Dakota Datebook
History Podcasts
Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history. Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Description:
Sitting Bull to Phil Jackson, cattle to prairie dogs, knoefla to lefse. North Dakota's legacy includes many strange stories of eccentric towns, war heroes, and various colorful characters. Hear all about them on Dakota Datebook, your daily dose of North Dakota history. Dakota Datebook is made in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and funded by Humanities North Dakota, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities North Dakota or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Twitter:
@prairiepublic
Language:
English
Contact:
701-239-6900
Email:
info@prairiepublic.org
Episodes
April 18: A Most Important Matter
4/18/2025
Voters today take for granted their right to elect their United States Senators. Americans have been directly electing their Senators for over a hundred years, but it wasn’t always this way. Our Founding Fathers believed that allowing state legislatures to elect Senators would strengthen the bond between the federal and state governments. Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution stated, 'The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.'
Duration:00:02:41
April 17: Blaze Orange For Hunters
4/17/2025
Deer hunters need to see clearly and aim accurately to bring home the big bucks. But they also need to follow basic gun safety rules to avoid harming themselves or other hunters.
Duration:00:03:00
April 16: A Hidden Gem
4/16/2025
In 1872, European Americans founded a modest settlement at what was called Missouri Crossing. It got its name because the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the river there on their journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase. The settlers named their new community Edwinton, after Edwin Ferry Johnson, an engineer with the Northern Pacific Railroad. Less than a year later, the name was changed to Bismarck, in honor of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, aiming to attract German immigrants.
Duration:00:02:54
April 15: Senator McCumber and Wahpeton Indian School
4/15/2025
A tattered mansion on 8th Street, which still stands today, was once the home of U.S. Senator Porter J. McCumber of Wahpeton. Five blocks north of the old silk-stocking block is the Wahpeton Indian School, now known as the Circle of Nations.
Duration:00:03:03
April 14: Air Ship
4/14/2025
On this date in 1897, an 'air ship' was spotted in the skies across eastern North Dakota. The Larimore Pioneer in Grand Forks County reported eyewitness accounts of the event. Three men in particular—Chief Clerk W.A. Willian, Agent J. McNaught, and Janitor Chris Johnson—shared their observations. They said the object was first seen shortly before 11 PM, moving swiftly in a northwesterly direction, with a noticeable swaying motion.
Duration:00:03:01
April 11: Wind Incidents and Advantages
4/11/2025
"It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the wind!" Many a North Dakotan has lamented the state’s well-known whirlwinds—and for good reason. North Dakota is relatively flat, with few natural formations to block the wind. So, it’s no surprise that the weather has been a topic of interest in newspapers since the region became a state.
Duration:00:02:37
April 10: Summer Never Came
4/10/2025
Mount Tambora is a volcanic mountain in Indonesia. It may be hard to imagine how an eruption there could affect the Great Plains, especially from so far away on the other side of the world. But on this date in 1815, it did exactly that. The eruption began on April 5, with small tremors hinting at a major event. Then, on the evening of April 10, a cataclysmic explosion blew the mountain apart. A thick cloud of hot rock fragments and gases, known as a pyroclastic flow, rolled down the mountainside. The explosion and the tsunamis it triggered killed 10,000 people and destroyed 35,000 homes. And that was just the beginning.
Duration:00:02:42
April 9: The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act
4/9/2025
No proposed tariff has ever been universally popular among all Americans. In the early 1900s, a tariff proposal highlighted the tensions between differing interests. Many Americans supported tariffs to discourage monopolies from raising prices. Industrialists believed tariffs on foreign products would protect their business interests. However, a tariff that protected one interest could harm another. New England, which produced no coal, opposed a tariff on that product. But Pennsylvania, a major coal producer, strongly supported the tariff.
Duration:00:02:59
April 8: Making an Escape
4/8/2025
Wildfires have historically played an important role in the ecology of the Great Plains. Fires on the plains help remove accumulated litter, stimulate native grass growth, and slow the spread of invasive plants.
Duration:00:02:32
April 7: Forest Week
4/7/2025
In the United States, Arbor Day originated in Nebraska. As settlers moved west, they were struck by the lack of trees. Newspaper editor Julius Morton used his platform to stress the importance of trees. His message resonated with readers. In 1872, he proposed a day dedicated to planting trees, and Arbor Day was born.
Duration:00:02:33
April 4: A Storm to Remember: “Hannah” Hammers the State
4/4/2025
April is a time of optimism as the region thaws, and thoughts turn to planting and warmer weather. However, it’s also a deceptive time, as the last gasps of winter can still wreak havoc, surprising those who believe the snow is finished. March and April storms have earned their place in residents' memories, like the March 1966 blizzard. But the 1997 blizzard, named “Hannah” by the Grand Forks Herald, came with an intensity and consequences that belied its innocent name.
Duration:00:03:07
April 3: A Senseless Tragedy
4/3/2025
George Haneckeyk was born in Denmark in 1886 and came to North Dakota in 1910. In 1916, he had a run-in with the law when he attacked and tried to kill a girl in Minot. He was found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. After being discharged in 1918, he opened a painting shop in Bismarck. It seemed he had changed. He was a quiet man who kept to himself and caused no trouble. He did some painting at the police office and even became friends with some officers. While he was never a police officer, he was occasionally sworn in to assist the department when extra help was needed.
Duration:00:02:20
April 2: American Farmer
4/2/2025
North Dakota Agricultural College opened on January 3, 1892, with 123 students. Farmers were initially skeptical that "college boys" could help them improve their farms. However, they were pleasantly surprised as professors took students out into the field to consult with farmers through the extension service, offering in-person courses and consultations.
Duration:00:02:45
April 1: April Fools' Day!
4/1/2025
April Fools' Day has been around for centuries, with pranks and practical jokes ending in the cry of “April Fool!” Many historians trace its origins to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
Duration:00:02:24
March 31: Out Like a Lamb — Farmer Subdues Presumed Madman
3/31/2025
On this date in 1909, an incredible story was going to press. The Wahpeton Times reported that Farmer Olson, who lived three miles north of Jamestown, had spotted a man skipping across his fields in a hurry. Olson had never seen anyone so far off the beaten path and gleeful outside of hunting season. He concluded it must be the patient who had escaped from the insane asylum at Jamestown a few days earlier.
Duration:00:02:31
March 28: The Big Time Operators
3/28/2025
Actively investing in the stock market can be intimidating for most people. There's a steep learning curve and the constant fear of losing money. But a group of women in Bismarck faced that fear head-on, pooling their resources and knowledge to take on the stock market. On this date in 1999, Fargo newspaper readers learned about the Big Time Operators Investment Club in Bismarck. Known as the BTO Club for short, the twenty women met monthly to discuss stocks they were researching and vote on what to buy and sell.
Duration:00:02:33
March 27: Linda Stout at Mayo Clinic
3/27/2025
Howard and Edna Stout were thankful for their new baby girl, born in 1949. They named her Linda. But soon, they became worried because baby Linda wasn't thriving. She was “very weak” due to being born with a hole in her heart—a ventricular septal defect between the lower chambers.
Duration:00:02:53
March 26: The Salk Polio Vaccine
3/26/2025
There was a hint of panic when three cases of polio were reported in Fargo in 1921. The Ward County newspaper warned, “It is certain that the disease will spread over the state at an early date.” Polio was the most feared disease in the United States, and for good reason.
Duration:00:02:50
March 25: The Congressional Medal of Honor
3/25/2025
On this date in 1863, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton awarded the first Medals of Honor to the six surviving members of Anderson’s Raiders.
Duration:00:02:49
March 24: North Dakota Boxer Killed in Panama, Mystery Lives On
3/24/2025
On this date in 1917, newspapers across the country reported that heavyweight contender Jim Barry was shot and killed. He was in Panama for a title fight against Sam McVey, who later brought the news back to New York. Many differing stories have circulated about Barry’s life, death, career, ethnicity, year of birth, and origins.
Duration:00:02:55