Dakota Datebook

On this date in 1969, a shocking and grisly crime unfolded in the wee hours of Halloween morning. Various rumors began circulating in Wahpeton, spawning different local legends of the Halloween Horror.

There was a man in Grand Forks named Royal L. Boulter who was an innovator and an inventor. Back in 1896, R.L. “Roy” Boulter secured a patent from the U.S. Patent Office for what he called a “bicycle-boat.”

October is Archives Month, when 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.

In 1865, French historian and abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye proposed a monument to celebrate the upcoming centennial of American independence and the abolition of slavery. The project was delayed by the Franco-Prussian War, but finally got underway in 1875. The plan was for the people of France to fund the statue, while Americans would provide a site and build the pedestal.

Eleanor Maguren never had a teddy bear as a child. Born in 1918 on a farm near Leonard, North Dakota, she became a teacher after college. Around 1945, she bought her first teddy bear in Fargo, adding a few more over the years without much thought.

At 1,875 miles, U.S. Route 281 is the longest continuous north-south U.S. highway, running from the Canadian border in the north to the Mexican border in the south. The northern terminus is at Dunseith, North Dakota, near the International Peace Garden. The highway serves as a vital north-south corridor for both business and leisure travel.

The effort of North Dakota women to win the right to vote began in earnest in the late 19th century and continued to grow. Famed suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony arrived in the state to help organize the movement. British suffragettes also came to offer support and encouragement. In 1912, Sylvia Pankhurst spent time in North Dakota on a lecture tour. She spoke to large and enthusiastic crowds. When she came to Fargo, the newspaper called her “one of the world's most notable women.”

The North Dakota State Archives houses a collection of papers compiled by local WPA workers during the 1930s. These include a variety of interviews and gathered information about people, places, and more, all related to North Dakota.

Early in 1902, the United Mine Workers called for a strike in the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania. They demanded safer working conditions and higher wages. The mine owners refused to meet with the union. George F. Baer, leader of the operators, insisted that so-called “labor agitators” did not have the best interests of the miners at heart. He claimed the owners would protect the workers' rights.

Over six decades, Miss Briggs was likely the most frequently mentioned name in the Wahpeton papers. Her advertisements and activities were regular fodder.

During the 1860s, Major General John Pope needed additional troops in the Trans-Mississippi West, but the Union Army was preoccupied with the Civil War. General Ulysses S. Grant sent the only troops he felt he could spare: the 1st U.S. Volunteer Regiment, made up of former Confederate soldiers who had been taken prisoner and were willing to trade their gray uniforms for blue.

When 21-one-year-old Berth Kaepernick talked her way into the bronc riding event at the Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1904, she became the first woman to compete against men at one of the big rodeos.

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

Wahpeton was in a tizzy on June 10, 1897 as the Ringling Brothers Circus train pulled into town. A crowd gathered to watch the unloading of the flashy white horses, the exotic animals, and the gaudy circus wagons. Children gathered, hoping to be chosen as temporary help, since the circus gave free tickets to boys who helped to hoist the big main tent.

In March 1907, Jesse A. Tanner took “temporary charge of the museum and library of the State Historical Society” which the Tribune reported had “quarters in the new wing of the Capitol.”

October is Archives Month, a time when 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.

On July 4, 1825, the little sloop Restauration sailed out of the harbor in Stavanger, Norway, on a journey to a new land. Only fifty-four feet long, the modest vessel began a voyage to a new life for the fifty-two souls on board. The ship's name is Norwegian and means “restoration,” reflecting the hopes of those who dreamed of a new beginning.

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.

Enderlin, North Dakota, is located primarily in Ransom County, although a small portion extends into neighboring Cass County. The site was purchased from three landowners by Edward Pierce, who represented the Minnesota Land and Trust Company. He was confident it was a good location for a town, as he knew the Soo Line of the St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad planned to lay tracks there. The official plat of the town was filed on this date in 1891.

In the late 1800s, farm machinery evolved from simple tools to mechanized equipment. Horses began to disappear from the fields as tractors took their place. Mechanical twine binders and cream separators improved efficiency. New methods in irrigation and crop rotation improved yield and sustainability. The future seemed bright and exciting for the farmer.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt placed the Great Depression at the top of his “to-do” list when he was inaugurated in 1933. He quickly took strong measures, creating government agencies to address economic problems and put the country back on a secure financial footing.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

“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.

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.”

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.