniversary would be commemorated by North Dakota governors, well before it was federally recognized.

North Dakota’s political history is marked by several people who left their legacy on the state and the nation through years of service in elected office. Quentin Burdick and Mark Andrews are two such examples, but serving between them was Hjalmar Nygaard, whose legacy was cut short before he could achieve similar status.

Mid-March brings two things to North Dakota: blizzards and basketball tournaments. Tournament time brings both happiness and heartache, as teams from across the state vie to be crowned champions.

Winter in North Dakota can be a challenge, but it can also offer great experiences and traditions. This month we’re sharing a few special Dakota Datebooks as part of Vinterfest, in conjunction with the Northern Plains National Heritage Area and Sons of Norway Sverdrup Lodge.

Thousands of Union veterans of the Civil War settled in North Dakota after the war, some becoming the prominent leaders in their communities. Their military service entitled them to money from the federal government in the form of a pension that paid a monthly stipend if they were rendered “totally disabled” and unable to perform manual labor. But this benefit had evolved in the years following the war.

North Dakota has a rich baseball history. Legends of the game, including Roger Maris and Satchel Paige, have a connection to the state.

Ranching has been a part of the landscape and economy of western North Dakota since territorial days. Today, family ranching operations still carry on a cowboy culture that traces back to the woolly wild West. One club that is still strong in its 56th year is the “50 Years in the Saddle” club, formed on this date in 1957.

On this date in 1925, the Bismarck Tribune reported that a committee examining possible sites for hospitals in the tenth district, which included North Dakota, recommended building a 200-bed facility on Fargo’s north side. The site was intended to care for tuberculosis-infected veterans.