Jack Dura

In 1984, Law enforcement searches of illegal gambling operations led to the first statewide grand jury in North Dakota history. The Legislature had passed a law allowing for statewide grand juries in 1977. Six years later, in December 1983, law enforcement officers searched bookmaking operations in Fargo, Grand Forks and Mayville, the culmination of a yearlong investigation.

For decades, North Dakota lawmakers used massive bill books at their desks to read and track legislation. Bill books were heavy and cumbersome and required constant updates for amendments. The process was tedious and involved a blizzard of paper and a lot of time.

Today we continue strolling down memory lane, recalling past concerts in North Dakota. Perhaps you’ll remember some!

Walter Burleigh was one of Dakota Territory’s early politicians. He was an Indian agent accused of shady dealings who went on to become a delegate to Congress, wielding influence over who got territorial jobs. He was also a witness at President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial.

Monuments and tributes to the past are sprinkled throughout North Dakota towns and parks. Many towns have veteran and war memorials. Mandan, Minot and Medora have a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt. Grand Forks has a sculpture commemorating the 1997 Red River Flood. Some towns pay tribute with a local symbol, like Salem Sue in New Salem and Tommy the snowmobiling turtle in Bottineau.

Not every bill proposed in the Legislature passes and becomes a law, but in 1935, one bill just plain went missing.

Here is another sampling of musicians from far and wide who have performed in North Dakota. Perhaps you’ll remember some!

The adjournment of the Legislature often brings a collective sigh of relief. Sessions over the years have ended late at night, often with major issues decided in the last moments. Some sessions ended bitterly, even violently. Here’s a sampling.

Four women have served on the North Dakota Supreme Court. The first was Beryl Levine, appointed by Governor George Sinner in 1985. Voters later elected and re-elected Levine to the court. She served 11 years on the court, and retired on this date in 1996.

Unusual and even bizarre events can pop up during sessions of North Dakota’s legislature. In 1890, during the state’s first legislative session, the House of Representatives convened one day at 7:00am. Several members overslept, requiring a call of the house to compel their attendance. The sergeant-at-arms went out to rouse the missing members. He reportedly fired blanks from a revolver to get one representative out of bed! Another member was roused by “a large cannon fire cracker.”