Sarah Walker

In early August, 1908, citizens of Cranbrook, British Columbia, were fighting a fire that threatened their city when news came over the wire that the Fernie-Fort Steele Brewery in nearby Fernie was on fire. Then the lines of communication went dead. Several hours later, when Cranbrook’s fire scare had mainly passed, communication was reestablish—only to learn that the fire in Fernie had spread, destroying most of the town.

In early years of automobiles, they had to intermingle with pedestrians, horses, and bicycles. The rules of the road were few, and evolving from town-to-town. On this date in 1910, the Hope Pioneer newspaper reported on a recently-passed ordinance that sought to address the regulatory challenge.

At the end of July 1877, Steamboat Captain and Missouri River pilot, John Harris of Missouri, passed away in Bismarck. At his death, the author of his obituary acknowledged his fondness for drinking, commenting that the passed soul “was master of a very lucrative profession,” and that he “might have enjoyed a happy home …” and that he “Might have been able to breathe out his last moments surrounded by loving, sympathizing friends,” if he hadn’t given in to “intemperance.” The author ended this article by stating, “Truly, virtue brings its own reward.”

North Dakota holds a number of remnants of once-active radar and missile sites established during the Cold War. One of these sites was near Fortuna. The Fortuna Air Base was already active by 1951, but in the summer of 1961, local interest in the site abounded as construction of a radar tower began.

On this date in 1917, folks were gearing up for the North Dakota State Fair in Grand Forks, which would run from July 17-21. Many exciting events were in the lineup.

In May of 1894, a labor dispute known as the Pullman strike began in Illinois. Related riots reflected discontent with labor conditions on the railroad and would soon reverberate across the country, affecting a wide swath of states, including North Dakota.

A primary election was held on this date in 1910 in North Dakota, except the date was advertised incorrectly multiple times in Billings County Newspapers.

In recent years, we have grown increasingly aware of “green” terms, reducing carbon footprints, and improving energy efficiency, to the point where many of these environmentally-friendly terms have been added to the dictionary. But progress and energy efficiency have been goals longer than that.

The month of June in North Dakota saw many firemen’s tournaments over the years. These events had a long history beginning in the 1880s. Though they were typically held in June, two Dakota Territory tournaments took place in October of 1884.

This date in 1910 marked the conclusion of a three-day, annual firemen’s tournament. This event had a long history stemming from the 1880s, and rotated through different cities, over different dates, drawing many participants and spectators. In 1910, the event was hosted by Bismarck.