Dakota Datebook

The conditions for North Dakota farmers in the early 1930s could be summed up in one word: dismal. Farmers were receiving less for their crops than it cost to produce them. They were on a wild economic roller coaster from the early twentieth century until World War Two.

The 1st North Dakota Volunteers left Fargo in May of 1898 for service in the Spanish-American War. They went halfway around the world to defeat the Spanish in the Philippines. Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of Philippine resistance to the Spanish, welcomed the Americans. Aguinaldo eagerly anticipated independence from Spain. He believed the United States would make the Philippines an American protectorate, with full independence guaranteed in the future.

Several renowned artists of the 19th century visited what is now North Dakota. Their portraits and paintings depict Native Americans, wildlife and scenery. One such artist was Paul Kane.

The celebration of fathers dates back centuries. In Catholic countries of Europe, a day honoring fathers has been celebrated at least since 1508. Fathers are recognized on Saint Joseph’s Day, which falls on March 19. Many countries around the world have set aside a day to honor fathers.

On this date in 1867, the Fort Ransom military post was established. The fort stood atop Grizzly Bear Hill, also known as the Bears' Den which is now a ski slope near the present-day town of Fort Ransom.

Adam Forepaugh entered the circus business somewhat by accident when he took ownership of a circus due to an unpaid debt for the purchase of 44 horses.

The Roman Catholic Church’s presence in North Dakota dates back to territorial days. In 1910, Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Bismarck, calling a new bishop to serve the diocese.

A roaring noise and sudden darkness enveloped the village of Alice, North Dakota, on June 12, 1950, as twin tornadoes descended, bringing destruction in their path.

On this date in 1954, 2nd Lt. Arnold Weber was on a training flight out of Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota.

What are the odds of three men named Charles being killed by a single lightning strike at the same place and time?

Patriotic North Dakotans enlisted in large numbers when the United States declared war on Spain in 1898. The 1st North Dakota Volunteers were sent to the Philippines. But not all North Dakotans served in that unit and not all went to the Pacific.

Sworn in as the 18th President of the United States on March 4, 1869, Ulysses S. Grant found himself in a bind. Prospectors were swarming into the West. New settlers made their way into Dakota Territory. The Transcontinental Railroad was nearly complete. Trails across the Great Plains were turning into roads. All this progress increased conflicts with Native American tribes.

The 164th Infantry Regiment traces its roots back to the Dakota Territorial Militia, established in 1862. That militia evolved into the National Guard units of North and South Dakota. The North Dakota Guard served in the Spanish-American War as the 1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry. The unit entered federal service again during World War I, becoming the 164th Infantry in 1917.

North Dakota has close ties with Minnesota, sharing many overlapping interests, with business being one of the biggest. On this date in 1925, the city of Bismarck prepared to welcome businessmen from St. Paul to discuss potential business ventures. In anticipation of their arrival, the Bismarck Tribune extended a “right royal welcome” to those coming to “where the West begins.” The newspaper noted that the two states shared common interests “that bind them in a lasting bond of personal interest and friendship.”

In 1923, it was reported that a Lisbon man was making good money catching frogs and shipping them to eastern markets. He found the business quite lucrative. He said he shipped forty pounds of frog legs every day. Packed in ice, they arrived at their destinations in good condition. September, he said, was the best month to catch frogs. He planned to continue working along the Sheyenne River until it froze.

When Reverend I.O. Sloan set foot in Bismarck in 1873, it was a “wild and wooly” Western town. Bismarck had a few new wood-framed buildings, but it was teeming with “tents and gamblers,” and loud profanity prevailed. “Pandemonium seemed to reign” in saloons and gambling places that were open 24 hours a day.

Since pioneer days, the life of a North Dakota farmwife was often described as one of unrelenting hardship, drudgery, and isolation. On this date in 1930, the Bismarck Tribune announced plans for "a sort of paradise" for farmwives. Vacation camps with games, picnics, music programs, community singing, and recreation would be enjoyed in pleasant surroundings, "where cooking, dishwashing, laundering, and the other usual duties of the farm mother are taboo."

Until 1971, Memorial Day was observed on May 30. That year, the holiday was moved to the last Monday in May. The original date was chosen by Major General John A. Logan, in his General Order No. 11, while he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, or GAR. He selected the date to ensure access to "the choicest flowers of springtime" across the country.

On this date in 1895, Red Thunder was in jail awaiting trial. Though no one had been killed, sensational reports of a so-called “Turtle Mountain War” stirred fear. Canadian troops mobilized along the border, but the U.S. declined to send forces, saying the Chippewa had legal rights in the area and the situation was exaggerated.

"Turtle Mountain" or "Turtle Mountains"? Tribal historian and linguist Pat Gourneau noted that Indigenous languages traditionally didn’t use the plural. The Turtle’s back, head, heart, and tail were referenced by Indigenous people as parts of one elevated landform. Travelers, explorers, and cartographers identified landmarks accordingly.