Dakota Datebook

For years, many residents in Dakota Territory wanted to split it into two halves, but it wasn't until the Enabling Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Grover Cleveland in February of 1889, that Dakota Territory was allowed to split into the separate states of North and South Dakota.

Iowa schoolteacher Walter L. Carter came to Dakota in 1888 with the Patterson brothers. They organized the Wahpeton National Bank with $50,000 in capital. On this date in 1889, the bank opened for business.

The Vietnam War was a divisive issue in the United States, sparking protests across the country. North Dakota was no exception. On this day in 1969, a peaceful anti-war demonstration was held in Fargo.

North Dakotans were not overly enthusiastic about America's entry into World War I, but they were resigned to the reality of it. At the time of the declaration of war, the economy was functioning at full capacity. Diverting the necessary supplies to the war effort required decreasing what was available for civilians. Like the rest of the country, North Dakotans were expected to conserve everything from food to alcohol to gasoline. There was also one other shortage: money. The war was expensive and it had to be paid for.

In 1905, North Dakota automobile speed limits were 8 miles per hour in town and 25 on open roads. By 1911, the highway speed limit was raised to 30.

The political climate in 1968 was one of turmoil and division in the United States. There were major protests against the Vietnam War. Martin Luther King was assassinated in April of that year, followed by the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the leading Democratic candidate for president and the brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. The Civil Rights Movement had seen major progress, but struggled to move forward as a militant wing began to form.

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their intrepid Corps of Discovery were integral to the expansion of a new country. The expedition set out to begin mapping the immense territory that Thomas Jefferson had purchased. They chronicled the vast wilderness and the rich resources it contained. Lewis and Clark are a bedrock of American history, but they were not the first Europeans to explore the Great Plains.

As the railroad moved out onto the Great Plains, settlers followed. Small gatherings began to form wherever the railroad workers set up their camps. These rudimentary communities usually started as a collection of tents, with frame buildings gradually taking shape as the neighborhoods became permanent. When the Northern Pacific Railroad crossed the Red River, what would later become a city had a very modest beginning.

The 1950s are remembered fondly by most U.S. history textbooks. Known as the Eisenhower era, the post-war years were considered a new height of prosperity, with median family purchasing power increasing as much as 30%.

In 1904, seven men met in Chicago and laid the foundation for the International Workers of the World. Attendees included radicals and trade unionists from across the United States.

President Abraham Lincoln began considering emancipation for slaves in states that were in rebellion, which would exempt border states that remained in the Union, like Kentucky. This would be the first step on the road to abolition while keeping the border states loyal to the Union.

How often do you get to experience a UFO, or unidentified flying object, in your backyard? On this date in 1966, newspapers from the state reported on an 11-year-old boy in Sargent County who got to do just that.

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was the climax of the subprime mortgage crisis. When attempts to negotiate financing for reorganization failed, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy involving more than $600 billion. On this date in 2008, the Dow Jones fell by more than 500 points, a drop of 4½ percent. Other financial institutions began to feel the uncertainty, and the result was a financial panic that spread across the globe.

In 1819, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun authorized an expedition to the American frontier. Calhoun's goal was to establish a military outpost at the mouth of the Yellowstone River in present-day North Dakota.

Fire was always a danger in early North Dakota. Early firefighting often consisted of community members responding and forming bucket brigades. The first organized firefighters were volunteers who trained together and collected rudimentary equipment. But as clusters of homes grew into towns, and towns grew into cities, communities realized they had to develop a serious plan to respond to the danger of fire.

The hardest variety of wheat is durum. Its high protein content makes it ideal for producing pasta. In fact, it is often called “pasta wheat.” While common wheat, also known as bread wheat, is valued for its elasticity and bread-making properties, durum is renowned for its exceptional hardness, which defines the quality of premium pasta. Durum wheat originated in the Fertile Crescent, an area encompassing modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. It was domesticated between 9,000 and 12,000 years ago.

Social media has become an important part of modern life. Although the technology that allows for two-way communication is modern, the concept of social media is nothing new. People have always been interested in what other people are doing, and they have always had ways of finding out.

The 1916 presidential campaign occurred during the Mexican Revolution and World War I. Americans wanted no part of foreign wars. Woodrow Wilson campaigned with the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” But Wilson was a practical man. He knew he had to have a plan in case it became impossible for the United States to remain neutral, and that plan had to include financing.

It doesn't happen very often that a large lakebed largely dries out. Yet that is what happened at Devils Lake. North Dakota's biggest natural lake was full of water when the town of Devils Lake was founded in 1882, with the lake sitting at 1,439.08 feet above sea level. But after that, the water level dropped, decade after decade, until Devils Lake reached its lowest point in recorded history, resting at 1,401 feet in 1940. The lake had fallen 38 feet in 40 years! The always-brackish, salty water got worse and worse, and fish could no longer live in it.

William Moffet, editor of the Bismarck Pioneer, was a controversial but respected journalist known for his no-nonsense reporting style. A staunch prohibitionist, he frequently used his newspaper to expose corruption among public officials and businessmen. His reporting style earned him admiration, but also powerful enemies throughout the Bismarck area.

In late August, 1911, a horrible fire in Topeka, Kansas did more than one hundred thousand dollars damage in the business district. The reports noted that the J. C. Gresser furniture company, and the Grebbs clothing company were hit the hardest, but what caught readers' attention in North Dakota was the news that photo studio also burned, killing a man named Evans, who lived in the studio.

By the 1890s, relations between the United States and Canada were evolving. Both countries were growing, and their markets were becoming more integrated despite tariffs. This period laid the groundwork for future trade agreements and deeper economic ties. The two countries developed a powerful bilateral relationship that bolstered each country's economy while fostering economic interdependence. During the 1890s, both countries sought to reduce trade barriers, and tariffs were a major topic of conversation.

The earliest telephones were very basic. One telephone couldn't call another phone directly unless the two were connected. The caller needed an intermediary. Phone users called an exchange instead of the person or business they wanted to reach. Telephone operators connected them. On this date in 1878, Emma Nutt became the first woman to work as a telephone operator. She started a trend, and it wasn't long before virtually all telephone operators were women who worked out of their own homes.

Steamboats and ships were an important means of transportation in early years, and newspapers frequently reported on the shipping activity. In 1911, Williston papers published a number of interesting reports.

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Dr. Twyla Baker, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, talk about building a better society.

Late August signals the beginning of a new school year for thousands of students in North Dakota. As schools welcome children for another term, lunch remains an important part of the school day. How have school lunch menus changed over time, and what can they tell us about the past?

Edmund Halley was an English astronomer, mathematician, and physicist. In 1720, he was named the second Astronomer Royal. He produced a map of the stars in the southern sky and received many awards and accolades. On this date in 1682, he made the finding for which he is still remembered today. It was then that Halley identified the comet that still bears his name.

In August of 1930, men who had fought for the Union during the Civil War and were able to make the trip to Cincinnati were at a convention for the 'Boys in Blue' who marched home with a Union victory in '65.

On this date in 1916, citizens of Fargo were reading about an attempted escape from the Cass County jail. According to the local papers, "Only the eternal vigilance of Sheriff John Ross and his force of deputies" prevented the escape from happening.

On this date in 2009, a rather unusual event occurred in North Dakota when residents in the Minot area felt the earth tremble. The earthquake measured 4.2. An earthquake of this magnitude is considered light to moderate and often goes virtually unnoticed.

Society columns were once a popular feature in newspapers. Here are some examples from this date in 1892 from the Fargo Society column of the Wisconsin Afro-American.

Wolves once thrived in North Dakota. Early settlers considered them a danger to livestock and to the settlers themselves. In the late 19th century, eradication efforts largely drove them out of the state. Local governments began offering bounties on wolves. In 1893, the Emmons County Record reported that the county board approved paying wolf bounties.

North Dakota experiences frequent thunderstorms, averaging 25 to 35 storms each year. The storm season usually runs from late spring through early fall. The state is located in the path of winds that bring warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The flat terrain allows those winds to move freely, with little to impede the formation of storms.

In August 1921, a wave of bank robberies swept through small towns across North Dakota. The first targets were banks in Honeyford and Niagara in Grand Forks County. On this date, the criminals struck again, this time at the Farmers State Bank in Lunds Valley, Mountrail County.

On this date in 2003, the United States Navy announced that a contract had been awarded for a new vessel. The Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, would build a Virginia-class submarine. Virginia-class submarines are designed for a broad range of open-ocean missions as well as operations closer to shore. They were developed as a less expensive alternative to the Cold War-era Seawolf-class submarines.

Buffalo Bill Cody had an astute talent for both business and self-promotion. He turned his experiences as a Pony Express rider, Army scout, and buffalo hunter into a successful career as a major celebrity. Ned Buntline wrote dime novels about Cody, and Buffalo Bill starred in a Broadway show about — who else? — himself.

Chief Giles Goose, also known as Joseph, was an Arikara scout, soldier, and mail carrier whose life reflected the rapid change on the Great Plains. Between 1870 and 1882, Goose served as a scout for the U.S. Army while military posts lined the Missouri River. During this time, he guided and protected settlers and traders traveling along this route, the primary transportation and trade corridor.

Prunus virginiana, commonly known as chokecherry, is a remarkably adaptable plant that thrives in diverse growing conditions and climates. It is a member of the rose family, blooming with clusters of white flowers in the spring, followed by dark red cherries. The plant is extremely hardy, able to survive both harsh winters and drought.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. Fourteen thousand troops of the American Expeditionary Force landed at Saint-Nazaire, France, on June 26. More than 35,000 North Dakotans served in World War I, with approximately 28,000 deployed overseas.

Food contamination was a common problem in the early 20th century. Contaminants that would shock us today were routinely found in food products. Sawdust was added to coffee, and chalk was added to milk to improve its appearance. Vivid colors for candy were created with lead, arsenic, coal tar, and copper compounds.

As World War I progressed, North Dakota began to suffer the consequences, even though the state was far from the battlefields of Europe. On this date in 1917, North Dakota newspapers were filled with reports of shortages affecting people across the state.

In spite of the clear skies and wide-open spaces, North Dakota ranks among the states with the fewest UFO sightings. Unidentified flying objects just do not seem very interested in North Dakota. One possible explanation is the state's low population density. There are simply fewer people to notice what is happening in the sky. South Dakota has similar results. California appears to be the UFO capital, with more than 16,000 historical reports.