Sarah Walker

On this date in 1931, the Bismarck Tribune reported on "local swains who flooded the mails here… with dulcet missives protesting unbounded love for their lady-loves" in honor of Valentine’s Day.

North Dakota is no stranger to severe weather, and winter often provides plenty of opportunities for it. In early February of 1922, one of the heaviest snowfalls of the season moved south from Winnipeg, affecting North Dakota and other states.

Winter in North Dakota can be a challenge, but it also offers great experiences and traditions. Dakota Datebook joins the celebration of winter as we recognize Vinterfest!

In 1897, under the advice of her father, eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun asking if there was a Santa Claus.

Today is the Dakota Bowl! This iconic game day celebrates high school football, with teams from across the state coming together for a full day of championship action. The event, first held in 1993 at the Fargodome, changed the football landscape in North Dakota by bringing all class championship games together in one day.

Ann Alquist visits with the Head of Reference Services, Sarah Walker, at the Heritage Center in Bismarck to learn more about two veterans she interviewed as part of an oral history project: Nathan Goodiron and Thelma Saxby.

October is Archives Month, where archives around the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

The first official offices of the State Historical Society were located in the basement of the original Capitol building. The rooms were described as “small” and filled with various “mementoes and records of early days, souvenirs of the pioneer and other curios,” all “compressed” into limited space. These items were referred to as “records of inestimable value…stacked in heaps in places around the state house, where they were constantly exposed to the danger of destruction by fire.” This was especially concerning since many people smoked freely in the capitol building at that time.

October is Archives Month, during which archives across the country celebrate their records and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

October is Archives Month, a time when archives across the country celebrate the records in their holdings and recognize the archivists who assess, collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to information of lasting value. The North Dakota State Archives is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.