Dakota Datebook

In 1981, Pope John Paul II announced that every Catholic seminary in the United States would undergo a formal evaluation by the Congregation for Catholic Education. Over the next nine years, Bishop John Marshall of Vermont visited all 501 American seminaries. On this date in 1990, The Fargo Forum reported on the glowing review for Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo.

Dr. Crucial came to Fargo, Dakota Territory, in 1877 to begin his medical practice. The remote frontier and booming town suited his energetic mind. He saved lives, delivered thousands of babies, and invented an artesian well device to provide clean drinking water.

Mabel Schuler was born in Wisconsin in 1886. She came to Wahpeton in 1895 to join her father, Gustav, a widower who was getting established in Dakota Territory. Gustav and his brother Eugene operated a farm-implement business and became prominent pioneer architects, attorneys, and construction entrepreneurs. Their homes still stand side-by-side on Sixth Street in what was once Wahpeton's silk-stocking district, and the Schuler Brothers Building remains a fixture on Main Street downtown.

The colorful days of newspaper reportage often featured unfettered character descriptions, opinion, and editorial acrobatics. On this date in 1904, the Emmons County Record reported in amusing prose that “the law mill was a-grinding” on four men recently arrested in different cases. Lawmen were also connecting the dots between three or four stooges.

In today's Dakota Datebook, Lise Erdrich writes about a shocking crime, a high-profile trial, and the tensions of a fast-growing Wahpeton in 1883.

James Robinson was an eccentric North Dakota Supreme Court Justice who opposed vaccinations. He also peddled booze as a cure during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Founded on this date in 1854, the Republican Party quickly became a political force. Throughout the 1850s, Republicans and Democrats voiced strong disagreements about new states. Republicans believed the Dakota and Washington territories would support their policies. Democrats were counting on the Montana and New Mexico territories. Each party sought to admit only states that would support its policies.

Even if a day starts under bright sunshine, winter on the Great Plains is unforgiving, and a snowstorm can close in rapidly. Such a day was March 15, 1920.

Norval Baptie was born on this date in 1879. He's enshrined in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and is in the Ice Skating Hall of Fame.

The Dakota Territory was created in 1861. It included what would become the states of North and South Dakota, as well as parts of what would become Wyoming and Montana. It consisted of the northernmost portion of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

An old postcard of the Wahpeton Indian School shows a line of buildings and a cow minding her own business. She was Beauty Colantha Fresian Tidy No. 1083302, a retired dairy champion whose celebrity status entitled her to graze along Seventh Street in view of the public.

In the early years of the twentieth century, the Middle East was in turmoil. After World War I, European powers carved up the Ottoman Empire, creating new territories under colonial control. The upheaval led to the rise of nationalist groups and conflict, not only with foreign powers, but also with rival resistance factions and bandit gangs.

On this date in 1937, The Institute of Heraldry approved the design for the North Dakota Distinguished Service Medal.

In 1775, George Washington appointed Colonel Richard Gridley as his first chief engineer and gave him two assistants. Congress formally created the United States Army Corps of Engineers on this date in 1779. The Corps included several French officers and played an instrumental role in Revolutionary War battles, including Battle of Bunker Hill, Battles of Saratoga, and the final victory at Siege of Yorktown.

Alexander Griggs was a trader who used flatboats to transport goods to Canada. In the fall of 1870, he set out too late and became stuck at a French trading post when the river froze. He spent the winter in a cabin he built and began to realize he had found an excellent location for a new settlement.

March in North Dakota signals the coming of spring, the last gasps of winter and basketball. High school teams across the state battle through the regular season, with successful squads earning trips to district tournaments and hoping to secure a spot in the state tournament to compete for the title of best in the state.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt stepped into the White House on March 4, 1933, the country was gripped by the Great Depression. Bank failures and record unemployment were ravaging the nation. Roosevelt knew Americans wanted a confident president who could lead them through the storm, and he was determined to hit the ground running.

At one time, North Dakota could have claimed recognition as the third-largest nuclear power if it were a separate country, with about 250 Minuteman III missiles, each carrying up to three warheads. Deterring Soviet aggression was a primary goal of the United States during the Cold War. Several factors led to placing nuclear missiles in the state. The wide expanses of open land allowed them to be located far from densely populated areas. This also made the sites easier to protect.

When a new baby is born, there's great anticipation about the name. For Abraham and Minnie Vaupel, the decision was clear. They chose to emphasize the “V” in their last name, Vaupel, by giving each of their children a first name that also began with “V.”

On this date in 1937, The Foster County Independent reported that 15-year-old Robert Kuntz of Harvey had accidentally shot himself but not fatally. Just weeks earlier, he had fallen through an ice pocket on the Sheyenne River and somehow survived that, too.

On a cold winter evening in 1907, years of family conflict came to a tragic climax. Fred Cramer came home and found that his wife, Laura, had not prepared dinner. Fred was furious. He grabbed a club and started up the stairs.

In this episode of Dakota Date book, we'll hear Josie Lawrence, enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation share a bit about how to teach by example.

In North Dakota, a woman coaching high school basketball remains rare enough to make headlines. As recently as January 2026, the Fargo Forum profiled the only two women coaching basketball in the state's highest sports classification. Both led girls' teams. A woman coaching boys' basketball is rarer still.

On this date in 1919, a lignite coal mine near Beulah was leased to a partnership for two years by the Beulah Coal Mining Company, part of a larger Minnesota-based company.

Wahpeton Indian School was established as a government institution by an Act of Congress in 1904 and was a source of civic pride and regular news coverage early in its history. After construction was completed, many public events were held in the new facilities, which were considered the best in town.

On this date in 1973, a happy puppy tale warmed the heart of winter. The lucky puppy owners were interviewed by the Wahpeton Daily News for an “authentic, believe-it-or-not” feel-good story.

On this date in 1798, Pembina fur trader Chaboillez of the North West Company noted that “the Old Coutre Oreille” and her son set off for her cache. He gave her incentive gifts “to encourage her to return.” He likely identified the Odawa leader Net-No-Kwa and her adopted son, John Tanner, “The White Indian,” who was abducted in Kentucky as a child by Ojibwe men from Michigan.

The state was still in the grip of winter when North Dakotans learned another hardship was on the horizon. On this date in 1934, they had grasshoppers on their minds. Just the day before, entomologists warned farmers to expect the worst grasshopper infestation in many years and that no part of the state was safe.

On this date in 1797, fur trader Chaboillez of the North West Company recorded the arrival of Animiikance, Little Thunder, at the Pembina fur trade post. Little Thunder was hired to guide personnel to the Souris River and obtain supplies for the Pembina post from trader McDonnell. The crew was instructed to return their guide to Pembina in the spring.

North Dakota winters have been described as “consistently very cold,” with January and February being the coldest months. This comes as no great surprise to North Dakotans, who tend to take a certain amount of state pride for thriving in such a severe environment. Daytime temperatures tend to hover between the teens and mid-20s. Nighttime temperatures to dip into the -10 to -20-degree range, sometimes falling to -40.

Among the long-running traditions at Wahpeton Indian School was the annual Valentine's Dance and King and Queen of Hearts coronation. Sponsored by the Student Government Association, the event served as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Beginning in 1965, students used their weekly spending-money allowances to cast votes for a king and queen. The gymnasium was decorated in festive Valentine style, including two thrones on the stage.

If fifty years of anything is something to celebrate, fifty years of a local volunteer fire department is most definitely something to celebrate. On this day in 1964, a write-up on the celebration of the golden anniversary and the history of the Wishek Volunteer Fire Department was shared in the Wishek Star, inviting everyone to join in celebrating this milestone.

In the early twentieth century, automobile makers understood the value of presenting new cars as entertainment. Farmers shopping for new equipment at farm shows and women seeking the latest household conveniences couldn't help but be drawn to highly polished automobiles and acres of shining chrome.

Americans have always regarded George Washington with great reverence. It became a custom to celebrate his birthday. He was born on this date in 1731. Or was he?

County names and boundaries have evolved since territorial days in North Dakota, and each of our 53 counties has a unique story that enriches the history of the state. Dunn County's story is one such example.

Peshawbestown, Michigan, is named for an Ottawa chief. On this date in 1797, he came to the Red River fur trade with his relative Net-no-kwa and her adoptive son, John Tanner. Net-no-kwa had rescued Tanner from the Shawnee, who abducted him in Kentucky at age nine.

In this episode of Dakota Datebook, we'll listen to Kade Ferris, enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa, in part two of "What Stories Teach Us."

While many immigrants settled in the East, the Homestead Act enticed a large percentage to the Great Plains, an unfamiliar land that had until then been under tribal control. The land they were able to claim was many times larger than the small farms they had in their home countries. Immigrants were crucial to the settlement of the Great Plains in general, and North Dakota in particular. In 1870, thirty-four percent of the settlers in Dakota Territory were foreign-born. By 1915, nearly eighty percent of North Dakotans were either immigrants or the children of immigrants.

In the early days of the twentieth century, newspaper readers frequently skipped the main headlines and turned right to the back pages to catch up on local news in columns with names like “Society News.” These columns contained information that seems so minor and mundane that we might wonder why newspapers bothered to take up space with them.

A steam locomotive can burn through a massive amount of fuel in a short time. Wood-burning engines were fine for eastern railroads in heavily forested areas, but not practical on the Great Plains. It made more sense for those trains to burn coal, and burn coal they did. Depending on the size of the engine and its speed, a locomotive could burn as much as 800 pounds of coal per mile. The fireman had to constantly shovel coal into the firebox to keep the train moving.

On this date in 1798, Flat Mouth arrived at the North West Company Pembina post.

According to the 2020 census, Fingal, North Dakota, has a population of just 92 people. Alma Hollanitsch, however, remembered a time when Fingal was a thriving community of more than 300 residents. On this date in 1996, one month after celebrating her 100th birthday, Alma was interviewed. Her memory was still sharp as she reflected on a long life closely connected to Fingal.