Devils Lake

The heart of durum wheat country in the state has been in a 90-mile radius around Devils Lake, which annually produced about 90% of the U.S. total. From durum wheat kernels comes macaroni, egg noodles and spaghetti. Back in 1955, Devils Lake celebrated ‘all things macaroni’ at its Macaroni Festival, and June 13 was the final day of the event.

On this date in 1907 a puzzling crime investigation by the Devils Lake police department came to a satisfying ending. The crime was first considered unsolvable, but the police nabbed the culprit after some clever sleuthing.

Anyone who has ever played trombone or saxophone or tuba in a high school concert band knows the worth of making beautiful music in harmony with their band-mates. In Devils Lake, about 100 years ago, a “famous band” arose. This band, known as the Devils Lake Boy Concert Band, played throughout the region, from Bismarck to Bemidji; northward to Winnipeg, and westward to Montana.

I suspect that when most people hear of Devils Lake they may think of all the tremendous fishing the lake provides. But do not forget that the Devils Lake area is a great place to observe the flora and fauna of our region as well.

On this date in 1971, a young man named Steve Blehm scored 85 points during the Ramsey County basketball tournament in Starkweather. That’s right, 85…

Emma Kelly was quite an adventurous person, for she was among the first women to endure the extreme conditions of the Alaskan-Klondike gold-rush in 1897.…

In the early days of Great Plains settlement, fire was a threat. Driven by the wind, it could sweep across grasslands and crops. It might be started by…

On this date in 1908, the Devils Lake Inter-Ocean informed readers of Phil Shortt’s funeral, held the previous Sunday. Shortt was well known and liked in…

There was a great deal of excitement in Devils Lake on this date in 1910. Dan Brennan of the law firm Brennan and Brennan had been shot following a raid…

The Rock Island Military Reservation was established near Devils Lake in 1904. The history of the camp dates back to 1867 when Brigadier General Alfred…