Dakota Datebook

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Stories of things that happened in North Dakota and vicinity. Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. In partnership with the Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by the North Dakota Humanities Council, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National…

Prairie Public


    • Oct 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
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    Latest episodes from Dakota Datebook

    October 2: Old Main

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 2:49


    The establishment of a university in Grand Forks was a raucous affair, full of intense political maneuvering, typical of territories on the verge of statehood. Legislators competed fiercely to secure prestigious and lucrative institutions for their communities, like schools and hospitals.

    October 1: WPA Collection

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 2:54


    The North Dakota State Archives, part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, holds a collection of papers compiled by local WPA workers during the 1930s. These include interviews and gathered histories about people, places, customs, ghost towns, and the ethnic groups that helped shape North Dakota.

    September 30: Fargo Air Museum

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 2:58


    North Dakotans were crazy about aviation right from the very start. Early North Dakota aviators include Carl Ben Eielson and Bruce Peterson. The ladies of the state were not to be left out. Florence Klingensmith, known as “Tree Tops,” was the first licensed female pilot in the state. She made a name for herself on the racing circuit in a plane she christened Miss Fargo. In 1933, Evelyn Waldren became the first woman in North Dakota to earn a transport pilot's license.

    September 29: The Threshers Are Coming!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 2:24


    “The Threshers are coming!” is an aptly named collection of poems by North Dakotan Clarence Larson. It shares memories of harvesting crops with steam threshing machines.

    September 26: The Farmers Crisis and Jessica Lange

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 3:00


    Friendship with a lawyer from Bismarck led to famed actor Jessica Lange receiving an Oscar nomination in 1985. While she did not win, Lange went on to testify before Congress about the plight of farmers. How did a Bismarck lawyer inspire such a chain of events? It all began when Sarah Vogel of Mandan was roommates with Jessica Lange's older sister at the University of North Dakota. Vogel had remained close friends with the Lange family.

    September 25: Teachings of Our Elders - Catherine Froelich on Traditional Ways

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 2:55


    In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Catherine Froelich, enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation talk about traditional ways and values.

    September 24: John F. Briggs, The Uncle Sam of North Dakota

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 2:38


    On this date in 1904, John F. Briggs of Wahpeton was known around the country as “Uncle Sam.” He was a popular enactor in Grand Army of the Republic parades and 4th of July celebrations. A veteran of the Civil War, he attended every national G.A.R. convention but two.

    September 23: From Sudan to Fargo

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 3:00


    Since 1946, Fargo has been a place of new beginnings for refugees from around the world. On this day in 2000, The Fargo Forum announced that a group of Sudan's “Lost Boys” would soon be arriving in the city.

    September 22: Mustered Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 2:43


    On January 27, 1862, Captain Nelson Miner was assigned to command the first unit of the Dakota Territorial Militia in the territorial capital of Yankton.

    September 19: Viktor Belenko, MiG Pilot and Defector

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 2:50


    On this date in 1976, American officials were finally getting a chance to inspect the mysterious MiG-25.

    September 18: Little Misery

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 3:00


    In November 1879, the Army established a military post on the west bank of the Little Missouri River. The post became a welcome bit of civilization for hunters and trappers. Civilians added a saloon, a general store, a boarding house, and the Pyramid Park Hotel which was nowhere near as grand as its name.

    Sept 17: The Spirit Behind Fall Festivals 1935

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 2:57


    The barren fall of 1934 had left many areas with no produce to exhibit and, as a result, no fall festivals. But the 1935 harvest was bountiful for all crops except wheat. North Dakota was getting “its chin back up,” prompting fall festival planning across the state on this date. More than just community gatherings, these festivals reflected “a revived spirit” and a grateful heart in 1935.

    September 16: Fryburg, North Dakota

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 2:44


    As the Northern Pacific Railway made its way across Dakota Territory, it eventually reached what is now known as Billings County. The first siding there was called Fogarty, named for a railroad contractor. In 1883, it was renamed Summit, a fitting name, as the railroad was at its highest point before descending into the Badlands.

    September 15: Strong Words from Senator McCumber

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 2:44


    Most of Europe was engaged in World War I from 1914 to 1919. The United States entered the war in the spring of 1917. The conflict claimed the lives of sixteen million people. Buildings and agricultural land were devastated. The world was shocked by the use of powerful new weapons, including submarines, machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and airplanes.

    September 12: Honoring Kermit and Wesley Sloulin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 2:49


    On this day in 1912, Kermit Sloulin was born in Wildrose, North Dakota. After completing his schooling in Williston, Kermit joined the 164th Infantry Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard.

    September 11: Visions of the American West

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 2:53


    During the first half of the 19th century, the United States government sent out expeditions to explore the western portion of the country. Government officials wanted to understand what the nation had acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.

    September 10: What's in a Brand?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 2:27


    Cattle flourished on the excellent grazing lands of western Dakota Territory in the 19th century. Massive herds roamed freely across the plains. Ranches began springing up in the Badlands before North Dakota was even a state. The most famous was Teddy Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Ranch but there were many more. Some folded after just a few years, while others managed to hang on and become prosperous.

    September 9: The Battleship North Dakota

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 2:54


    On this date in 1910, newspapers reported that the battleship USS North Dakota had suffered an oil tank explosion and fire at sea. Six crewmen received the Congressional Medal of Honor for “extraordinary heroism in the line of their profession.”

    September 8: Chickens Crossing The Road

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 2:38


    “Why did the chicken cross the road?” The answer has always been considered humorous in an odd sort of way: “To get to the other side.” This old joke has been amusing folks for nearly 200 years, especially little kids, though maybe not so much for grownups.

    September 5: Fargo Ends Support of Tourist Park

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 2:57


    Travelers to Fargo ninety years ago were about to lose an amenity they may have taken for granted: the tourist park. Citing costs, city officials chose to end support for the park. The Bismarck Tribune quoted the park board as saying, “Tourists these days are too finicky.”

    September 4: The Long X

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 2:43


    Cattle drives were a major economic activity during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Cattle were driven from Texas to railheads in Kansas and Nebraska to be shipped to eastern stockyards. When big Texas ranchers took note of the good grazing in Dakota Territory, cattle began arriving in 1876.

    September 3: Whitestone Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 3:06


    Following the Dakota Conflict of 1862 in Minnesota, the U.S. military launched a punitive campaign known as the Sibley and Sully Expeditions. By mid-1863, troops had entered present-day North Dakota in a two-pronged effort to crush the Sioux between the two generals' forces.

    September 2: William Zahn

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2025 2:59


    On this date in 1936, the Bismarck Tribune reported the passing of William Zahn at Fort Yates. Zahn was a colorful character in North Dakota history, a Native trader, interpreter, and former Army scout who accompanied Custer's expedition to the Black Hills in 1874. After returning, he quit the Army to marry Pretty Woman, sister of Chief John Grass. They had three sons. Pretty Woman died in 1886.

    The Jingle Dance and Spanish Flu Pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 3:05


    On this date in 1918, the Spanish Flu had reached North Dakota. The state's first confirmed case was a U.S. Marine on leave in New Rockford. Within a week, 100 local cases were reported, along with two deaths.

    August 29: A Historical Curiosity

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 2:43


    On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution authorizing the design of the new country's flag. That resolution read: “Resolved: That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

    August 28: Missing Suitcase in Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Campaign

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 2:23


    In 1912, political fervor and interest swept the country over the presidential election. President Taft sought the Republican nomination, challenged by former President Theodore Roosevelt, who unexpectedly entered the race. Senator Robert LaFollette was yet another contender for the nomination.

    August 27: For the Land and Its People

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 2:50


    When the North Dakota Agriculture College was established in 1890, many North Dakota farmers were skeptical that “college boys” could help them improve their farms. But it didn't take long for those college boys to win them over.

    August 26: Dr. Blaine Amidon

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 2:53


    On this day in 1992, the Dakota Clinic and Hospital in Fargo celebrated Dr. Blaine Amidon's 50 years as an OB-GYN. The celebrated doctor had delivered an estimated 18,000 babies during his long career.

    August 25: Spaghetti Safari

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 2:50


    Pasta and safaris may seem like an odd combination but to the organizers of North Dakota's “Spaghetti Safari,” it was the perfect opportunity to showcase the state's wheat and durum industry. Their goal was to promote North Dakota products and connect with stakeholders and partners from across the country.

    August 22: The Angel of the Battlefield

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 2:45


    When the French and Austrian armies squared off in the 1859 Battle of Solferino, they fought with modern firearms and artillery. The casualties were horrific. Jean-Henri Dunant was stunned by the misery of wounded soldiers left on the battlefield without care.

    August 21: Pembina County

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 2:44


    When Europeans arrived in the area along the Pembina and Red Rivers in the 1600s, the land was already home to the Assiniboine and Lakota. They were later joined by the Chippewa, who migrated from the east and became the dominant tribe, pushing the others farther west.

    Aug 20: Parking Meters (Part 2: The Ending)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 3:02


    Continuing our story about taxi warfare and parking meters on August 12, we now turn to their fraught ending in North Dakota.

    August 19: Soap Box Derby

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 2:26


    In 1934, children generally made their own entertainment. Sometimes it was informal, like jumping into a lake or stream, no lifeguards required. Sometimes it meant playing games with definite rules, like baseball or football. Kids divided themselves into teams and set their own boundaries as games were played in a backyard or open field, no adult supervision needed.

    August 18: A Funeral for Vernon Squires

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2025 2:48


    On this date in 1930, the body of Vernon Squires, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, laid in state at the University of North Dakota.

    August 15: Where Have All the Babies Gone?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025 3:00


    Registering a child's birth today seems straightforward. It ensures your new arrival is counted in the state's population and receives a record that will follow them throughout life. Birth certificates are essential to access education, healthcare, government services and to prove one's identity. But just a few generations ago, registering a birth wasn't so simple.

    August 14: Chippewa-Sioux Peace Conference at Fort Abercrombie

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025 2:56


    On this date in 1870, the Chippewa-Sioux Peace Agreement was signed at Fort Abercrombie by leaders of the two rival tribes. The three-day event, sometimes called a treaty, was arranged by missionary priest Father Genin and attended by 900 people.

    August 13: Fortuna

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 2:43


    On this date in 1995, the Bismarck Tribune reported about the decay of the Fortuna Air Force Station. From 1951 to 1979, the station was an active radar station in the Air Defense Command that protected the United States from attack.

    Aug 12: Parking Meters (Part 1, The Beginning)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 3:00


    Due to the severe lack of parking space in downtown districts, nine North Dakota cities turned to parking meters in hopes of solving their parking problems. This began the short but fraught, history of parking meters in North Dakota.

    August 11: A Presidential Visit

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2025 2:50


    By 1916, the United States had managed to stay out of the war in Europe, but there was growing uneasiness about the country's future. Inflation was beginning to creep up, and as the labor market tightened, business was disrupted by strikes. Workers demanded higher pay and better working conditions. Farmers, on the other hand, benefited from increased demand and higher prices for agricultural products. Americans anxiously awaited the outcome of the 1916 presidential election.

    August 8: The Business of Ferries

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 2:43


    Before the first bridge was built across the Missouri River, getting across was the business of ferries. The first documented ferry began operation in 1860, between Bismarck and Mandan.

    August 7: Hunter, North Dakota

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2025 2:45


    The Homestead Act of 1862 attracted new settlers to Dakota Territory. Some settled in towns, but most were drawn by the promise of owning 160 acres to start farms and ranches. New towns were small and scattered across the territory. They supported agriculture as centers of trade, services, entertainment, and social life.

    August 6: Ike Ross and Bowbells' Shooting Star

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 3:02


    Who hasn't experienced the momentary, magical thrill of seeing a meteor flash across the night sky in the corner of your eye? It vanishes almost instantly yet its vapor trail lingers longer in your imagination.

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